Comparison · facts checked on 2026-09-25
Kodi vs TiviMate: a media centre against an Android TV player
They are not the same kind of program, so the comparison only becomes useful once you name what you want on screen. Below is what each one is, what each needs before live TV appears, and where the choice stops being about features.
In short: if you want a living-room library with covers and synopses, add-ons, PVR and games, that is Kodi — and live TV only arrives through a PVR back-end you also have to install and point at. If you already have an M3U playlist or an Xtream login and the screen is an Android TV, TiviMate opens it directly, with recording, multi-view and catch-up built in. Neither one supplies a single channel.
Kodi and TiviMate, side by side
| Criterion | Kodi | TiviMate |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS and tvOS | Android TV — not optimised for phones or tablets |
| Source code | Free software, source published | No source published |
| Price | Free | Free app; the premium unlocks features of the app, not channels |
| How live TV arrives | Through a PVR back-end or add-on (MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR, Tvheadend) | Your M3U playlist or Xtream login, typed into the app |
| Recording | Through the PVR back-end you configured | Built into the player |
| Supplies channels | No — it ships no content | No — it ships no content |
1 Sources: kodi.tv/about and tivimate.com, both checked on 2026-09-25.
What each one does better
These are not two versions of the same thing. The lists below are the reasons people pick one over the other.
Kodi
- A library for your own files, with covers and synopses
- Add-ons and skins — the interface is meant to be rebuilt
- Live TV and recording through PVR back-ends such as MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR and Tvheadend
- Runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS and tvOS
- Open source, with a long add-on ecosystem
TiviMate
- Takes an M3U playlist or an Xtream login with no back-end in between
- Multi-view, recording, catch-up, favourites, search and parental control inside the player
- Built for a remote control on Android TV
- Premium unlocks features of the app, not channels
- Interface customisation aimed at channel surfing
Where Megacubo fits — and what it does not do
What Megacubo gives you here
- Your M3U playlist or Xtream login opens on Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Android TV and TV boxes — no back-end, no add-on
- The same list on a desktop and on a phone, with one installer per device
- GPL-3.0, source on GitHub, no account and no subscription
- 22 interface languages; the project has been shipping since 2008
What Megacubo does not do
- No media library with covers and synopses for your own files
- No add-ons, no skins, no PVR back-end
- No multi-view, no passcode, no per-user profiles
- No app for LG or Samsung Smart TVs
If your answer to this comparison is a library or a PVR, Kodi is the right tool and this note is not for you. Megacubo is for the case where the device is the question.
Official downloads
We do not host or mirror any competitor installer. Each button goes to the publisher own page and the file comes from there — so what you get is the current build, not a copy of ours.
TiviMate
Android TV player. Google Play is where the install happens; tivimate.com also publishes the APK
Open in Google PlayMegacubo
Free and open source player for M3U playlists and Xtream logins, across 22 interface languages
Megacubo for Windows1 Links checked on 2026-09-25. If one of them stops working, write to contact@megacubo.tv.
Read next
TiviMate vs IPTV Smarters
Both are players, both take your list — but only one of them runs on Windows.
Read the comparisonFrequently asked questions
Does Kodi include any channel or playlist?
No. Kodi is a media centre and ships no content. Live TV only appears after you install and configure a PVR back-end or add-on that you choose — MediaPortal, MythTV, NextPVR and Tvheadend are the ones the project names.
Can TiviMate run on a Windows PC?
No. TiviMate is built for Android TV and is not optimised for phones or tablets; there is no Windows, Linux or macOS build. On a computer you need a different player.
Which of the two records?
TiviMate records inside the player. Kodi records through the PVR back-end you configured, so whether recording works depends on that back-end rather than on Kodi alone.
Do I need a paid subscription to use either one?
No. Both are free to install. TiviMate sells a premium that unlocks features of the app, not channels; Kodi is free software. The channels come from the list or the provider you already have.
What if I only want the same M3U list on my PC and my phone?
That is the case Megacubo covers: one installer per device, paste the list, done. Both Kodi and TiviMate ask for a setup step that a plain computer does not have.
Play your list on the computer you already have
Megacubo opens M3U playlists and Xtream logins on Windows, Linux, macOS and Android. No account, no back-end, no subscription.
- One installer per device — no PVR to configure
- GPL-3.0, source on GitHub
- Windows 10/11, Linux, macOS, Android and Android TV
Grátis e de código aberto (GPL-3.0) · Windows, Linux, macOS e Android · Sem conta