Kodi AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Media Servers

The best Media Server alternative to Kodi 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 17 are Media Servers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Media Server alternatives to Kodi are Jellyfin, Emby, Infuse and Meelo.

filter to find the best alternatives

Kodi alternatives are mainly Media Servers, but if you're looking for Media Players or Media Centers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android, iPhone, iPad, Media Streaming, Apple TV, Windows and Support for IPTV. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Kodi.
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Alternatives list

  1. Stremio icon

    Stremio

     2717 likes

    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.

    106 Stremio alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • Android TV
    • Flatpak
    • AltStore
    • Online
    • Tizen OS
    • Meta Quest
    Stremio screenshot 1
     
    |
    7
    Stremio vs Kodi Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    DuraluminHere
    0

    Kodi is more extensible, but Stremio is much easier to get set up. Way better mobile experience as well.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    8

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    User1639378
    Negative
    0

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

    3 of 7 comments
    • Stremio is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
  2. Jellyfin icon

    Jellyfin

     371 likes

    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.

    82 Jellyfin alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Self-Hosted
    • Flathub
    • Tizen OS
    • F-Droid
    • Android TV
    • Cloudron
    • Kodi
    • Docker
    • Fire TV
    • Roku
    Jellyfin screenshot 1
     
    |
    5
    Jellyfin vs Kodi Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    ph soft
    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
    1

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

    User1639378
    Negative
    0

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

    3 of 5 comments
    • Jellyfin is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
    • Jellyfin is DecentralizedKodi is not according to our users
  4. Emby icon

    Emby

     175 likes

    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.

    60 Emby alternatives

    Cost / License

    • 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
     
    |
    3
    Emby vs Kodi Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    David Saylor
    Positive
    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
    1

    Kodi has addons and many extra features

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Emby is Freemium and ProprietaryKodi is Free and Open Source
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Nero MediaHome icon
    Nero MediaHome

    Comprehensive media manager for archiving, organizing, and playing files. It supports wireless transfer from devices, CD ripping with album art, and offers editing tools. Users can create slideshows, playlists, and burn them to o...

    https://www.nero.com
    Learn More
  6. Infuse icon

    Infuse

     54 likes

    Ignite your video content with Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. No need to convert files! Infuse is optimized for iOS 12, with powerful streaming options, trakt sync, and unmatched AirPlay & subtitle support.

    135 Infuse alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Apple TV
    • visionOS
    Infuse screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Infuse vs Kodi Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    It’s not as customisable, so there’s no way to give it your own twist.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Infuse is Freemium and ProprietaryKodi is Free and Open Source
  8. Meelo icon

    Meelo

     16 likes

    A versatile self-hosted music server offering music video access, B-Side and rare track identification, extensive format support via transcoding, and detailed metadata parsing. Additional features include automatic 'featuring' detection, song version browsing, and genre retrieval through platforms like MusicBrainz.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Meelo screenshot 1
     
  9. Streama icon

    Streama

     15 likes

    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!

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    Streama screenshot 1
     
  10. Serviio icon

    Serviio

     54 likes

    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.

    55 Serviio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Serviio screenshot 1
     
  11. PS3 Media Server icon

    PS3 Media Server

     70 likes

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

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GUI
     
    |
    1
    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 vs Kodi Comments
    nandhp
    Negative
    1

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

    • PS3 Media Server is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
  12. nextPVR icon

    nextPVR

     11 likes

    NextPVR. NextPVR is a popular free personal video recorder application for Microsoft Windows, making it easy to watch or record Live TV.

    20 nextPVR alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Docker
    Home
     
  13. Oblecto icon

    Oblecto

     4 likes

    Oblecto is a media server, similar to Plex, Emby, Netflix and others. It runs in the background on a home server to index your media such as movies and TV shows to make them searchable and streamable through a REST based interface.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Self-Hosted
    Oblecto screenshot 1
     
    |
    1
    Oblecto vs Kodi Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's allows multiple users to watch simultaneously. It also tracks movie progress in real time, which is missing in kodi

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Oblecto is Free and Open SourceKodi is also Free and Open Source
  14. VLC Streamer icon

    VLC Streamer

     6 likes

    Sit anywhere in your house and watch movies or TV shows on your iPhone, iPod or iPad.

    69 VLC Streamer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • iPad
     
  15. Nero MediaHome icon

    Nero MediaHome

     6 likes

    Comprehensive media manager for archiving, organizing, and playing files. It supports wireless transfer from devices, CD ripping with album art, and offers editing tools. Users can create slideshows, playlists, and burn them to optical discs, enhancing the experience with music and templates.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Nero MediaHome screenshot 1
     
12 of 17 Kodi alternatives