If you've ever heard of Kodi, you've also likely heard about Kodi add-ons. Kodi's official add-on repository includes tons of options that are free to download, but very few are worthwhile to the average user. The add-ons we chose for this guide should appeal to people just getting started with Kodi or those that may have never heard of it. To be clear, you don't need to use add-ons to take advantage of Kodi's media organization capabilities, but some people may find a use for them.
Is Kodi Legal?
Yes. If you use Kodi as a media management solution, it is perfectly legal. Note that while Kodi does not provide any content, it also does not verify that you legally obtained all the content you add. If you choose to torrent or steal copyrighted content and use Kodi to manage it, then the legal responsibility is still on you. Kodi does not condone content piracy, either.
Some people may use Kodi since it supports third-party add-ons (not in the Kodi add-on repository) that allow unfettered access to copyright-protected content or unauthorized live streams of channels. We don't cover any third-party add-ons in this guide, but you can try them for yourself by enabling them in Kodi's interface (Settings > System > Add-ons> Unknown Sources). Kodi warns you that by enabling this setting, you give those apps access to the personal data on your device and are responsible for any subsequent data loss. Still, Kodi's hands-off approach to content and support for illegal third-party add-ons make it an attractive and flexible solution for content pirates. PCMag does not condone piracy, nor will it take responsibility for any penalties you might incur if you misuse Kodi.
What Are Kodi Add-Ons?
Kodi is an open-source media management software for organizing your local media collection. Kodi's add-ons allow you to augment the base experience. Some add-ons stick close to the media management core and help with tag editing or codec support, while others, such as video streaming services and cloud storage solutions, take Kodi in a new direction.
You may see some popular names in Kodi's add-on repository, but know that almost none of them are officially endorsed by the service itself. For instance, neither the Dazn or Sling TV listings are official. The same is true for the OneDrive and Google Drive add-ons. In fact, you may not come across any officially supported services in Kodi's add-on repository. In practice, this means that some add-ons that claim to connect to a service won't work at all and that others may stop working if an update to a service breaks the implementation. For instance, the Pluto TV app failed to load any channels and the NPR app wouldn't play any audio. Similarly, the SoundCloud app crashed after I tried to access its content. You can analyze the logs to troubleshoot the problem, but I doubt anyone but the most technical users will give these add-ons a second chance, if the default install doesn't work.
This beginner's list does not include any of the famed (but still illegal) third-party add-ons that grant access to unauthorized live streams or ill-gotten content repositories.
As you may have guessed, the Kodi add-ons that claim to offer the most mainstream (and most useful) capabilities are very wonky. If you have any other way to access the most popular services and apps, use those options rather than wasting time trying to get the Kodi version to work. Kodi will appeal most to those who want custom home theater PC (HTPC) setups and people who want to experiment with add-ons. Get started with our guide on how to install, update, and customize Kodi.
Our Top Kodi Add-Ons
To install an add-on, open the Kodi app and navigate to the Add-on menu option. Next, choose the last option in the left-hand menu on the next screen, Download. Here you can browse all the available add-ons by categories such as Look and Feel, Music, Picture, and Video. When you see an add-on that interests you, click through to listing and choose install. Kodi may require you install supporting add-ons if the original add-on requires additional capabilities.
The add-ons I list below are those that I found actually worked in testing and added useful functionality. This is not an exhaustive list, as there are far too many add-ons to evaluate each individually, but casual Kodi users should find some of these to be useful. You may experience significant performance issues with any Kodi add-on, which is why I still recommend you use another method to get any of the services listed.
Eminence Skin
You can download many skin add-ons for Kodi, but not all of them are well designed. The default Kodi skins, Estouchy and Estuary, are fine options, but a new skin can potentially offer different customization options and a more visually pleasing way to view your content. Eminence Skin is the most intuitive of those I've downloaded. I particularly appreciate its clean iconography and fast performance. Some of the other skins I like include Aura, FTV, and Quartz, as they too combine consistent designs with easy-to-navigate menus.
Locast
The Locast add-on allows users in major US markets (such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., and Chicago) to watch local channels. All you need to do is sign up an account and verify your location. The add-on is simple to navigate; you can jump right into live programming, view the upcoming schedule for any of the available local channels, and access channel guide that highlights the available programming.
Plex
Plex is a two-part media-streaming solution with a media server component and a playback app. Plex is more polished than Kodi (although it is dropping support for HTPCs) and available as a native app on mobile devices (both iOS and Android), streaming sticks, and smart TVs. You can install Kodi on an Amazon Fire TV Stick by sideloading it, but Plex offers a native app for that platform. With the Plex add-on for Kodi, you can access all the files you've uploaded to your Plex Media server. I tried playing and viewing the files from my test Plex server and was able to do so, though most items loaded slowly. Plex is one of the few officially supported (by Plex) add-ons for Kodi.
Radio
Whereas the built-in Radio section of Kodi's main menu requires you to use a tuner to get stations, this app works without any additional hardware. You can browse through stations by several categories, such as local, the top 100, and genre. Audio streaming performance of these stations was fine in testing. The interface is sparse and feels rudimentary, but that's to be expected of a Kodi add-on.
YouTube
The YouTube add-on is in not an official client, but it works fine for watching the latest trending videos and your favorite viral video creators. When you launch the add-on, you can search for individual channels, browse popular videos, and view a list of current and upcoming live streams. You also have the option to sign in to your account. Streaming performance is acceptable in testing, though videos take a while to load and I couldn't figure out a way to scrub through a video or exit out of playback before the full video played.
Do I Need to Use a VPN With Kodi?
If you use any add-ons that connect to the internet, we recommend you use a virtual private network, or VPN, with Kodi. When you connect to a VPN, your internet traffic is sent through a tunnel between your computer and a server maintained by the VPN company. Your public IP address changes to that of the server. This means that ISPs can't easily attribute traffic to you as an individual (or sell it) and further that malicious actors cannot easily intercept your traffic. There are no VPN add-ons for Kodi, so your best bet is to install a VPN on whatever device you installed Kodi.
A VPN is not a complete security solution, however. For instance, a VPN cannot detect phishing threats. This is particularly relevant to Kodi, as many of the add-ons are not officially endorsed by the service they offer. For instance, both Google Drive and OneDrive are in Kodi's official add-on repository, but Google and Microsoft do not respectively support them. You need to make a judgment call about whether they are legitimate and about the potential risks of the add-ons storing your credentials in an unsecured state or using them maliciously.
Beyond Add-Ons
For the people that know about Kodi, its add-ons are a very popular feature. However, you don't need to install any add-ons to use Kodi's media-management capabilities. In fact, I don't even think most are worth the time. If you are specifically looking to use Kodi in an HTPC setup, consider choosing a Kodi Box (an HTPC with Kodi already installed) for your needs. Beware that some of these boxes bundle some of the illegal third-party add-ons I mentioned in earlier sections. Other Kodi Boxes are perfectly fine and may appeal to users who want a working-out-of-the-box solution.
If you have a favorite Kodi add-on, feel free to tell us about it in the comments.