Kodi has been playing it safe when it comes to its user interface for a long now. That’s because the default skin in Kodi 19 “Matrix” is called “Estuary,” and it hasn’t changed in a long time. The good news is that you can simply alter Kodi’s default skin, and there are a lot of them to pick from.
What’s intriguing about Kodi skins is that they don’t merely spruce up the interface. Instead, they can radically alter Kodi’s appearance and functionality. They include all-new menus, animations, and multiple ways to present your media library, among other things.
Of course, not all skins are created equal. The finest Kodi skins are updated frequently and follow Kodi’s development path. If you don’t want to end up with a flawed Kodi skin that causes technical issues with the programme, this is a big thing. This is why we’ve dedicated ourselves to finding the greatest Kodi skins.
How to Find & Install Skins on Kodi?
It’s really simple to change Kodi’s appearance, and it shouldn’t take more than a few seconds. With that in mind, here’s how to locate and install Kodi skins (v19, v18 & Older).
- Kodi will be launched. In the top-left content, click the cogwheel icon.
- This will bring up Kodi’s settings page, where you should select ‘Interface.’
- Make sure to choose ‘Skin‘ from the left-hand menu. Click the name of the currently active skin on the right.
- There should now be a pop-up window appear. Select ‘Get More’ from the drop-down menu.
- Finally, select the Kodi skin you want to install by clicking on its name. Once you’ve finished, double-check your decision.
The Best Kodi Skins in 2021
The following are the 15 best Kodi skins you can find right now.
- Aeon Nox (SiLVO) – Best-Looking Kodi v19 Skin
- Arctic: Zephyr 2 – Best for Large-Screen TVs
- Amber – Best for Deep-Level Customization
- Unity – Best for Fans of Google’s Material Design
- Confluence – Best Skin for Fans of Kodi’s Old UI
- Embuary – Best for Fans of Emby’s Web UI
- BOX – Best for Fans of Modular/Boxes Interfaces
- Titan (Bingie Mod) – Best for Fans of Netflix’s UI
- Black Glass Nova – Best Kodi Skin Inspired by Windows’ Aero
- GRID – Best Skin for a Simplistic Interface
- Mimic – Best Skin for Cross-Platform Usage
- Nebula – Best Skin for Previous (Older) Kodi Versions
- Chroma – Best Lightweight Kodi Skin
- Eminence 2 – Best for Fans of LG’s Web UI
- Bello 7 – Best Kodi Skin for Third-Party Services Integration
1. Aeon Nox (SiLVO) – Best-Looking Kodi v19 Skin
| Author | BigNoid, SiLVO |
|---|---|
| Version | 7.0.9 |
| Size | 49.4 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 19 ‘Matrix’ (older versions supported as well) |
Our list of the finest Kodi skins will begin with the most popular: Aeon Nox. This one has been around for quite some time, having survived multiple major Kodi versions. Because every major version necessitates the updating of third-party skins, Aeon Nox is frequently the first to appear. And certainly, the same is true for Kodi 19 ‘Matrix.’
First and foremost, Aeon Nox prioritised large-scale imagery. Your media content is presented in the form of a grid of posters that you can traverse in a variety of ways. This is true of movies, television shows, and music. Don’t worry, your photo gallery and addons will get a new look as well.
So, whether you’ve already upgraded to Kodi 19’Matrix’ or are using an older version of the app, Aeon Nox will undoubtedly fulfil your demands.
2. Arctic: Zephyr 2 – Best for Large-Screen TVs
| Author | Jurialmunkey |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.9.60 |
| Size | N/A |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 19 ‘Matrix’ (older versions supported as well) |
Let’s go on from one of the most dramatic skins to something more straightforward. Arctic: Zephyr 2 comes into play in this situation. This is a beautifully crafted skin that can simply replace Kodi’s basic interface and significantly improve it.
This skin converts Kodi’s menu into a huge, bottom-positioned bar by default. You’ll find the main content categories here, but you may also create your own shortcuts. You’ll notice that a giant background image changes when you switch between different things. There will be a clear representation of your content in whatever category you choose.
If you use Kodi to watch live TV, you should be aware that Arctic: Zephyr 2 includes a beautifully designed TV schedule where you can check out forthcoming movies and TV series.
3. Amber – Best for Deep-Level Customization
| Author | Pecinko, Jester, Joethepartylion, Bsoriano |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.0 |
| Size | N/A |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 19 ‘Matrix’ (older versions supported as well) |
Amber has a horizontal menu by default, with the key sections accessible right immediately. You’ll notice high-resolution photographs in the background as you move through these categories. These will be dependent on the media collection in Kodi. Once you’ve selected a category, you’ll notice a great horizontal row of movie posters. Almost everything about Amber, though, maybe customised.
If you don’t like horizontal navigation, a vertical main menu is an option. Grids of artwork and movie posters will be used automatically so you can see more at once. Instead of a row of posters organised by category, you’ll see a grid or a list of available titles.
