Is Kodi or Starz better?

Neither clearly leads. Kodi starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Kodi or Starz?

Kodi has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kodi and $6.99/month for Starz.

Does Kodi or Starz run on more platforms?

Kodi runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.

Can I use Kodi for free?

Yes. Kodi has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.

What is Kodi best used for?

Kodi is most often used for media center, home entertainment. Of those, media center and home entertainment are not what Starz is typically brought in for.

What can Kodi do that Starz cannot?

Kodi covers Media playback, Library management, Add-ons, Customization. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content. Both handle Android support, Ios support, Smart-tv support.

Entertainment · head to head

Kodi vs Starz

Kodi

Entertainment

The ultimate entertainment center

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Starz

Entertainment

Premium originals and hit series

From: $6.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Kodi has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Kodi licensed under GPLv2, entirely free and open source with no commercial edition; Starz standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing
They diverge on capability: Kodi covers Media playback, Starz covers Streaming.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kodi and Starz actually diverge.

Attributes where Kodi and Starz differ
Attribute	Kodi	Starz
Starting price	Free	$6.99/month
Pricing model	free	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv
Founded	2003	1994

Identical on both: 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 Kodi

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

Only in Starz

Streaming
Original series
Movies
Exclusive content
Downloads
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Account security

Both cover

Android support
Ios support
Smart-tv support

What people use each for

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

Kodi

Media centernot Starz
Home entertainmentnot Starz

Starz

Drama streamingnot Kodi
Original series watchingnot Kodi

Where each one falls short

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

Kodi

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

Starz

Standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Kodi

Free

FreeFree
- Open source
- All features
- Add-ons

Starz

$6.99/month

Standard$6.99/month
- HD
- Ad-supported
Premium$12.99/month
- 4K
- Ad-free
- Downloads

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Starz if

You need streaming.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
You also want original series.

Starz review

Questions people ask

Is Kodi or Starz better?: Neither clearly leads. Kodi starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kodi or Starz?: Kodi has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Kodi and $6.99/month for Starz.
Does Kodi or Starz run on more platforms?: Kodi runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
Can I use Kodi for free?: Yes. Kodi has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.
What is Kodi best used for?: Kodi is most often used for media center, home entertainment. Of those, media center and home entertainment are not what Starz is typically brought in for.
What can Kodi do that Starz cannot?: Kodi covers Media playback, Library management, Add-ons, Customization. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content. Both handle Android support, Ios support, Smart-tv support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Starz: What is the current STARZ subscription cost?

STARZ offers a limited-time promotional rate of $4 per month for the first three months. The standard monthly rate after this period is not displayed on the website and appears during signup.

Source

Starz: How many devices can stream simultaneously on STARZ?

STARZ subscriptions allow streaming on up to 4 devices at the same time, with unlimited HD streaming and downloads included.

Source

Kodi vs Starz

Kodi

Starz

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Kodi

Only in Starz

Both cover

What people use each for

Kodi

Starz

Where each one falls short

Kodi

Starz

Pricing, plan by plan

Kodi

Starz

Which should you pick?

Choose Kodi if

Choose Starz if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Kodi

More on Starz

Keep looking

Other head to heads