OpenELEC vs OSMC

Struggling to choose between OpenELEC and OSMC? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

OpenELEC is a Gaming Software solution with tags like open-source, kodi, media-center, home-theater-pc, htpc, linux-distribution.

It boasts features such as Lightweight Linux distribution optimized for Kodi, Small disk and memory footprint, Boots directly into Kodi interface, Automatic updates for Kodi and addons, Supports Raspberry Pi, generic x86 computers, and other devices, Active community support and pros including Easy to setup and use, Great performance on lower-powered devices, Constant updates and improvements, Very customizable, Free and open source.

On the other hand, OSMC is a Home & Family product tagged with media, entertainment, raspberry-pi, kodi, open-source.

Its standout features include Runs Kodi media center software, Optimized for Raspberry Pi and other low-power devices, Supports a wide range of media formats, Customizable interface using Kodi skins, Plays media from local storage or over a network, Supports common peripherals like remote controls, Active community support forums, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Easy to set up on a Raspberry Pi, Low resource usage, Large library of Kodi plugins and addons, Customizable with skins and themes, Active development and updates.

Feature	OpenELEC	OSMC
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Gaming Software	Home & Family

Product Overview

OpenELEC

Description: OpenELEC is a lightweight, Kodi-centric Linux distribution designed specifically for media centers and home theater PCs. It comes preconfigured with Kodi media center software and runs well on lower-powered devices.

OSMC

Description: OSMC is an open source media center that runs Kodi on top of a Linux distribution optimized for low-power devices like the Raspberry Pi. It provides an easy way to convert a Raspberry Pi into a dedicated media center and Kodi box.

Key Features Comparison

OpenELEC Features

• Lightweight Linux distribution optimized for Kodi
• Small disk and memory footprint
• Boots directly into Kodi interface
• Automatic updates for Kodi and addons
• Supports Raspberry Pi, generic x86 computers, and other devices
• Active community support

OSMC Features

• Runs Kodi media center software
• Optimized for Raspberry Pi and other low-power devices
• Supports a wide range of media formats
• Customizable interface using Kodi skins
• Plays media from local storage or over a network
• Supports common peripherals like remote controls
• Active community support forums

Pros & Cons Analysis

OpenELEC

Pros

• Easy to setup and use
• Great performance on lower-powered devices
• Constant updates and improvements
• Very customizable
• Free and open source

Cons

• Limited to just running Kodi
• Less flexibility than full Linux distro
• Manual updates required for core OS
• Limited hardware support

OSMC

Pros

• Free and open source
• Easy to set up on a Raspberry Pi
• Low resource usage
• Large library of Kodi plugins and addons
• Customizable with skins and themes
• Active development and updates

Cons

• Limited hardware codec support on Raspberry Pi
• Can be tricky to configure advanced features
• Some addons may no longer be maintained
• Requires tinkering for optimal performance
• Not as polished as commercial media centers

Pricing Comparison

OpenELEC

• Open Source

OSMC

• Open Source