Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Kodi VS CoreELEC

Compare Kodi VS CoreELEC and see what are their differences

Kodi logo Kodi

Kodi is an award winning free and open source media player that got its start on the Xbox console.

CoreELEC logo CoreELEC

A lightweight OS for Kodi
  • Kodi Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-21
  • CoreELEC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-18

Kodi features and specs

  • Open Source
    Kodi is an open-source software, meaning it is free to use and continually improved by a community of developers.
  • Customizable
    Offers extensive customization options, including a variety of add-ons, skins, and settings for personalizing the user experience.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    Available on a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, making it accessible on most devices.
  • Versatile Media Compatibility
    Supports a vast array of file formats and codecs, enabling playback of virtually any type of media file.
  • Extensive Library Management
    Provides robust tools for organizing and managing media libraries, including metadata scraping and library integration.
  • Community Support
    A large and active community that provides forums, guides, and add-ons for enhanced functionality and troubleshooting.

Possible disadvantages of Kodi

  • Legal Issues
    Some third-party add-ons provide access to pirated content, leading to legal concerns and potential security risks.
  • Complex Setup
    The initial setup and configuration can be overwhelming for new users, especially those unfamiliar with media center software.
  • Performance Issues
    Resource-intensive, requiring significant processing power and memory, which can result in slower performance on older devices.
  • Add-On Reliability
    Third-party add-ons can be unreliable, with some becoming outdated or non-functional over time.
  • Security Concerns
    Vulnerability to malicious add-ons and plugins, potentially compromising user security and privacy.
  • Interface Complexity
    The user interface, while customizable, can be less intuitive compared to other media center applications, requiring a learning curve.

CoreELEC features and specs

  • Optimized for Amlogic SoCs
    CoreELEC is specifically designed to work efficiently on devices using Amlogic System on Chips (SoCs), ensuring better performance and compatibility on these platforms compared to more general-purpose operating systems.
  • Lightweight
    The operating system is lightweight and minimal, allowing it to run efficiently on modest hardware, thus enabling older or less powerful devices to function effectively as media players.
  • LibreELEC Derivative
    Being a fork of LibreELEC, CoreELEC inherits a robust foundation and benefits from LibreELEC's media center capabilities while adding optimizations and improvements for Amlogic-based devices.
  • Community Support
    CoreELEC has an active community that supports and provides frequent updates, contributing to its development and troubleshooting user issues.

Possible disadvantages of CoreELEC

  • Limited to Amlogic Devices
    CoreELEC is tailored specifically for devices with Amlogic chipsets, which means it is not suitable for devices with other types of hardware, limiting its usability.
  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with Linux-based systems or media player configurations might face a learning curve when first installing and setting up CoreELEC.
  • Lack of Native App Store
    Unlike more mainstream operating systems, CoreELEC does not have a native app store, which may be frustrating for users accustomed to downloading and installing applications this way.
  • Hardware Compatibility
    While optimized for Amlogic SoCs, there can still be some hardware compatibility issues depending on specific models and peripherals, which may require manual tweaking.

Kodi videos

paradise

More videos:

  • Review - What is Kodi 2023 - is Kodi legal to use? - Popular app Kodi finally gets explained 📺
  • Review - Kodi 20 Released - Watch this BEFORE you Install it
  • Review - Kodi Movie Review - Dhanush - Tamil Talkies

CoreELEC videos

CoreELEC running on Beelink GT-King

More videos:

  • Review - WHAT IS COREELEC ? A MINOR FORK OF LIBREELEC FOR AMLOGIC DEVICES

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Kodi and CoreELEC)
Video
91 91%
9% 9
Media Player
88 88%
12% 12
Watch Movies Online
90 90%
10% 10
Media Players And Streaming Platforms

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Kodi and CoreELEC

Kodi Reviews

Best VLC Alternative Media Players
What I learned was that compared to the VLC Media Player, Kodi goes far beyond. To say that Kodi is just another VLC alternative is an understatement because they are on a completely different playing field.
10 Best Cinema HD APK Alternatives (May 2024)
Kodi is one of the top Cinema APK app alternatives. First, it’s an open-source software. Therefore, the app doesn’t depend upon an individual developer. Moreover, Kodi lets you explore thousands of free and premium addons.
9 Best VLC Alternatives to Play Media in Any Format
While we love Kodi as the ultimate media storage hub, we were disappointed it doesn’t automatically add metadata. To see posters, casts, ratings, etc, we had to download an add-on. In fact, the out-of-the-box version of this VLC alternative is severely lacking. It’s only after a long period of customizations and downloading add-ons that it can become great. Beginners should...
10 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives in 2024 (Free)
Kodi (formerly XBMC Media Center) is also known as VLC Media Player alternative which is an open-source software, supporting various formats. Users don’t have to download codecs for playing DVDs through this application.
The Best 5 Kodi Alternatives You Can Try
Kodi is the ultimate entertainment center program to play almost all kinds of media. Sometimes, you may want some applications like Kodi, and luckily, this post will introduce 5 Kodi alternatives to you. If you want to create videos with images, video clips, and music, try MiniTool MovieMaker.

