The best Stremio addons

Stremio used to have a very limited number of addons but in recent years, this has skyrocketed, greatly expanding the range of content you can watch. Better still, unlike with Kodi, users don’t have to hunt down the latest version of an addon or add new repositories since Stremio takes care of that for you. Plus, Stremio supports several well-known streaming services and even reveals how you can rent new movies right there in the app.

However, Stremio makes the mistake of including potentially dangerous peer-to-peer (P2P) addons alongside its harmless ones. Further, some of its addons rely on unofficial sources, which are often unreliable as well as legally dubious. This guide will explain which of Stremio’s addons are safe to use and why you should choose them. We’ll also be showing you how to install these addons and explain some of the risks that come with third-party addons.

What is Stremio?

Stremio is a very simple media center platform. While rivals like Kodi or Plex offer deeply customizable experiences, Stremio aims to be as easy to use as possible. This means that while Stremio might not be the best choice for people who like to tinker, it’s ideal for those who just want something that works out of the box.

There’s another fundamental difference in the way that Stremio works. With Kodi, addons are installed directly on the user’s computer. If an addon is compromised by an attacker, malware can be installed the next time the addon is updated. Stremio, however, does not technically “install” addons. Instead, it merely allows an addon’s code to run on a web server. This improves security since addons have no access to a user’s computer but it also makes new addons easier to create.

Despite its simplicity, Stremio includes several features that Kodi doesn’t. For instance, it comes with a fairly robust calendar system that lets you know when certain shows are airing. It can also tell the user where to purchase titles that aren’t available for free.

Note: Use a VPN with Stremio

VPNs encrypt the user’s network traffic, making it unreadable to any outside observers. This includes hackers trying to use a Man-in-the-Middle attack but also your own ISP. A VPN prevents your ISP from selling your data or using your browsing habits to justify throttling your network speeds.

We recommend NordVPN for use with Stremio and Kodi. This provider has independently verified its no-logs policy several times, comes packed with cutting-edge security tools, and offers some of the fastest speeds we’ve seen. It’s also one of the most versatile VPNs, with real streaming ability and apps for a huge range of platforms including Android, iOS, and Amazon Firestick.

Best addons for Stremio

The following addons are the best that Stremio has to offer. These all provide properly licensed content from official sources and can be used without any risk whatsoever. Installing addons is very simple: simply click the jigsaw piece icon in the top-right, find the addon you want and click Install.

Here’s a list of the best addons for Stremio:

1. YouTube

YouTube is the world’s largest streaming platform so it’s no surprise to see it on Stremio. YouTube has changed a lot in recent years; it’s no longer just for watching viral videos. There are millions of hours of content covering every imaginable topic. YouTube has everything from film criticism to coding tutorials with new content added almost every second.

There are some limitations, however. For instance, the YouTube addon doesn’t display live streaming content or allow the user to comment on videos. it does, however, allow the user to watch directly from within Stremio instead of redirecting them to the website as with other sources.

2. PLEX TV

Plex TV is a legitimate free-to-watch service that offers more than 180 live TV channels including AMC Thrillers, fubo Sports Network, and Popcornflix (which is itself a free streaming service). Unfortunately, this addon doesn’t include any of Plex’s other functionality (such as being able to stream content from remote devices like your PC) but this is still a pretty major addition to Stremio in itself.

3. Public domain movies

Looking to stream some vintage classics? Stremio’s Public domain movies addon has hundreds of throwbacks to the golden age of cinema, with everything from One Week with Buster Keaton to Street Angel, a Japanese musical from the 1930’s. Best of all, these are all completely legal and free to watch.

4. PLUTO TV

Pluto TV is another free-to-use streaming service that imitates the old-school experience of linear TV. There is a small selection of on-demand content, but the bulk of its offering is streamed live. There are over 100 channels to choose from, covering everything from reality TV to movies, so you’ll never be short of something to watch.

5. Subscene Subtitles

This addon lets you quickly search for and grab community-created subtitles in multiple languages. That’s extremely helpful if you’re trying to watch a lesser-known movie, or one that hasn’t had an official translation.

6. Trakt tv

Ever have trouble remembering where you got up to in a show? Trakt removes this problem by automatically syncing your watch history to its website, letting you rate content and find out more about it all in one place.

Stremio addons to avoid

Stremio has several addons that allow most users to easily find interesting, high-quality content from official sources. However, there are a few that show up in the community addons list that we do not recommend installing.

RAR

RAR pulls content from RARBG, a site that hosts torrents, similar to The Pirate Bay. While torrenting is not inherently illegal, this type of site is notorious for allowing users to download copyrighted content. Also, because of the nature of P2P networks, when you use this addon to download movies you’re also allowing someone else to download it from you. During this process, your IP address can be seen by anyone that cares to look.

To minimize risk to yourself and your system, we do not recommend installing the RAR addon.

Popcorn Time

While not available directly from Stremio’s addons page, Popcorn Time is a popular addon. There are two major problems with it, though. First, Popcorn Time has had a colorful legal history due to its emphasis on copyright-infringing content. By using this addon, you are depriving content creators of the funds that they need to continue working.

Maximum Sports

Anything that claims to offer free streams of any sporting event you can imagine is likely too good to be true, and Maximum Sports is no exception. This addon uses torrents from an unknown source, which means users will be putting their device’s security on the line every time they want to watch a match.

Conclusion

Stremio prioritizes ease of use above all else. With just a single click, it allows users to access some of the biggest official video libraries in the world.There’s no need to use the few third-party addons because of the sheer range of legitimate content on offer.

When you consider how easy it is to install and how advanced some of its features are, it becomes clear that Stremio has a lot of potential. If you don’t have the time or energy to spend configuring every last aspect of your home theater setup, Stremio may be exactly what you need.