Users of the Kodi media centre software know that it’s one of the best ways to organise and access your media collection. But Kodi can do so much more than this; you can add all sorts of functionalities to your Kodi system through the use of add-ons. Whether you want to watch YouTube videos, listen to music on Sound Cloud, or see the latest football scores, there’s an add-on out there to take on the task. As the Kodi software is open source, anyone can look at the code which is runs on and create their own add-on, so there is a huge range of add-ons available.
In order to install add-ons to your Kodi system, you need to download the add-on files from a repository. Repositories are sites which host add-on files so that you can download them. There are lots of repositories out there, however, some of these repositories are more trustworthy and reliable than others. To help you safely find and install the add-ons that you want, today we’re presenting detailed information on the safest Kodi add-on repositories. We’ll explain a bit about what repositories are and why you should be careful to use trustworthy repositories, then we’ll show you how to install and use repositories on your Kodi system, then we’ll share our recommendations for five of the best and safest repositories that you can use.
What Are Add-on Repositories?
Repositories are websites which store the files you need to install various add-ons for Kodi. When a developer creates an add-on, they host it in a repository so that users can download and use it. The popular repositories collect large numbers of such software, so you can use just a few repositories and still have access to hundreds of add-ons. An advantage of using repositories is that if an add-on which you are using gets updated by the developer, it will be automatically updated on your Kodi system too. This is handy, as add-ons frequently get updated to fix bugs or to provide new links to content. When you use a repository, you needn’t worry about having to manually update your software, as it will all be done automatically.
While there are a lot of repositories out there, many do go offline or move to new URLs frequently. This is because some of the add-ons hosted by repositories allow users to stream copyrighted content, and so copyright holders encourage law enforcement to issue take-down notices. The repository owners themselves do not host any copyrighted content, but they can still be forced to remove their repo from the internet if they are found hosting piracy-enabling add-ons.
Another problem with repositories is that some are more reputable than others. While there are plenty of great options out there, you should always be careful when downloading things from unknown sources. There have been rumours of some predatory repositories which host add-ons that include hidden malware or spyware. Hence, you should make sure that you trust a repository before installing anything from it.
If you’re new to the world of Kodi or if you haven’t used add-ons or repositories much before, don’t worry. We’re going to show you six of the safest and most trusted repositories for Kodi add-ons, so you can use them to install add-ons without stress or worries. These repositories have hundreds of add-ons available between them, so you’re bound to be able to find something that fits your needs.
Reminder
We’ll get right into the information about the repositories in a moment. But first, we need to talk about security. As previously mentioned, some of these repositories host add-ons which allow you to stream content illegally. If you use these add-ons over an unsecured internet connection (even in a lawful manner) then you could be liable for a fine.
To protect yourself when using add-ons from these repositories, we recommend that you get a VPN. This will encrypt the data that you send over the internet so that your ISP or any other observers can’t see what sites you are visiting or whether you might be streaming content. This will keep you safe from prying eyes.
We Recommend IPVanish for Kodi Users
At AddictiveTips, we choose VPNs for recommendation based on several factors, including their security (we want to see strong encryption and a no logging policy), their ease of use (we want good software which supports many operating systems), and the quality of service (we want super-fast connection speeds and plenty of servers available).
Given this, the VPN that we recommend for Kodi users is IPVanish. They use strong 256-bit AES encryption and have a strict no-logging policy, the software is user friendly and supports all the major platforms, and the connections are extremely fast with over 850 servers in 61 countries, making this ideal for streaming video.
IPVanish offers a 7-day money back guarantee which means you have a week to test it risk-free. Please note that Addictive Tips readers can save a massive 60% here on the IPVanish annual plan, taking the monthly price down to only $4.87/mo.
Who to Trust: Safest Kodi Repos
Official Kodi Add-on Repository
The official Kodi add-on repository is the easiest to use and most safe of all the repositories. The repository comes pre-loaded onto your Kodi build, so you don’t even need to install it. You can just go directly to the install from repository section in your add-ons and you’ll be able to use the repository straight away.
The great thing about this repository is that all the add-ons have been officially approved by the Kodi developers, so you know that every add-on in this repository is legal and safe to use.
The URL for this repository is: https://kodi.tv/addons
Some of the most popular add-ons available in this repository include:
- YouTube, for watching YouTube videos
- SoundCloud, for listening to music via the SoundCloud website
- Vimeo, for watching video content from Vimeo
- Twitch, for watching livestreams on Twitch
- TED Talks, for watching videos of the many educational TED talks
- iPlayer WWW, for watching BBC programs and listening to BBC radio in the UK
TVAddons.co Add-on Repository
TVAddons, also known as Fusion, used to be one of the most popular Kodi repositories, with a large number of add-ons available for watching video content of all kinds. But to the community’s sadness, the repository was shut down in June 2017 because it hosted add-ons which allowed illegal streaming. Since then, the repository has reappeared with a new URL, but it now only features legal add-ons.
This is a terrific repository if you want to find safe, legal add-ons which you know you can use without worry or guilt. The add-ons in this repository pull content from legal sources like official websites.