4. Unity – Best for Fans of Google’s Material Design
| Author | Bumpaneer |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.7.1 |
| Size | N/A |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 19 ‘Matrix’ (older versions supported as well) |
Without at least one “Material Design” skin, our list of the greatest Kodi skins would be incomplete. Google introduced this style of aesthetics a few years ago. Since then, it has been distributed across a variety of media because of its clear and succinct images. There are no gradients or other distracting elements in this design. You’ll instead see plain colours and buttons with no transparency.
Kodi’s Material Design is well-represented by the Unity skin. The main menu is displayed as a horizontal line by default. It consists primarily of a large grey bar with white text and menu items. In the upper portion of the screen, when you navigate through the things featured here, you’ll see related add-ons, as well as movie posters and artwork.
5. Confluence – Best Skin for Fans of Kodi’s Old UI
| Author | Team Kodi, Jezz_X |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.1.43 |
| Size | 6.89 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 19 ‘Matrix’ (older versions supported as well) |
Because of its importance to the Kodi user community, we’ve decided to include Confluence in our list of the best skins for Kodi. For many earlier Kodi releases, this was the default skin (since version 9, to be more precise). With that in mind, you may quickly install this skin and return Kodi to its previous state.
Confluence is made up of a lot of aesthetically heavy features, such as a lot of dazzling UI elements and a lot of gradients. If you prefer trendy and minimalistic skins, this isn’t the skin for you. The primary navigation is horizontal, with subcategories clearly presented as well, making it as simple as possible to use the programme.
Furthermore, this skin makes use of meta-data from your movies, TV episodes, and other sorts of content to provide a wealth of information for each title.
6. Embuary – Best for Fans of Emby’s Web UI
| Author | Sualfred |
|---|---|
| Version | 18.8.9 |
| Size | 27.83 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
Emby was mentioned in our article on the top Kodi alternatives. This used to be a rather basic media server for storing and organising various media libraries. Emby, on the other hand, exploded in popularity over the last year, and we’re now seeing it gain traction. As a result, it’s not surprising to see a Kodi skin influenced by Emby and its simple UI.
Grids are prominent in the Embuary skin, especially when it comes to horizontal and vertical mobility. It implies that if you’ve installed Kodi on a media streaming device and use a remote to control the programme, you’ll enjoy Embuary.
This is a massive skin that controls every aspect of Kodi, from settings to media playback to PVR and everything in between. It’s simple to use, looks modern, and works flawlessly.
7. BOX – Best for Fans of Modular/Boxes Interfaces
| Author | DjCisco |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.0.7 |
| Size | 22.07 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
This skin is all about modularity, as its name suggests. If you’ve been using Kodi for a while, you’re certainly familiar with skins like LightBox and nBox, which were once very popular. The BOX skin is a blend of those, with a bit of distinct aesthetics thrown in for good measure.
The most appealing feature of the BOX skin is its simple user interface. Rather than multiple lines of text, you’ll see large visuals with intriguing iconography. In addition, multiple forms of navigation are used for different sorts of information in this skin. It means that your films may be viewed as a grid of posters, and your music can be viewed as a long list of artists and playlists (along with meta-data, ratings, and more).
8. Titan (Bingie Mod) – Best for Fans of Netflix’s UI
| Author | AchiellesPunks, Cartman.dos |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.0.3 (10.08.19) |
| Size | N/A |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
If you use Netflix, you probably either love or despise its user interface. This platform’s apps for smart TVs, media streaming devices, and consoles are in question. You can get a similar-looking interface using Kodi, which looks great if you have a lot of media stuff. Yes, we’re talking about a modified version of the immensely popular Titan Kodi skin.
The Titan skin from the beginning is still pretty powerful. However, due to an increasing number of technical concerns, we’ve decided to remove it from our list of the top Kodi skins. The Bingie Mod, on the other hand, is here to meet all of your Titan-related demands. It looks fantastic on a large-screen TV and allows you to swiftly scan through categories and individual files with your remote.
This is an excellent alternative for individuals who enjoy the way Netflix appears and functions, thanks to highly polished aesthetics and exceptionally smooth performance.
9. Black Glass Nova – Best Kodi Skin Inspired by Windows’ Aero
| Author | Tgx |
|---|---|
| Version | 6.5.0 |
| Size | 11.88 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
Black Glass Nova changes Kodi’s menu to a horizontal navigation bar with big thumbnails by default. You’ll see photos of what each category represents when you scroll left or right across the many content categories. You’ll see submenus at the bottom of the screen while perusing the main menu.
Submenus in the movies area, for example, include Playlists, In Progress, Recently Added, and more. This skin shines at providing multiple methods to browse your stuff.
