Best Video Player Software in 2026
Updated
The right video player depends on the files you watch, the devices you use, and the playback controls you need. Compared on codec support, maximum resolution, and hardware acceleration, these tools can be assessed for compatibility and playback needs. Also weigh supported platforms and subtitle formats, along with playback speed control and whether a portable version suits your setup. Free plan and paid-from price provide cost details. The entries include mpv, Bitmovin Player, and 5KPlayer, as well as Infuse, MPlayer, NOVA Video Player, SMPlayer, and DivX Player. Compare the listed capabilities with the formats and devices in your workflow to find a player that fits how you watch.
Video Player Software, one module each.A lit port is something its maker publishes; 5 of 5 with a known API signal have a public API.
- 01 mpv API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.4Free
- 02 MediaElement.js API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.2Free
- 03 Plyr API yesFREE yesDOCS 7.1Free
- 04 Bitmovin Player API yesDOCS 6.8
- 05 Flowplayer API yesDOCS 6.8
- 06 5KPlayer FREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 07 Infuse FREE yesDOCS 5.9$1.42/mo
- 08 MPC-HC FREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 09 QMPlay2 FREE yesDOCS 5.9Free
- 10 ALLPlayer FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 11 Elmedia Player FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 12 Haruna FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 13 IINA FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 14 Just (Video) Player FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 15 Mousepad FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 16 MPC-BE FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 17 MPlayer FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 18 mpv-android FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 19 mpv.net FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 20 Next Player FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 21 NOVA Video Player FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 22 RealPlayer FREE yesDOCS 5.8$4.99/mo
- 23 SMPlayer FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 24 Video Hub App FREE yesDOCS 5.8Free
- 25 Celluloid FREE yesDOCS 5.7Free
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Codec support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | mpv | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 2 | MediaElement.js | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | iOS, Android | H.264, MP3, Opus, WebM, Ogg | |
| 3 | Plyr | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | iOS, iPadOS | ||
| 4 | Bitmovin Player | 6.8 | Yes | Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Roku, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and web browsers | H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP9, AAC, MP3 | |||
| 5 | Flowplayer | 6.8 | Yes | 99 one-time | ||||
| 6 | 5KPlayer | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 7 | Infuse | 5.9 | Free plan | $1.42/mo | Yes | |||
| 8 | MPC-HC | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11 | HEVC/H.265, VVC/H.266, AV1, AC4 | |
| 9 | QMPlay2 | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 10 | ALLPlayer | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Windows, Android, iOS | ||
| 11 | Elmedia Player | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | macOS | H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, VC-1, Xvid, H.266/VVC, AAC, AC-3, DTS, FLAC, MP3, Opus | |
| 12 | Haruna | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 13 | IINA | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 14 | Just (Video) Player | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Android | Audio: Vorbis, Opus, FLAC, ALAC, PCM/WAVE, MP1, MP2, MP3, AMR, AAC, AC-3, E-AC-3, DTS, DTS-HD, TrueHD, IAMF, MPEG-H; Video: H.263, H.264 AVC, H.265 HEVC, MPEG-4 SP, VP8, VP9, AV1 | |
| 15 | Mousepad | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Linux | ||
| 16 | MPC-BE | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 17 | MPlayer | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, QNX | MPEG-1/2, MPEG-4 ASP, H.264, WMV1/2/3, RealVideo, Sorenson, Cinepak, DV, 3ivx, Indeo, H.263, MJPEG, HuffYUV, MP3, AC3/A52, E-AC3, DTS, AAC, WMA, RealAudio, Ogg Vorbis, PCM | |
| 18 | mpv-android | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Android | H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4, MPEG-2 Video, VP8, VP9, AV1 | |
| 19 | mpv.net | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 20 | Next Player | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Android, Android TV | Video: H.263, H.264 AVC, H.265 HEVC, MPEG-4 SP, VP8, VP9, AV1; audio: Vorbis, Opus, FLAC, ALAC, PCM/WAVE, MP1, MP2, MP3, AMR, AAC, AC-3, E-AC-3, DTS, DTS-HD, TrueHD | |
| 21 | NOVA Video Player | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | Android phones, tablets, and Android TV devices | HEVC/H.265, Dolby Vision, AC3, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS:X, TrueHD, E-AC3 JOC | |
| 22 | RealPlayer | 5.8 | Free plan | $4.99/mo | Yes | 24.99 one-time | ||
| 23 | SMPlayer | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | |||
| 24 | Video Hub App | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | 10 one-time | Windows, macOS, Linux | |
| 25 | Celluloid | 5.7 | Free plan | Free | Yes | macOS |
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Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.