The Best Video Player Software in 2026
We researched video player software through official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. Rankings reflect each product’s core playback capabilities, value for money and verified features, helping buyers compare tools for playing local video files across supported platforms.
Our top picks
-
Top ranked
VLC media player#1 of 429.4/10A broad, free player for local media, network playback, subtitles, and major platforms.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Kodi#2 of 429.2/10A free, flexible choice for organizing and playing media across five platforms.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
mpv#3 of 429.0/10A highly configurable free player for users who value scripting and control.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 42 tools, best first
-
Best forMost users needing a free all-purpose player
A broad, free player for local media, network playback, subtitles, and major platforms.
- Hardware acceleration
9.4/10★★★★★Visit VideoLAN -
Best forHome theater and media-library users
A free, flexible choice for organizing and playing media across five platforms.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Kodi -
Best forPower users who want scripting and control
A highly configurable free player for users who value scripting and control.
- Hardware acceleration
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit mpv -
Best forFree desktop playback with subtitle tools
A capable free desktop player for formats, subtitles, streaming, and playback controls.
- Hardware acceleration
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit SMPlayer -
Best forEnterprise streaming and DRM deployments
A broad video playback SDK for enterprise streaming, DRM, and multi-device delivery.
- Playback speed control
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Bitmovin -
Best forTechnical users needing broad legacy support
A free, open-source player for technical users who need wide format and stream support.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit MPlayer -
Best forApple users with network media libraries
A format-rich Apple player with strong network playback and optional Pro upgrades.
- Hardware acceleration
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Infuse -
Best forFree high-resolution playback across devices
A broad-format player with 4K/8K playback, network access, cloud support, and Chromecast.
- Hardware acceleration
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit KMPlayer -
Best forFree 4K/8K playback on desktop
A broad-format free player for high-resolution media on Windows and macOS.
- Hardware acceleration
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit 5KPlayer -
Best forUsers wanting a simple 4K desktop player
A capable free 4K player for Windows and Mac, with Pro-only cloud imports and extras.
- Hardware acceleration
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit DivX Player -
Best forUsers wanting subtitles and broad format support
A capable cross-platform player for subtitles, formats, URLs, and VR video.
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit GOM Player -
Best forWindows home-theater enthusiasts
A feature-rich Windows player for home theaters, with no free plan and a paid entry point.
- Portable version
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Zoom Player -
Best forLinux users wanting a customizable mpv frontend
A customizable free player for Linux users who want mpv controls and online playback.
- Hardware acceleration
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit KDE -
Best forDevelopers and command-line playback users
A free, open-source player for technical users who need control over media playback.
- Hardware acceleration
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit FFmpeg -
Best forLinux users wanting a basic free player
A capable Linux-only player for local media, discs, streams, subtitles, and playlists.
- Hardware acceleration
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Parole -
Best forLinux users wanting basic media playback
A free, open-source Linux player for local files, streaming, discs, subtitles, and playback controls.
- Playback speed control
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit GNOME -
Best forLinux users needing a very simple player
A focused, free Linux player for straightforward local and stream playback.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit KDE -
Best forDevelopers adding a customizable web video player
A customizable browser video player framework for developers who want control over playback and presentation.
- Playback speed control
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Video.js -
Best forDevelopers needing a cross-renderer web API
An open-source player library for cross-renderer web video and audio playback.
- Playback speed control
7.4/10★★★★☆Try MediaElement.js -
Best forMac users wanting a polished free player
A polished free player for Mac with local, online, and YouTube playback.
- Hardware acceleration
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit IINA -
Best forAndroid media-library and NAS users
A capable Android player for organized local, NAS, and network-based media libraries.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit NOVA -
Best forAndroid users with network storage
A capable free player for Android media, subtitles, and network storage.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Next Player -
Best forMinimal Android playback with HDR support
A focused free player with broad format support and capable Android TV HDR playback.
- Playback speed control
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Just Player -
Best forAndroid users wanting configurable mpv playback
A configurable Android player with advanced rendering, subtitles, and playback controls.
- Hardware acceleration
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit mpv-android -
Best forDesktop users who want FFmpeg-backed playback
A free desktop player with FFmpeg format support, hardware decoding options and YouTube playback.
- Hardware acceleration
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit QMPlay2 -
Best forWindows users with modern codec needs
A capable Windows player for modern codecs, subtitles, HDR, and detailed playback control.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit MPC-HC -
Best forWindows users wanting an open-source player
A capable free Windows player for local files, streams, subtitles, and playlists.
- Hardware acceleration
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit MPC-BE -
Best forWindows users wanting scripting and customization
A free, customizable Windows player for users who want more than basic playback.
- Hardware acceleration
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit mpv.net -
Best forDevelopers embedding video on the web
A flexible open-source player for developers embedding media on the web.
- Playback speed control
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Plyr -
Best forWeb apps needing plugin-based streaming playback
A flexible open-source player for teams building browser-based streaming experiences.
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Clappr -
Best forBusinesses hosting and monetizing video
A broad video platform for hosting, monetizing, and delivering web and mobile video.
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Flowplayer -
Best forMac users who need casting options
A capable Mac player with broad format support and paid casting features.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Elmedia Player -
Best forMac users wanting network and subtitle features
A paid Mac player for 4K media, network servers, subtitles, and internet video.
- Hardware acceleration
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit Movist -
Best forUsers wanting advanced desktop playback features
A feature-rich desktop player for broad format support, AI tools, and network streaming.
- Hardware acceleration
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Lumen Player -
Best forUsers wanting a simple queue-focused player
Clapper suits users who want a free, queue-focused player for Linux or Windows.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Clapper -
Best forWindows and Linux users wanting a lightweight player
A lightweight open-source player for Windows and Linux with playlist depth and yt-dlp playback.