When it comes to its graphics, Black Glass Nova may be said to be based on Windows’ Aero aesthetics – if you remember what that phrase means. Transparent borders with soft edges surround dialogue boxes, content sections, and images. Because there are so many minute details, we recommend using this skin on a large-screen device. Otherwise, Kodi’s user interface could be overpowering.
10. GRID – Best Skin for a Simplistic Interface
| Author | Jeroen |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.5.1 |
| Size | 9.41 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
We have the GRID skin when it comes to something absolutely new and thrilling. This is a rapidly evolving skin with a dedicated crew behind it, and we have to admit, it’s one of the most polished options available. So, let’s have a look at why this is one of the best Kodi skins out there.
There’s a lot to say about the GRID skin. On the left side of the screen, it changes the main menu into a horizontal translucent column. Beautiful graphics will appear in the background as you scroll.
If you go to the TV series category, for example, you’ll get a horizontal list of titles combined with the number of episodes left to watch. You can, of course, make this into a vertical scrolling bar with info at the bottom. Because of the GRID’s great level of customisation, we’re confident you’ll be able to design something truly unique.
11. Mimic – Best Skin for Cross-Platform Usage
| Author | Braz |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.0.3 |
| Size | 10.65 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
This Kodi skin is similar to the one we recommended previously. The key distinction is that Mimic is based on flat design concepts. This means that there won’t be many gleaming buttons or gradients. Instead, blue and its various shades are the dominant colours. As you may expect, you can alter Mimic’s appearance by changing the default colour.
Perhaps the most intriguing feature of this skin is its ability to be customised. There are a plethora of options to consider and change. This skin, for example, can display movie posters in a variety of ways. Our favourite option is the “Wall” display option, which is a grid of posters with no border. Instead, you’ll find neatly piled covers of your favourite songs, videos, and television series.
12. Nebula – Best Skin for Previous (Older) Kodi Versions
| Author | Tgx |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.5.0 |
| Size | 18.46 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
This skin is extremely user-friendly. Nebula’s main purpose, it appears, is to bring as many possibilities as possible and make them all appear at once. Nebula, on the other hand, isn’t overly complicated because it doesn’t make navigation too difficult. In reality, it makes a lot of good concessions.
After installing Nebula, Kodi’s home screen is transformed into a soft white surface with grey writing. The main menu, which may be scrolled left or right, occupies the screen’s middle section. You’ll notice several options at the top and bottom of the screen after you pause at a specific category. You can, for example, enter a certain movie genre without first entering the main category.
13. Chroma – Best Lightweight Kodi Skin
| Author | Tgx |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.5.0 |
| Size | 10.51 MB |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
Despite the fact that not everyone will enjoy this skin, Chroma must be included in this list of the finest Kodi skins. This is due to the fact that Chroma has been around for a while and has acquired a devoted following. On smaller screens, it may be too much, but on larger screens and TVs, Chroma is perfect.
Chroma comes with a horizontal menu and high-resolution backdrop graphics by default. When you select a category, you will be presented with all of the necessary information. There’s a list of available content to begin with, as well as ratings, genres, synopses, and artwork.
There are also other ways to structure the content’s presentation. It can be done with lists (horizontal and vertical) and other grids. There’s also the option of displaying all of your movies as a huge interactive wallpaper at once.
14. Eminence 2 – Best for Fans of LG’s Web UI
| Author | Jurialmunkey |
|---|---|
| Version | N/A |
| Size | N/A |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
Eminence 2 transforms your Kodi into something akin to LG’s WebOS. It has a row of weirdly shaped icons that can be scrolled left and right to identify it. This skin, on the other hand, does an excellent job of establishing a minimal yet effective user interface.
Eminence 2 adds a row of huge icons to the Home Page, as previously stated. A big grid of movie posters will appear as you enter one of the content categories. You can, however, make this a scrollable horizontal list with a large image and summary. You can present your content library in a number of various ways. By providing plainly visible icons to Kodi’s Settings menu, this skin also does an excellent job at simplifying it.
Because of its simplicity, ease of use, and navigation fluidity, we included Eminence 2 on our list of the best Kodi skins in 2021. Give it a go!
15. Bello 7 – Best Kodi Skin for Third-Party Services Integration
| Author | Nessus |
|---|---|
| Version | N/A |
| Size | N/A |
| Compatibility | Up to Kodi 18 ‘Leia’ (not compatible with Kodi 19) |
Bello 7 features delicate lettering and well-executed animations, making it ideal for large-screen televisions. You should be aware, however, that the skin is entirely functional on smartphones and tablets (devices with touchscreen controls). This is becoming increasingly unusual these days, since most developers are concentrating their efforts on designing skins for huge screens, rendering them unsuitable for touchscreen input.
If you’ve loaded your Kodi library with movies and TV episodes, you’ll notice huge movie posters with a wealth of information. Because Bello 7 has dependencies that extend Kodi’s built-in capability, this is the case. If you’re utilising Kodi’s PVR feature to view and record TV channels, the skin also includes a well-designed TV guide.
