OpenELEC vs Raspbmc

Struggling to choose between OpenELEC and Raspbmc? 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, Raspbmc is a Video & Movies product tagged with raspberry-pi, xbmc, media-player, open-source.

Its standout features include Plays videos, music, podcasts, and photos, Intuitive interface for media management, Optimized for Raspberry Pi, Based on open source XBMC media center software, Supports wide range of media formats, Allows media streaming over home network, Supports plugins and skins for customization, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Lightweight and optimized for Raspberry Pi, Active development community, Easy to set up and use, Great media format support, Customizable via plugins and skins.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

OpenELEC

OpenELEC

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.

Categories:
open-source kodi media-center home-theater-pc htpc linux-distribution

OpenELEC Features

  1. Lightweight Linux distribution optimized for Kodi
  2. Small disk and memory footprint
  3. Boots directly into Kodi interface
  4. Automatic updates for Kodi and addons
  5. Supports Raspberry Pi, generic x86 computers, and other devices
  6. Active community support

Pricing

  • Open Source

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


Raspbmc

Raspbmc

Raspbmc is a free media center software based on XBMC that is optimized to run on the Raspberry Pi microcomputer. It provides an intuitive interface for managing and playing videos, music, podcasts, and photos from local storage or over a home network.

Categories:
raspberry-pi xbmc media-player open-source

Raspbmc Features

  1. Plays videos, music, podcasts, and photos
  2. Intuitive interface for media management
  3. Optimized for Raspberry Pi
  4. Based on open source XBMC media center software
  5. Supports wide range of media formats
  6. Allows media streaming over home network
  7. Supports plugins and skins for customization

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Lightweight and optimized for Raspberry Pi

Active development community

Easy to set up and use

Great media format support

Customizable via plugins and skins

Cons

Limited to what Raspberry Pi can handle

Set up can be tricky for non-technical users

Some stability issues

Lacks some features of full XBMC version