VLC media player vs Kodi
Two of the top three media players, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- VLC media player has 86 points and Kodi 76, 10 apart on our media player software rules.
- VLC media player earns more on video and ads and privacy; Kodi earns more on streams, audio and library.
- Price of the player: VLC media player $0, Kodi $0.
- Only VLC media player meets: no codec pack needed, no ads or bundled offers and states no tracking.
- Only Kodi meets: media library.
Points by group
| Group | VLC media player | Kodi |
|---|---|---|
| Systems of 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Video of 31 | 29 | 25 |
| Streams, audio and library of 25 | 13 | 19 |
| Ads and privacy of 20 | 20 | 8 |
| Price of 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Total | 86 | 76 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | VLC media player | Kodi |
|---|---|---|
| Other systems (12) | macOS, Linux, Android, iOS 12 | macOS, Linux, Android, iOS 12 |
| Disc playback (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| No codec pack needed (6) | Yes 6 | Not published 0 |
| Hardware video decoding (7) | Yes 7 | Yes 7 |
| HDR playback (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Subtitle features (8) | External subtitle files, Embedded subtitle tracks, Styled ASS/SSA subtitles 6 | External subtitle files, Embedded subtitle tracks, Styled ASS/SSA subtitles, Subtitle search in the player 8 |
| Network streams (8) | HTTP or HTTPS URLs, HLS, RTSP or RTMP 6 | HTTP or HTTPS URLs, RTSP or RTMP, DLNA or UPnP 6 |
| Audio features (8) | Equaliser, Exclusive audio output (WASAPI or ASIO) 4 | ReplayGain or loudness levelling, Exclusive audio output (WASAPI or ASIO) 4 |
| Media library (6) | Not published 0 | Yes 6 |
| Plugins or add-ons (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Open-source apps (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| No ads or bundled offers (8) | Yes 8 | Not published 0 |
| States no tracking (4) | Yes 4 | Not published 0 |
| Price of the player (12) | $0 12 | $0 12 |
VLC media player
VLC suits anyone who wants a single player that costs nothing, carries no ads and has downloads for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It opens discs, network streams (including HLS and RTSP) and HDR video, and accepts Lua add-ons. The catch is thin documentation: the vendor's pages do not name ReplayGain, gapless playback, a media library or subtitle search, so those earn nothing here.
Kodi
Kodi suits people who want a free, open-source player that builds a library, plays discs and takes add-ons. Subtitle search, DXVA2 decoding and tone-mapped HDR are all documented. The catch: it is built as a media centre rather than a simple player, it needs Windows 10 or later, and its forum was breached in 2023.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score media players.