Is Infuse or Kodi better?

Neither clearly leads. Infuse starts at Free and Kodi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Infuse or Kodi?

Infuse starts at Free and Kodi at Free.

Does Infuse or Kodi run on more platforms?

Infuse runs on Mac, iOS, tvOS. Kodi runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv.

Can I use Infuse for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Infuse best used for?

Infuse is most often used for someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service, a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac, a user who wants automatic artwork and metadata for a personal library rather than plain file names, someone already invested in the apple tv ecosystem who wants better playback than the built in apple tv app supports. Of those, someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service and a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac are not what Kodi is typically brought in for.

What can Infuse do that Kodi cannot?

Infuse covers Apple TV app, Network share streaming, Cloud storage support, Automatic metadata and artwork. Kodi covers Media playback, Library management, Add-ons, Customization.

Entertainment · head to head

Infuse vs Kodi

Infuse

Entertainment

Paid media player for Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac with strong network share and cloud library streaming

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Kodi

Entertainment

The ultimate entertainment center

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Infuse it costs money in every form, subscription or lifetime, where IINA performs equivalent local Mac playback for free.; Kodi licensed under GPLv2, entirely free and open source with no commercial edition
They diverge on capability: Infuse covers Apple TV app, Kodi covers Media playback.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Infuse and Kodi actually diverge.

Attributes where Infuse and Kodi differ
Attribute	Infuse	Kodi
Pricing model	Per user per month	free
Platforms	Mac, iOS, tvOS	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv
Founded	Unknown	2003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Infuse

Apple TV app
Network share streaming
Cloud storage support
Automatic metadata and artwork
Subtitle and audio track handling
Cross-platform library

Only in Kodi

Media playback
Library management
Add-ons
Customization
Remote control
Smart home
Streaming services
Add-ons

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Infuse

Someone with a NAS full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on Apple TV like a streaming servicenot Kodi
A household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a Macnot Kodi
A user who wants automatic artwork and metadata for a personal library rather than plain file namesnot Kodi
Someone already invested in the Apple TV ecosystem who wants better playback than the built in Apple TV app supportsnot Kodi

Kodi

Media centernot Infuse
Home entertainmentnot Infuse

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Infuse

It costs money in every form, subscription or lifetime, where IINA performs equivalent local Mac playback for free.
Full functionality depends on the Pro tier, so the free version alone is limited enough that most serious users end up paying.
It has no Android or Windows app, so it does not help a household with non-Apple television or phone hardware.
Streaming quality from a network share depends heavily on local network speed and NAS performance, which is outside the app control and can cause buffering.
Regional pricing and promotional lifetime pricing has varied over time, so the exact lifetime cost is worth checking on the App Store before buying.

Kodi

Licensed under GPLv2, entirely free and open source with no commercial edition

Pricing, plan by plan

Infuse

Free

Infuse (free)Free
- Basic local file playback
- Limited compared to Pro
- No network share or cloud streaming
Infuse Pro Monthly$1.99/month
- Full network share and cloud streaming
- Metadata and artwork fetching
- All future updates included while subscribed
Infuse Pro Lifetime$149.99/one-time
- One-time purchase, no recurring fee
- All future major version updates included
- Regional pricing varies by App Store

Kodi

Free

FreeFree
- Open source
- All features
- Add-ons

Which should you pick?

Choose Infuse if

You need apple tv app.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Mac, iOS, tvOS.
You also want network share streaming.

Infuse review

Choose Kodi if

You need media playback.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv.
You also want library management.

Kodi review

Questions people ask

Is Infuse or Kodi better?: Neither clearly leads. Infuse starts at Free and Kodi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Infuse or Kodi?: Infuse starts at Free and Kodi at Free.
Does Infuse or Kodi run on more platforms?: Infuse runs on Mac, iOS, tvOS. Kodi runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv.
Can I use Infuse for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Infuse best used for?: Infuse is most often used for someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service, a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac, a user who wants automatic artwork and metadata for a personal library rather than plain file names, someone already invested in the apple tv ecosystem who wants better playback than the built in apple tv app supports. Of those, someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service and a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac are not what Kodi is typically brought in for.
What can Infuse do that Kodi cannot?: Infuse covers Apple TV app, Network share streaming, Cloud storage support, Automatic metadata and artwork. Kodi covers Media playback, Library management, Add-ons, Customization.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Infuse: Is Infuse free?

A limited free version exists, but network share and cloud streaming, the main reason people choose Infuse, requires Infuse Pro, sold as a subscription or lifetime purchase.

Infuse: Does Infuse work on Apple TV?

Yes, it has a dedicated Apple TV app with a television-optimised browsing interface, which IINA does not offer at all.

Infuse: Is there a one-time payment option?

Yes, a lifetime purchase is available alongside monthly and yearly subscriptions, currently around 149.99 US dollars depending on region.

Infuse vs Kodi

Infuse

Kodi

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Infuse

Only in Kodi

What people use each for

Infuse

Kodi

Where each one falls short

Infuse

Kodi

Pricing, plan by plan

Infuse

Kodi

Which should you pick?

Choose Infuse if

Choose Kodi if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Infuse

More on Kodi

Keep looking

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