- Portable version
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit MPC-Qt -
Best forWindows and Mac users needing very high resolution
A capable free player for high-resolution playback, with conversion behind a lifetime license.
- Hardware acceleration
5.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Cisdem -
Best forUsers prioritizing AI subtitle features
A free cross-platform player with unusually deep subtitle and AI voice-over features.
- Playback speed control
- Hardware acceleration
5.5/10★★★☆☆Visit ALLPlayer -
Best forUsers who also need downloading and conversion
A broad media toolkit for users who want playback plus downloading and conversion.
5.4/10★★★☆☆Visit RealPlayer -
Best forMac users needing video adjustment tools
An open-source Mac virtual camera for adjusting webcam video in real time.
5.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Celluloid -
Best forWeb publishers replacing embedded video players
A focused embed-management tool for branded video playback, analytics, and recommendations.
5.2/10★★★☆☆Visit reEmbed -
Best forOrganizing and searching large local video collections
A capable local video collection manager with free hubs and a $10 unlimited option.
- Portable version
5.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Video Hub App
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Hardware acceleration | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VLC media player | Yes | Free | Yes | 9.4 | |
| 2 | Kodi | Yes | Free | Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android | Yes | 9.2 |
| 3 | mpv | Yes | Free | Yes | 9.0 | |
| 4 | SMPlayer | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.9 | |
| 5 | Bitmovin Player | Yes | Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Roku, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and web browsers | 8.8 | ||
| 6 | MPlayer | Yes | Free | Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, QNX | Yes | 8.7 |
| 7 | Infuse | Yes | $16.99/yr | Yes | 8.6 | |
| 8 | KMPlayer | Yes | Yes | 8.5 | ||
| 9 | 5KPlayer | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.4 | |
| 10 | DivX Player | Yes | Yes | 8.3 | ||
| 11 | GOM Player | Yes | $22 one-time | 8.2 | ||
| 12 | Zoom Player | No | $23.95 one-time | Windows | Yes | 8.1 |
| 13 | Haruna | Yes | Free | Yes | 8.0 | |
| 14 | FFplay | Yes | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | 7.9 |
| 15 | Parole | Yes | Free | Linux | Yes | 7.8 |
| 16 | Totem | Yes | Free | Linux | 7.7 | |
| 17 | Dragon Player | Yes | Free | Linux | 7.6 | |
| 18 | Video.js | Yes | Free | Web browsers (evergreen Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge) | 7.5 | |
| 19 | MediaElement.js | Yes | Free | iOS, Android | 7.4 | |
| 20 | IINA | Yes | Free | Yes | 7.3 | |
| 21 | NOVA Video Player | Yes | Free | Android phones, tablets, and Android TV devices | Yes | 7.2 |
| 22 | Next Player | Yes | Free | Android, Android TV | Yes | 7.1 |
| 23 | Just (Video) Player | Yes | Free | Android | 7.0 | |
| 24 | mpv-android | Yes | Free | Android | Yes | 6.9 |
| 25 | QMPlay2 | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.8 | |
| 26 | MPC-HC | Yes | Free | Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11 | Yes | 6.7 |
| 27 | MPC-BE | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.6 | |
| 28 | mpv.net | Yes | Free | Yes | 6.5 | |
| 29 | Plyr | Yes | Free | iOS, iPadOS | 6.4 | |
| 30 | Clappr | Free | Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, iPhone, iPad, Android | 6.3 | ||
| 31 | Flowplayer | Yes | $99 one-time | 6.2 | ||
| 32 | Elmedia Player | Yes | macOS | Yes | 6.1 | |
| 33 | Movist Pro | $17.99 one-time | Yes | 6.0 | ||
| 34 | Lumen Player | No | $19/device one-time | Windows, macOS, Linux | Yes | 5.9 |
| 35 | Clapper | Yes | Free | Linux, Windows | Yes | 5.8 |
| 36 | MPC-Qt | Free | Windows, Linux | Yes | 5.7 | |
| 37 | Cisdem Video Player | Yes | $19.99/device one-time | Windows, macOS | Yes | 5.6 |
| 38 | ALLPlayer | Yes | Windows, Android, iOS | Yes | 5.5 | |
| 39 | RealPlayer | Yes | $49.99/yr | 5.4 | ||
| 40 | Celluloid | Yes | Free | macOS | 5.3 | |
| 41 | reEmbed | Yes | iOS, Android, Windows Mobile | 5.2 | ||
| 42 | Video Hub App | Yes | $10 one-time | Windows, macOS, Linux | 5.1 |
Head-to-head All 16 comparisons →
- VLC media player vs Kodi
- VLC media player vs Bitmovin Player
- VLC media player vs MPlayer
- Kodi vs mpv
- Kodi vs SMPlayer
- Kodi vs Bitmovin Player
- Kodi vs MPlayer
- Kodi vs Infuse
- Kodi vs KMPlayer
Explore other topics All topics →
- AI Tools 303 directories · 8,270 tools ranked AI Writing Tools · AI Video Generators · Text-to-Speech Software
- Web Hosting & Domains 275 directories · 6,107 tools ranked Shared Web Hosting · Managed Cloud Hosting · Dedicated Server Hosting
- Productivity 157 directories · 4,948 tools ranked Note-Taking Apps · Calendar Apps · Project Management Software
- Marketing 135 directories · 3,977 tools ranked SEO Tools · Influencer Marketing Platforms · Email Marketing Software
- Sales & CRM 152 directories · 4,161 tools ranked Real Estate CRM Software · CRM Software · Proposal Software
- Customer Service 55 directories · 1,547 tools ranked Chatbot Builders · Knowledge Base Software · Call Center Software
How we rank video player software
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update