With so many popular streaming options available nowadays, it can be challenging to decide the best way to enjoy your favorite VOD Content like Movies and TV Shows.
There are three main choices that cord-cutters typically opt for, which are Kodi, APKs, and Torrents. These are widely used platforms for daily entertainment on various streaming devices.
This brings us to the question of determining the most preferred option among them. While the decision on your favored viewing method is subjective, a poll and general discussion were initiated to gauge the popularity of these three platforms for streaming.
Please cast your vote for your favorite on our TROYPOINT Insider Poll and share your reasons for the selection. If you utilize a mix of these platforms for different purposes, feel free to let us know in the comments!
Kodi vs APKs vs Torrents
Each streaming method has its strengths and weaknesses, elaborated below. Share with us your reasons for choosing one option over another in the comment section!
Kodi
Pros:
- Easy to install & use
- 100% Ad-Free
- Thousands of Addons/Builds
- Live TV Capabilities
- Real-Debrid Integration
Cons:
- Basic User Interface
- Addons/Builds are often shut down or removed
Kodi remains a popular choice for streaming due to its longevity and provision of a user-friendly interface and a wide array of options.
Thanks to its open-source nature, there is a vast selection of addons and builds available, catering to various preferences—from Live TV to Movies, TV Shows, Anime, Gaming, and more. Many of these addons are premium selections like FEN or Seren, specifically designed to work with a resolving service such as real-debrid for top-quality streaming links.
Additionally, Kodi boasts extensive features including Subtitles that typically outperform APKs and torrents, along with the capability to integrate IPTV Services through IPTV Simple Client.
For many, Kodi marked the beginning of their cord-cutting journey, and while some explore alternative avenues, millions continue to rely on it daily for all their streaming requirements.
APKs
Pros:
- Pleasing User Interface
- External Video Player Capabilities
- No Add-on Installation required
- Various Settings for Personalization
Cons:
- Many have Ads
- Limited real-debrid links provided
- Lack of Live Streaming Options
While Kodi focuses on simplicity, many Streaming APKs excel in offering appealing user interfaces and various settings/features.
If you are accustomed to popular streaming apps, you will find APKs familiar as they showcase content similarly, with a range of Movies and TV Shows to choose from in an engaging layout.
For numerous users, this immersive browsing experience is the primary allure of APKs, where content exploration is rich with Movie/TV Show posters, synopses, and more presented in a sleek interface.
APKs come with added perks like real-debrid support, subtitle options, and compatibility with external video players such as MX Player.
TheThe biggest downfall with APKs or streaming apps is the ads that are often associated with popular options such as BeeTV, FilmPlus, and others. We can usually eliminate these ads with the CleanWeb feature from Surfshark. If you do not have Surfshark or use a different VPN service, you are likely left with no way to remove them. Another disadvantage of APKs is that we do not see as many real-debrid links provided. Without quality links from premium resolving services like RD, Premiumize, or AllDebrid, you will likely encounter buffering, which makes streaming unenjoyable.
However, because only 1 link is needed to view content, many prefer to use APKs due to the sleek user interface they provide and the extensive features available for personalization.
The most important thing to note about torrent technology is that it requires the use of a VPN as downloading files will expose your personal IP Address, which is extremely dangerous. Downloading torrents can be extremely beneficial as doing so will eliminate buffering entirely since you are not “streaming” due to the file already being downloaded for viewing, and you can even watch them offline.
Many popular APKs and Kodi Addons/Builds pull links directly from torrent sites, so you may already be using this technology without even knowing it. In fact, this is becoming one of the most popular streaming methods as APKs such as Stremio and Kodi addons such as Elementum use torrent sites for content, giving you the best of both worlds. Best of all, Plex users can seamlessly add torrent files to their home media server to view them from anywhere without having to worry about an internet connection. Users can choose different file sizes, video quality, and more to ensure you get exactly what you are looking for.