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Head-to-head · Video Player Software

Kodi vs MPlayer

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Kodi #2 in Video Player Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Kodi
MPlayer #6 in Video Player Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit MPlayer

Kodi leads on 0 checks, MPlayer on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreKodi · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth

Kodi scores higher on our rubric for video player software: 9.2 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.

Kodi is the better fit for home theater and media-library users. MPlayer is the better fit for technical users needing broad legacy support.

  • Kodi fits best

    Home theater and media-library users

  • MPlayer fits best

    Technical users needing broad legacy support

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Side by side

Feature Kodi 9.2/10 Visit ↗ MPlayer 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.7
Ranking #2 in Video Player Software #6 in Video Player Software
Best for Home theater and media-library users Technical users needing broad legacy support
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop, Mobile Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Linux, Windows, macOS
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Kodi 2/3 · MPlayer 2/3
Hardware acceleration ✓ ✓
Playback speed control ✓ ✓
Portable version Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, QNX
Codec support MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.263, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.264, H.265, HuffYUV, MJPEG, RealVideo, RMVB, Sorenson, WMV, Cinepak, AAC, MP3, AC3, DTS MPEG-1/2, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264, WMV1/2/3, RealVideo, Sorenson, Cinepak, DV, 3ivx, Indeo, H.263, MJPEG, HuffYUV, MP3, AC3/A52, E-AC3, DTS, AAC, WMA, RealAudio, Ogg Vorbis, PCM
Subtitle formats SRT, VPlayer, SAMI, MPL2, MicroDVD, SSA/ASS, EIA-608/EIA-708, TX3G, WebVTT, VobSub, PGS, SUP MicroDVD, SubRip, OGM, SubViewer, Sami, VPlayer, RT, SSA, AQTitle, JACOsub, PJS, MPsub, SPU, VOBsub, Closed Captions
Maximum resolution Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Movie and TV libraries include metadata, artwork, episode views, and watched status
  • Plays local, network, disc, archive, and internet-streamed media
  • Supports subtitles, add-ons, live TV/PVR, skins, and remote control
  • Plays a wide range of video and audio formats
  • Supports many subtitle formats, streams, and optical media
  • Offers adjustable speed, frame-by-frame playback, and hardware acceleration
Cons
  • Third-party services and content sources require user configuration
  • Live TV and PVR depend on supported backends and client add-ons
  • Its many media features may be more than users seeking a simple player need
  • Optional GUI is not enabled by default
  • Command-line binaries may not suit GUI-first users
  • Hardware acceleration depends on supported output drivers
Our verdict

Kodi is a free, open-source media player and entertainment hub for people who want one interface for video, music, photos, podcasts, games, and other media. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. For home theater and…

Read the review →

MPlayer is a free, open-source media player for technical users who need broad compatibility across Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and other Unix-like systems. It handles local files, optical media, television input, and network streams, while…

Read the review →
  1. KodiVideo Player Software 9.2Free plan
  2. MPlayerVideo Player Software 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Kodi — where it wins

    • Movie and TV libraries include metadata, artwork, episode views, and watched status
    • Plays local, network, disc, archive, and internet-streamed media
    • Supports subtitles, add-ons, live TV/PVR, skins, and remote control

    Where it doesn't

    • Third-party services and content sources require user configuration
    • Live TV and PVR depend on supported backends and client add-ons
    • Its many media features may be more than users seeking a simple player need

  • MPlayer — where it wins

    • Plays a wide range of video and audio formats
    • Supports many subtitle formats, streams, and optical media
    • Offers adjustable speed, frame-by-frame playback, and hardware acceleration

    Where it doesn't

    • Optional GUI is not enabled by default
    • Command-line binaries may not suit GUI-first users
    • Hardware acceleration depends on supported output drivers
  • Kodi9.2/10 · Free plan

    A free, flexible choice for organizing and playing media across five platforms.

    Visit KodiFull verdict →
  • MPlayer8.7/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source player for technical users who need wide format and stream support.

    Visit MPlayerFull verdict →

More comparisons

All video player software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update