Kodi vs mpv
Two of the top three media players, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- Kodi has 76 points and mpv 67, 9 apart on our media player software rules.
- Kodi earns more on systems and streams, audio and library; mpv earns more on video.
- Price of the player: Kodi $0, mpv $0.
- Only Kodi meets: media library.
- Only mpv meets: no codec pack needed.
mpv67/100 #3 of 12
Best for: People who want a free, scriptable player and are fine without a built-in library.
Points by group
| Group | Kodi | mpv |
|---|---|---|
| Systems of 12 | 12 | 3 |
| Video of 31 | 25 | 29 |
| Streams, audio and library of 25 | 19 | 15 |
| Ads and privacy of 20 | 8 | 8 |
| Price of 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Total | 76 | 67 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | Kodi | mpv |
|---|---|---|
| Other systems (12) | macOS, Linux, Android, iOS 12 | Android 3 |
| Disc playback (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| No codec pack needed (6) | Not published 0 | Yes 6 |
| 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, Subtitle search in the player 8 | External subtitle files, Embedded subtitle tracks, Styled ASS/SSA subtitles 6 |
| Network streams (8) | HTTP or HTTPS URLs, RTSP or RTMP, DLNA or UPnP 6 | HTTP or HTTPS URLs, HLS, RTSP or RTMP 6 |
| Audio features (8) | ReplayGain or loudness levelling, Exclusive audio output (WASAPI or ASIO) 4 | Gapless playback, ReplayGain or loudness levelling, Exclusive audio output (WASAPI or ASIO) 6 |
| Media library (6) | Yes 6 | Not published 0 |
| Plugins or add-ons (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Open-source apps (8) | Yes 8 | Yes 8 |
| No ads or bundled offers (8) | Not published 0 | Not published 0 |
| States no tracking (4) | Not published 0 | Not published 0 |
| Price of the player (12) | $0 12 | $0 12 |
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.
mpv
mpv suits people who want a free player with hardware decoding, HDR handling, disc support and a scripting interface, and who do not mind configuring it. It is offered free of charge. The catch: its project page calls the Windows and macOS binaries third-party builds, and it has no media library.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score media players.