5 Best Kodi Alternatives in 2023

Kodi is an open-source home theater software for accessing an array of exclusive media content on the internet. It is a media streaming service available for streaming movies and television shows online. With its fantastic media playback capabilities, it offers a rich media consumption experience with support for managing existing offline content.

The streaming service has seen many of its add-ons shut down due to a recent legal clampdown by copyrights holders. This caused users to begin to search for Kodi alternatives in 2023 that offer same media consumption experience.

List of Best Kodi Alternatives in 2023

If you’re seeking Kodi alternatives in 2023, this article highlights 5 useful alternative tools.

Stremio

When it comes to streaming movies and series in high quality, Stremio should be your preferred digital media player. It aggregates video content from different platforms, free and paid, and presents them to you on a single screen.

While Kodi requires you link your streaming sources by yourself, Stremio collates these sources for you. It fetches content from different YouTube channels, lists popular TV series and movies and ensures it is of high quality.

Stremio allows you create a personal library packed with all your favorite TV shows and movies. It interacts with users, notifying them about new episodes of their favorite shows. It also recommends shows they might love.

The Stremio service works well across all devices. When you synchronize your library on one device, it takes effect on other devices too.

Stremio organizes your library across all devices. It gives you an interactive and modern user-interface with the help of the Linvo Database.

It is available for download on Windows, Android, iOS platforms, Mac, Linux and it is free to use. All you need do is create an account after downloading the app.

If you think Kodi is the best media center software there is, wait till you try your hands on Stremio.

Plex

Plex offers a more robust user interface and experience and can be said to be better than Kodi. Built on a server-client architecture, Plex offers a seamless experience in streaming media content. It is an efficient media streaming service that allows users to stream large amounts of content seamlessly with one device.

Bundled with a plethora of features, Plex is available on Windows, Mac OS X, Windows Phone (Mobile), NetGear, Android TV, Roku, Chromecast, Xbox, iOS, Linux (Desktop), Android, PlayStation and Tivo devices.

Plex can act as home theatre software helping you manage your media libraries through an intuitive interface. It also offers a collection of channels and allows you select content based on your channel preferences. Few alternatives give you this flexibility.

Plex is available as a free tool giving you access to enjoy its offerings. Its premium subscription, at $4.99/month, allows you enjoy more features compared to the free usage. Wireless syncing of photos to the media server across supported devices and access to movie trailers are some of its premium features.

If you need a Kodi alternative that gives you control over your content, then you should give Plex a try. And in case you didn’t know, there’s a brilliant method to integrate both Kodi and Plex.

Emby

Over the years, Emby has evolved from being a simple media browser to much more now. An open-source software built on a client-server architecture like Plex, Emby interacts with its server pushing important notifications to your devices.

With Emby, you can connect easily to your personal media from anywhere in the world. Another unique feature of Emby is its in-built parental control, allowing you control what your children watch while you're away. If parental control is what you’re looking for in a Kodi replacement, Emby is what you need.

Emby also allows you to back up your personal media to the cloud so you never have to worry about losing your media. You can also store your content in different resolutions to enjoy a wonderful streaming experience across all devices. Also integrated into Emby is live TV functionality for streaming live TV sessions onto any device.

Built with user experience in mind, Emby eliminates the stress of managing your media library by helping you organize your personalized library so you can get into the nick of the action straight away. As expected, it is easy to install and deploy.

Emby is currently available for free on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Xbox, Windows Phone (Mobile), iOS, Android, Android TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast . For premium features such as cinema mode. You can get a paid subscription for more premium features such as cinema mode starting at $4.99/month.

MediaPortal 2

MediaPortal 2 is a next-generation media center application that makes use of high-end functionality to give you a unique user experience when interacting with it. Specifically designed to run on the Windows operating system, MediaPortal 2 is open-source. It provides rich functionality that includes, but not limited to, media playback capabilities. It also supports integration with a variety of plugins that allow it carry out additional functions. With MediaPortal 2, you can check the weather forecast, view images, and stream music and video from online sources.

MediaPortal 2 was initially built off the XMBC(now Kodi) source code. It was later rebuilt from scratch to allow for complete control over implementing new functionality.

Unlike other media center programs, MediaPortal is heavily reliant on external hardware found in HTPCs; TV tuners, infrared receivers, DVR and LCD displays.

While it is not at par with Plex and Emby, its unique point is the DVR (Digital Video Recording) functionality that allows you to watch, schedule and record live TV. Asides playing media from a connected player, MediaPortal 2 readily pools information associated with DVD movies and TV shows from IMDb automatically. This information is saved for use and later retrieved when needed again.

MediaPortal 2 is always considered an alternative to Windows Media Center because it runs only on the Windows platform. Hence, if you are searching for a Kodi alternative for your Windows device, there is none better than MediaPortal.

It is also free for its entire use and requires no premium subscription.

Infuse

Infuse is a great Kodi alternative that features a balanced user interface. Unlike other alternatives, it is easy to use and multi-functional. You can take your media with you anywhere you go as it allows you stream videos across connected devices. It allows you to store your entire library of video, music and pictures, and stream them conveniently to a wide range of different devices.

One unique point of Infuse is that it can play movies in any format without having to convert them. So if you’re a Kodi user with a large collection of movies across different formats, Infuse should be your choice. This gives it an edge over many other video streaming apps.

As great as Kodi is, it is not available for Apple TV and that is where Infuse trumps it. If you want to enjoy live TV and movies on your Apple TV, Infuse gets my recommendation. With its smart filters feature, you can personalize your Infuse home screen. Infuse also offers subtitles support giving you a fantastic viewing experience.

Worthy of note is Infuse’s pricing. Its subscription plans goes for $1 monthly.

While Infuse is not Kodi, it is confident in its arsenal to give Kodi a run for its money. Its latest release boasts of a whole lot more features like iCloud libraries, iOS Files app integration, Airplay 2 & Homepod support and much more. If you’re looking for an affordable media streaming service similar to Kodi with a sprinkle of Apple TV, say hello! to Infuse.

Conclusion of Best Alternatives to Kodi

We have taken our time to carry out extensive research on Kodi alternatives in 2023 that offer amazing streaming capabilities. This research shows unique differentiating functionality of all these media library applications. While some are easy to install, set up and deploy, some are cross-platform with additional features that make them stand out.

While Kodi is highly-rated amongst popular home theater softwares, the alternatives in this article are sure to suit users with specific needs. For example, if you have a preference for online content, we recommend Stremio. If you find yourself tilting towards more of premium content, flexibility and parental control, we recommend Plex or Emby. However, if you love to interact with hardware, we recommend MediaPortal 2 for you. Infuse should be your choice if you want to watch exclusive Apple TV content.

What are your thoughts on our list of the best Kodi alternatives in 2023? Do you think any of the alternatives listed do not deserve to be among the 5? Is there any other home theatre software that you think can absolutely replace Kodi? Kindly let us know in the comments section. Also, remember to help us spread the word on social media by clicking on the share buttons below.