The URL for this repository is: http://ift.tt/2v8PptU
Some of the most popular add-ons available in this repository include:
- USTVcatchup, for watching daytime TV programming like house and garden shows
- Adult Swim, for watching comedy videos from the Adult Swim group
- Indigo, an installer program which helps you to manage your add-ons
- Plexus, an add-on which lets you watch peer to peer streams
- Learning Zone, where you can watch educational materials like university lectures
Colossus Repository
Colossus is another very popular repository which was best known for hosting the beloved Covenant streaming add-on. The Colossus repository used to be hosted on a domain called Smash, but it was taken down earlier this year. This means that it can be a bit of a pain to find a URL for the repository now, but we have a working link below and you can also see our complete guide to installing the Colossus Repository here.
If you can find a URL to install this repository, it’s still a very useful source of add-ons – especially grey-legal add-ons which allow you to stream TV shows or movies. The repository has a number of streaming add-ons which are functional and useful.
Currently you can get the Colossus Repository from this URL: http://ift.tt/2gId9Nf
Some of the most popular add-ons available in this repository include:
- Bennu, for streaming live TV channels
- Covenant, for streaming TV show episodes, movies, and more
- Football Today, for information about football
- Sportie, for watching sports with a focus on football
- SportsDevil, for watching sports of all kinds
Noobsandnerds Repository
Noobs and Nerds is a well-established team in the Kodi community, and they have a small but well-selected repository. You won’t find a huge variety of add-ons here like you will in other repositories, but you will find a carefully chosen set of the most useful add-ons from other developers.
The URL for this repository is: http://ift.tt/1k1CVvi
Some of the most popular add-ons available in this repository include:
- BoB Unleashed, for watching TV and movies
- Elysium, also for watching TV and movies
- Football Replays, for watching highlights of past football games
- MetalliQ, a meta add-on which lets you search and manage files from your add-ons
- UKTV Play, for watching UK TV shows
- MP3 Streams, one of the best music streaming add-ons
Ares Repository
The Ares Repository is run by the Ares Project, a group who create useful programs for Kodi. Their repository mostly hosts their own projects and the team is very dedicated to producing Kodi content. If you’re looking for an add-on which is a program or service rather than one for watching video or listening to audio, then you should look in the Ares Repository.
Some of the add-ons available here are a bit technical, so it’s more appropriate for intermediate to advanced users rather than Kodi newbies.
The URL for this repository is: http://ift.tt/2yzq4Z4
Some of the most popular add-ons available in this repository include:
- Ares Wizard, a program for installing add-ons, maintaining your Kodi system, and more
- Colossus Repository, a repository we mentioned earlier which you can also download from here
- Ares Music, Ares’s add-on for listening to music
- Ares Anime, Ares’s add-on for watching anime
- Ares Motorsports, Ares’s add-on for watching motor sports
How to Install a Kodi Repository
Installing a repository in Kodi is a simple process. First you need to add the URL of the repository to your sources, so that Kodi knows where to look for add-on files to download. Then you use the install from zip file command in the add-ons section of Kodi to add the repository to your build. Here are the simple step-by-step instructions on how to install a Kodi repository:
- Begin on your Kodi home screen
- Click on the settings icon, then go to File Manager
- Click on Add source
- Click on the box where it says <None>
- Enter the URL of the repository. Make sure to type it exactly correctly, including the http://, or it won’t work
- Give the source a name
- Click OK
- Go back to your home screen
- Click on Add-ons
- Click on the icon that looks like an open box
- Click on Install from zip file
- Click on the name of your repository, then navigate through the folders to find the zip file that you want
- Click the name of the zip file
- Wait for a moment and you’ll see a notification once the source has been installed
- Now the repository has been added to your Kodi system. Read on for the next steps!
How to Use a Kodi Repository
Once the repository has been added to your system, you can use it to start installing Kodi add-ons. Here are instructions on using a repository to find and install add-ons:
- Begin on your Kodi home screen
- Click on Add-ons
- Click on the icon that looks like an open box
- Click on Install from repository
- Click on the name of your repository
- Click on the category of the add-on you’re looking for, such as Video add-ons, Music add-ons, or Program add-ons
- Click on the name of the add-on you want to install
- A screen will open describing the add-on. Select Install from the menu at the bottom
- Wait for a moment and you’ll see a notification once the add-on has been installed
Now that you know all about repositories and how to install them, we’ll show you five of the safest Kodi repositories. These repositories are popular and trusted, so you can confidently use them to install add-ons without worrying about downloading anything malicious. We’ll tell you about each repository, give you the URL that you need to enter into your Kodi system to use the repository, and show you some of the most popular add-ons that you can find hosted in the repository.
Conclusion
These five repositories are safe to use and together they host a huge range of add-ons. Although repositories do sometimes get taken down or move to new URLs, these five are all well established in their current locations so you should be able to keep using them for the foreseeable future. The only exception is the Colossus repository, which still doesn’t officially have a new host. But it’s such a useful repository that we wanted to include it anyway, so we’ve shared its current location and we hope the repository finds a permanent home soon.
Which is your most reliable and safest Kodi repository, and which repository do you use the most? Did we list your favourite repository here, or is there another repository we didn’t mention that we should check out? Let us know about it in the comments below!
Read Safest Kodi Repositories: Best Add-on Repositories Ranked High for Trust by Diego Villena on AddictiveTips - Tech tips to make you smarter
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