Kodi Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Kodi for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best Linux alternative is Stremio, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Kodi and many of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Kodi are Jellyfin, Emby, Plasma Bigscreen and PS3 Media Server.

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Kodi alternatives are mainly Media Centers but may also be Media Players or Media Servers. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Kodi.
Kodi iconKodi
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Open-source media player supporting Linux to iOS, highly customizable with plug-ins, supports 4K and diverse formats, privacy-centric and ad-free.

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Kodi alternatives page was last updated Feb 13, 2025
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Alternatives
  1. Stremio icon

    Stremio

     2612 likes
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    Versatile media center enabling seamless streaming of films, series, and YouTube in HD with subtitle support. Cast effortlessly to TV with DLNA, Chromecast integration. Explore via add-ons like Netflix, Amazon, torrent-streaming. Enjoy media faster with smart suggestions and episode alerts across all devices while remaining ad-free; no user account required.

    97 Stremio alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • BG flagBulgaria
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Website

    Top Stremio Features

    1.  Torrent Streaming
    2.  Media Center
    3.  Movie Streaming
    4.  Support for IPTV
    5.  Automatic subtitles download
    6.  TV Streaming
    7.  Casting to TV
    8.  Torrent player
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Media Server
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Built-in subtitle search

    Stremio VS Kodi

     
    Comments about Stremio as an Alternative to Kodi
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    Feb 20, 2016
    2

    I s one the best alternative software, 1- is free, 2- give choice to watch a TV show or movie, 3- the quality of content range from media to high and 4- the speed is quite good, the only small issue with this soft, is adaptability to remote control, and l think that they can correct soon..

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    Nov 7, 2020
    7

    Kodi can access local (NAS in the same network) files. Stremio can not and therefore is no alternative.

    Most Recent Comment
    User1639378
    Negative •May 20, 2024
    1

    Not really an alternative Stream.io is an online service while kodi is an offline solution.

    Show more comments
    3 of 6 comments
    Kodi Icon
    Stremio icon

    • Most users think Stremio is a great Kodi alternative.

    • Stremio is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Kodi.

    • Stremio is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Kodi.

    • Stremio is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
  2. Jellyfin icon

    Jellyfin

     278 likes
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    A free, open-source media system alternative to proprietary options like Emby and Plex, with Chromecast support, 4K streaming, plugin extensions, focusing on privacy without premium features, managing media from dedicated servers to multiple devices via various apps.

    47 Jellyfin alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • Tizen OS
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Kodi
    • Docker
    • Fire TV
    • Roku
    Jellyfin screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Media Streaming
    2.  Media Server
    3.  Local server
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Media Center
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  Media Transcoding
    8.  Support for DLNA
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  Kids Mode

    Jellyfin VS Kodi

     
    Comments about Jellyfin as an Alternative to Kodi
    Top Positive Comment
    ph soft
    Oct 21, 2022
    1

    Jellyfin is a (great) server but it does not seem to have a player that you can control with a remote. Kodi is a (good) player but the server is not good (CPU usage, etc). Kodicon plugin allows using both.

    Top Negative Comment
    Jan Klass
    Aug 20, 2023
    1

    Jellyfin transcodes video to offer it to a webbrowser interface. Kodi allows you to play videos natively.

    Most Recent Comment
    User1639378
    Negative •May 20, 2024
    0

    Jellyfin is an media server while Kodi is a media player, so it is not reall an alternative.

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    3 of 5 comments
    Kodi Icon
    Jellyfin icon

    • Most users think Jellyfin is a great Kodi alternative.

    • Jellyfin is the most popular iPad & Self-Hosted alternative to Kodi.

    • Jellyfin is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
    • Jellyfin is Privacy focusedKodi is not according to our users
  4. Emby icon

    Emby

     169 likes
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    Emby, formerly Media Browser, is a media aggregator plugin for Media Center that takes your recorded, digital, or ripped media and presents it in a simple, easy to use interface. Emby prides itself on delivering a fast, intuitive, media rich experience for the whole family.

