Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LibreELEC VS Kodi

Compare LibreELEC VS Kodi and see what are their differences

LibreELEC logo LibreELEC

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

Kodi logo Kodi

Kodi is an award winning free and open source media player that got its start on the Xbox console.
  • LibreELEC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-06
  • Kodi Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-21

LibreELEC features and specs

  • Lightweight
    LibreELEC is a minimalistic, lightweight Linux-based operating system specifically built for running the Kodi media center, which means it is optimized for performance and consumes fewer system resources.
  • Easy Installation
    The installation process is straightforward and user-friendly, designed to get you up and running with minimal hassle.
  • Optimized for Kodi
    Since LibreELEC is designed expressly for Kodi, it offers better performance and stability for this media center compared to more general-purpose operating systems.
  • Wide Hardware Support
    LibreELEC supports a broad range of hardware platforms, including the Raspberry Pi, x86 PCs, and various ARM devices, providing flexibility in terms of device compatibility.
  • Automatic Updates
    The system includes automatic updates, ensuring that users always have the latest features and security patches without manual intervention.
  • Community Support
    LibreELEC has a vibrant community that provides support, plugins, and additional features, making it easier for users to customize their setup and solve any issues they might encounter.

Possible disadvantages of LibreELEC

  • Limited Functionality
    Being a specialized OS for Kodi, LibreELEC lacks the versatility of more general-purpose operating systems, meaning it is not suitable for tasks outside of media consumption.
  • Steep Learning Curve for Beginners
    Although installation is easy, new users might find it challenging to navigate and customize the system to their needs if they're unfamiliar with media center setups.
  • Limited Application Availability
    Because LibreELEC is specifically tailored for Kodi, there is a limited range of additional applications that can be installed compared to more general operating systems.
  • Dependency on Kodi
    The entire user experience is tied to Kodi. If Kodi encounters any bugs or issues, it can severely impact the usability of the whole system.
  • Less Frequent General Updates
    While LibreELEC includes automatic updates, major changes and new features in the underlying OS might not be as frequent as with more active, general-purpose Linux distributions.

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.

LibreELEC videos

LibreELEC Raspberry Pi 1 2 3 Or Zero Quick Look Kodi For Raspberry pi

More videos:

  • Review - Raspberry Pi 4B on LibreELEC 9.2 with Kodi 18.3
  • Review - Kodi Compendium [Part 3]: Raspberry Pi OS Selection, Comparison, Performance Test LibreELEC vs OSMC

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LibreELEC and Kodi)
Video
26 26%
74% 74
Media Player
29 29%
71% 71
Watch Movies Online
28 28%
72% 72
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 LibreELEC and Kodi

LibreELEC Reviews

Top 10 Best Linux Media Server Software
LibreELEC also has special builds for single board computers like Raspberry Pi. You can install this special operating system on your Raspberry Pi and get a media center device ready in minutes.
Source: itsfoss.com

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.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Kodi should be more popular than LibreELEC. 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.

LibreELEC mentions (66)

  • Raspberry Pi 5
    - Two LibreELEC (https://libreelec.tv/) mediaplayers in house (yes, one is not enough in my big family). - One for hosting low usage applications at home network (Unifi controller and some more). - Octoprint (https://octoprint.org) connected to the 3d-printer. - One on my desk for hardware hacking – mostly as just a PC with GPIO. - Some Raspberry Pi Zeros as security cameras. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Plex to block all servers hosted at Hetzner
    You might be interested in the https://libreelec.tv/ project. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Looking for a distro to replace Roku Stick
    I'm aware of solutions such as LibreELEC but that (if I understand it) is just a Kodi thing. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Watch Jellyfin content on non-smart TV
    Kodi is a media client as it provides a UI for you to browse, search for and view media. I have it running on my Raspberry Pi as LibreELEC. It connects to the same media sources that Jellyfin uses via SFTP. They support the same scrappers and folder structures so they can share the same media sources. If you're not adamant about using Jellyfin on the Raspberry Pi, this could be an option. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Does anyone know why Kodi will not continuously run on a windows 11 machine?
    Thats not a Kodi issue... It is a Windows and hardware issue... If the only job of the pc is Kodi then use LibreELEC's Kodi... 1000 times better! https://libreelec.tv/. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

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

What are some alternatives?

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

OSMC - OSMC is a free and open source media center built for the people, by the people.

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

OpenELEC - OpenELEC, which stands for Open Embedded Linux Entertainment Center, is a Linux operating system that makes the host computer a Kodi media center. The software was the winner of the Swiss Opensource Award in 2014.

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.

Jellyfin - Jellyfin is a personal media server.

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.