Capability matrix
Different tools, different jobs
“Add-ons” means a third-party extension provides it, not the app itself.
| Capability | Opal | Jellyfin | Plex | qBittorrent | Stremio | Kodi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One search across every source | Yes | Own library | Own library | Torrent search | Add-ons | Add-ons |
| Play a torrent while it downloads | Yes | — | — | Download only | Yes | Add-ons |
| Jellyfin and Plex libraries | Both | Its own | Its own | — | Add-ons | Add-ons |
| Live TV | Large IPTV catalog | Tuner or M3U | Tuner or M3U | — | Add-ons | Add-ons |
| Manga | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| On-device AI copilot | Yes | — | — | — | — | — |
| No server to set up | Yes | Needs a server | Needs a server | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No account | Yes | Local account | Plex account | Yes | Account to sync | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | GPL-2.0+ | Partly open | GPL-2.0+ |
Compiled from each project's own documentation and licenses. Something changed? Open an issue and the table gets fixed.
Head to head
The detailed comparisons
One page per app: what each does better, and when running both makes sense.
Opal vs Jellyfin
Jellyfin serves a library you host. Opal plays that library — alongside every other source you use. Many people run both.
Read the comparison →Opal vs Plex
Plex is polished, proprietary and account-first. Opal is open source, local-first — and happy to play your Plex library.
Read the comparison →Opal vs Stremio
Both put many sources behind one search box. Stremio does it with add-ons and an account; Opal does it natively, in one binary.
Read the comparison →Opal vs Kodi
Kodi can be built into almost anything, one add-on at a time. Opal ships assembled.
Read the comparison →Opal vs qBittorrent
qBittorrent downloads torrents. Opal plays them — starting while the pieces are still arriving.
Read the comparison →See the complete feature set
How search, sources, playback and local data fit together.
Explore featuresDownload Opal