    49 Emby alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • Windows Phone
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Apple TV
    • Kindle Fire
    • Cloudron
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
    Emby screenshot 1

    Top Emby Features

    1.  Media Streaming
    2.  Media Server
    3.  Browser Gallery
    4.  Private gallery
    5.  Optimized for Mobile
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Chromecast Support
    8.  Kids Mode
    9.  Remote Media Access
    10.  Local server
    11.  Media Transcoding
    12.  Asset Pipeline

    Emby VS Kodi

     
    Comments about Emby as an Alternative to Kodi
    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive •Aug 17, 2015
    7

    Like Plex, Emby is a server/player hybrid. Allowing you to manage users with unique watch histories and transcoding for any device. The player is robust, covering Windows, iOS, Android, Windows Phone amongst others, along with the most robust web player on the market.

    David Saylor
    Positive •May 4, 2022
    0

    Emby has a way nicer UI than KODI and it's way easier to setup (atleast on Linux Ubuntu 20 anyway. You can browse through your media by alphabet (the one feature that KODI and Netflix both lack).

    Guest
    Negative •Nov 3, 2016
    1

    Kodi has addons and many extra features

    Kodi Icon
    Emby icon

    • Most users think Emby is a great Kodi alternative.

    • Emby is Freemium and ProprietaryKodi is Free and Open Source
  5. Plasma Bigscreen icon

    Plasma Bigscreen

     13 likes
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    Plasma Bigscreen is an open-source user interface for TV's. Running on top of a Linux distribution, Plasma Bigscreen turns your TV or setup-box into a fully hackable device. A big launcher giving you easy access to any installed apps and skills.

    15 Plasma Bigscreen alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE
    Plasma Bigscreen screenshot 1

    Plasma Bigscreen Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  KDE
    3. KDE Plasma icon  KDE Plasma integration
    4.  Media Streaming

    Plasma Bigscreen VS Kodi

     
  6. PS3 Media Server icon

    PS3 Media Server

     70 likes
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    PS3 Media Server is a DLNA compliant Upnp Media Server for the PS3, written in Java, with the purpose of streaming or transcoding.

    35 PS3 Media Server alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GUI
    Discontinued

    The project seems to be no longer developed, but last version, 1.90.1, released in August 2013, can be still downloaded from the official website.

    PS3 Media Server Features

    1.  Support for DLNA

    PS3 Media Server VS Kodi

     
    Comments about PS3 Media Server as an Alternative to Kodi
    nandhp
    Negative •May 20, 2015
    1

    Kodi is primarily a front-end ("10-foot interface"), PS3 Media Server is primarily a back-end.

    Kodi Icon
    PS3 Media Server icon

    • Most users think PS3 Media Server is a great Kodi alternative.

    • PS3 Media Server is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
  7. Video Hub App icon

    Video Hub App

     22 likes
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    Browse, search, preview, and organize your videos.

    35 Video Hub App alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Thumbnails view

    Video Hub App Features

    1.  Indexed search
    2.  Catalog
    3.  File Organizer
    4.  Stream video to Apple TV

    Video Hub App VS Kodi

     
  9. Serviio icon

    Serviio

     54 likes
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    Serviio is a free media server. It allows you to stream your media files (music, video or images) to any DLNA-certified renderer device (e.g. a TV set, Bluray player, games console) on your home network.

    48 Serviio alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Serviio screenshot 1

    Serviio Features

    1.  RAW Photo Editors
    2.  Create Playlist
    3.  Media Streaming
    4.  Stream audio
    5.  Support for subtitles
    6.  Xbox
    7.  Playstation
    8.  Support for DLNA

    Serviio VS Kodi

     
  10. Streama icon

    Streama

     13 likes
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    Ever had a huge bookshelf full of shows and movies? Ever wanted to digitalize them, but didn't have a good way of organizing the files? Worry no more! Streama is your own personal Netflix for just such a purpose!

    22 Streama alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    Streama screenshot 1

    Streama Features

    1.  Streaming

    Streama VS Kodi

     
8 of 23 Kodi alternatives