CoreELEC Reviews

The 10 Best Immutable Linux Distributions in 2024
Some distributions are tailored for specific use cases, like IoT (Ubuntu Core), container orchestration (RancherOS), or media centers (CoreELEC). The suitability of each distribution for its intended purpose was a significant factor, ensuring that users get the best experience for their specific needs.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kodi should be more popular than CoreELEC. It has been mentiond 101 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Kodi mentions (101)

  • Download & Install Kodi in Windows 11
    Download the Latest Stable Version of Kodi from their official website. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • Old Business
    I prefer Kodi: https://kodi.tv/ It is free and open sourced and won't use DRM or phone home on you. Nothing comes out on DVD anymore, everything is Video Streaming paid per month or year. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • The Privacy, Security, & OSINT Show: 302-Self-Hosted 4: The Next Level
    Https://keepassxc.org/ Https://bitwarden.com/help/install-on-premise-linux/ Https://bitwarden.com/help/licensing-on-premise/ Https://bitwarden.com/blog/new-deployment-option-for-self-hosting-bitwarden/ Https://standardnotes.com/help/self-hosting/getting-started Https://syncthing.net/ Https://photostructure.com/server/photostructure-for-servers/ Https://freefilesync.org/ Https://element.io/solutions/self-hosted-or-... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Ask HN: Flac/MP3 listeners: How do you store/play your music?
    Honestly? I use https://beets.io/ to organise all my FLAC on my NAS. I expose the /Music directory over NFC. I use https://kodi.tv/ to stream music to my amp. I manually pick the album I want to listen to. Kodi also has a fairly reasonable web UI. Keep it simple. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • You Will Own Nothing
    Do yourself a favor, get a shitty PC or raspberry pi, plug it into your TV, and install Kodi on it. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

CoreELEC mentions (17)

  • Are there any decent android tv boxes that can power a 2tb hard drive and can install core elec to rom?
    It's a lite version of kodi like libreelec https://coreelec.org/ It does have a list of chipsets it's compatible with but wondered if anyone on here was using it with an android box without any issues. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How many widgets are you running with Arctic Horizon 2?
    Coreelec on the Beelink GT King 2 and Khadas VIM4 was about 40s but still acceptable. Source: about 2 years ago
  • 4K Remux and dolby atmos and DTS X - which media player to install?
    TV's won't output multichannel lossless audio, only compressed audio codecs or stereo PCM. You need an external device for multichannel lossless audio. The Shield TV, tube or pro, is the only Android TV device that will output multichannel lossless audio. The Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen or a custom CoreELEC box are other options that will also do this. The CoreELEC box is the cheapest solution but requires some... Source: about 2 years ago
  • Hey guys I have a old android box (x96 mini) that I’d maybe like to try and set up hopefully to play some n64 games, is there a good tutorial or some website out there to help do that or does anyone here have any information?
    You can find more info on the CoreELEC site. Typically all you do on these is flash an image to a MicroSD card, copy an appropriate dtb for CPU/RAM config and place it renamed on the root of the MicroSD, pop it in, and hold the reset button (which can be hidden, such as in the back of the 3.5mm AV port so have a paperclip handy) and keep it held while you plug in the box and it should boot. Source: over 2 years ago
  • I have this old android tv box, there is a way to delete everything and put in it OSMC? The main reason is that I cannot update Android and the remote integration is good for kodi but not for the other features that it offers.
    Put CoreELEC on it. You can find it here: https://coreelec.org/. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Kodi and CoreELEC, you can also consider the following products

Stremio - Watch videos, movies, TV series and TV channels instantly.

LibreELEC - LibreELEC is ‘Just enough OS’ for Kodi, a Linux distribution built to run Kodi on current and...

Emby - media server for personal streaming movies tv music photos in mobile app or browser for all devices android iOS windows phone appletv androidtv smarttv and dlna.

Daphile - Daphile is an audiophile class music server & player OS – targeted to dedicated headless PC.

Universal Media Server - Universal Media Server allows you to host your entire library of video, music, and pictures, and broadcast them conveniently to a wide variety of different devices.

Jellyfin - Jellyfin is a personal media server.