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Kodi vs WinDirStat

Kodi logo

Kodi

Entertainment

The ultimate entertainment center

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WinDirStat logo

WinDirStat

Utilities

Windows disk usage analyser that shows where space went as a colour-coded treemap

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Kodi licensed under GPLv2, entirely free and open source with no commercial edition; WinDirStat it walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • They diverge on capability: Kodi covers Media playback, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Kodi and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where Kodi and WinDirStat differ
AttributeKodiWinDirStat
Pricing modelfreeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tvWindows
CategoryEntertainmentUtilities
Founded2003Unknown

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

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 WinDirStat

  • Treemap visualisation
  • Three linked views
  • Multithreaded scanning
  • Cleanup actions
  • Any filesystem
  • GPL licensed

What people use each for

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

Kodi

  • Media centernot WinDirStat
  • Home entertainmentnot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

  • Finding what filled a Windows system drive when the usual suspects are not responsiblenot Kodi
  • Auditing a shared or network drive where files are spread across thousands of foldersnot Kodi
  • Environments where licence terms forbid personal-use-only freeware on company machinesnot Kodi
  • Explaining disk usage visually to someone who will not read a list of folder sizesnot 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

WinDirStat

  • It walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • The version most users have installed is the 2007 build, and because it was dormant for so long, search results and download mirrors still point at it.
  • It is Windows only, so a mixed estate needs a different tool for macOS and Linux machines.
  • There is no scheduling, reporting or export for fleet use, so it answers a question on one machine at a time rather than monitoring storage across an organisation.
  • Hard links, junctions and deduplicated volumes can be counted in ways that make the totals disagree with what Windows reports, which causes confusion on servers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Kodi

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Open source
    • All features
    • Add-ons

WinDirStat

Free
  • WinDirStatFree
    • GPL licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No paid edition or feature gating

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 WinDirStat if

  • You need treemap visualisation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want three linked views.
WinDirStat review

Questions people ask

Is Kodi or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. Kodi starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kodi or WinDirStat?
Kodi starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does Kodi or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
Kodi runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, Ios, Smart-tv. WinDirStat runs on Windows.
Can I use Kodi for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can Kodi do that WinDirStat cannot?
Kodi covers Media playback, Library management, Add-ons, Customization. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

WinDirStat: Is WinDirStat still maintained?

Yes. It was dormant from around 2007 until new maintainers resumed development and released the 2.x line with multithreaded scanning and current Windows support.

WinDirStat: Can I use it at work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no personal-use restriction, which is the practical advantage over free-for-personal-use alternatives in this category.

WinDirStat: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Different method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table directly; WinDirStat traverses directories, which is slower but works on any filesystem, including network shares.

WinDirStat: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. Separate projects exist with similar treemap interfaces, but WinDirStat itself is Windows only.

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