Kodi vs Ombi
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Kodi | Ombi |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Media Servers | Media Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | binary, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,247 | ★ 4,103 |
| First released | 2002 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Plex | Netflix, Plex |
What are Kodi and Ombi?
Kodi
Kodi is an open-source media center application for playing and organizing local and network media on a TV-friendly interface. It targets users building a home theater PC. It runs natively on many platforms rather than as a server.
- TV-friendly 10-foot interface
- Huge add-on ecosystem
- Plays virtually any format
- Runs on many devices
Ombi
Media request tool on Plex/Emby/Jellyfin.
Kodi vs Ombi: key differences
Kodi is written in C++, while Ombi is built with C#. Ombi is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Kodi. Kodi is the more established project (first released 2002), while Ombi arrived in 2023. Kodi has the considerably larger community, at 21,247 GitHub stars versus 4,103.
Why pick each one
Choose Kodi if…
- Extremely flexible
- Massive add-on library
- Long-standing project
Watch out for
- Player not a true server
- Setup can be fiddly
Choose Ombi if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in C#
Frequently asked questions
Is Kodi or Ombi better?
Neither is universally better. Kodi has the larger community, while Ombi is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Kodi and Ombi free and open-source?
Yes. Kodi is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Ombi under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kodi and Ombi with Docker?
Kodi: check the project docs for container support. Ombi: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Kodi or Ombi?
Ombi has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Kodi. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.