Comparison · verified on 2026-09-25
Megacubo vs Kodi: M3U player or full media centre?
Megacubo opens your M3U playlists with almost no setup; Kodi is a media centre that organises a local library and extends through add-ons — live TV included, through PVR. They are different answers to different questions: one focuses on live TV, radio and playlists, the other is an entertainment hub.
In one sentence
In short: to watch your M3U playlists on the TV, the phone and the desktop without configuring anything beyond the playlist, pick Megacubo; for a media centre with a movie and series library, covers, add-ons, skins and games, pick Kodi — and count on more setup time, especially for live TV.
Side by side
| Attribute | Megacubo | Kodi |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An M3U/IPTV playlist player, focused on live TV, radio and VOD | A media centre and entertainment hub 1 |
| Licence | GPL-3.0 | Free and open source, under GPL 1 |
| Where it runs | Windows 10/11, Linux, macOS, Android, Android TV and TV boxes | Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS, tvOS and Android 1 |
| Interface for TV and remote control | Navigable with a remote control on Android TV and TV boxes | Designed as a living-room interface, for televisions and remote controls 1 |
| Local movie and series library | No — the focus is the playlists | Yes, with covers, synopses, progress and season views 1 |
| Add-ons and skins | No | Yes, built by the community 1 |
| Live TV | M3U/Xtream playlists straight into the app, with no middle layer | Through live TV (PVR), with backends such as MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR and Tvheadend 1 |
| Recording | Yes, with the optional Premium license | Yes, through live TV (PVR) 1 |
| Games | No | Yes, through emulators 1 |
| Content included | None: the playlist is the user's | None: the project states it provides no media content or sources 1 |
| Price | Free; an optional one-time Premium license to record and cast | Free 1 |
1 Source for the Kodi facts: kodi.tv/about, checked on 2026-09-25. The Megacubo facts are on this section's facts and specifications page.
Pros and cons of both sides
Megacubo
- Open an M3U playlist and it already shows channels, EPG and radio — no backend, no add-on
- A native app for Android and Android TV as well as the desktop
- Recording, scheduled recordings and casting to the TV built in, with the optional license
- It does not organise a local movie and series library
- No add-ons, skins or games
- Less customisable than a media centre
Kodi
- Much more than TV: movies, series, music, photos and games, with a library and metadata
- A large ecosystem of add-ons, skins and phone-app control
- Live TV and recording through PVR, with several backends
- It requires more setup: for live TV you have to put a PVR backend together
- The interface is designed for the living room; on a phone it is less direct
- The number of options can be overwhelming for someone who just wants to see channels
Frequently asked questions
Can you watch IPTV on Kodi?
Yes, through live TV over PVR: the Kodi site names MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR and Tvheadend among the compatible backends. It is one more configuration step than opening an M3U playlist player and pointing it at your playlist.
Are both of them free?
Yes. Kodi is free and open source, under GPL, according to its own site; Megacubo is free and open source under GPL-3.0. In Megacubo the Premium license is optional and exists to record and cast, not to watch.
Does Megacubo have a movie and series library?
No. Megacubo focuses on M3U playlists, live TV and radio; organising a local library of movies and series with covers, synopses and progress is exactly what Kodi does, and it is the reason Kodi exists.