Essential Free Windows/Mac Video Players Ranked

Top 16 Best Free Video Players for PC

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

We often need video players for our Windows PC, but it is good to get some information about it before installing new software. It is good to pre-rate its performance based on supported video file formats and ease of use.

The article below will help you get detailed information about the top 16 free video players that you can use on your PC. They can be easily installed on Windows 11/10/7/8/, Windows XP, and Mac.

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Top 16 Free Media Players for PC

Below are the 16 popular video players for playing both your video and audio on Windows or Mac pc. Find out which one fit you much.

1 - VLC Player	2 - GOM Player	3 - Pot Player	4 - Media Player Classic
5 - Kodi Player	6 - KM player	7 - SM Player	8 - Media Monkey
9 - AllPlayer	10 - Real Player	11 - Miro	12 - DivX Player
13 - MPV Media Player	14 - Plex	15 - 5KPlayer	16 - PlayerFab

1 VLC

VLC has been maintaining its win-win position in the top video player list for the long past. It is not just good for its out-of-box features rather it can be easily tweaked to boost performance. You will be glad to know that it is an open-source software tool, and you can easily find so many free versions that the community maintains.

Supported Video Formats: For Video Files: Real, Matroska (MKV), Annodex, OGM, OGG, 3GP, MOV, MP4, WMA, WMV, ASF, AVI, MPEG. For Audio Files: Creative Voice, SMF, Standard MIDI, FLV (Flash), FLAC, RawDV, Nut, MXF, AC3, DTS.

Pros

• Available for free.
• Can play devices, webcams, CDs, and other files.
• Possess audio-video filters.
• Subtitle synchronous.

Cons

• It does not support external filters and MIDI playback.

2 GOM Player

GOM Player is well known for its smoothness and a higher level of customization that assists beginners and professionals. It is one of the best recommendations for Windows 10 users. This video player possesses a codec finder that helps search for the desired codec whenever GOM does not have a specific codec.

Supported Video Formats: AVI, TS, MPG, FLV, MKV, etc. It also supports playlist formats like .pls and .asx.

Pros

• Available for free.
• 360 video view supported.
• A-B repeat.
• Minimalist design with awesome features.

Cons

• Limited help feature.

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3 PotPlayer

PotPlayer is available for free to all Windows users and offers pretty good features. You need not add external codecs to this player as it can automatically support all media files and update codecs as needed.

Supported Video Formats: It supports CUDA, DXA, and QuickSync, whereas users can enjoy 3D output formats with 3D glasses.

Pros

• Comes with built-in hotkeys and keyboard shortcuts.
• Clean and user-friendly interface.
• Supports 3D-oriented features along with 3D glasses.
• Free of cost.

Cons

• Aspect ratio is an issue.

4 Media Player Classic

You might have heard rarely about Media Player Classic , but it serves as the biggest threat to VLC with its incredible features and open-source design. Although it is discontinued, you can still download the older versions from third-party sources. It is capable enough to offer all VLC supported features at a much smoother rate in an interactive manner. Further, it also extends support to external shaders and filters.

Supported Video Formats: Capable enough to play VCD, DVD, SVCD without additional codecs. Possesses built-in type codecs for MPEG-2 files and contains codecs for DTS, AC3, 3GP, MP2, and LPCM.

Pros

• Well rated as a lightweight software tool without unnecessary ads.
• Supports key commands and shortcuts.
• Comes with a portable version that boosts productivity.
• Possesses customizable skins and toolbar.
• Open source and free as well.

Cons

• Not yet found!

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5 Kodi

Kodi is specially designed to serve crazy movie lovers. Its full-screen interface is interactive enough, and you will also be able to listen to music through this player. One can also watch images while enjoying the movie, but it will only serve if you have a rich media browsing experience.

Supported Video Formats: Audio: MIDI, AIFF, DTS, APE, WavPack, WMA, MOD, NSF etc. Video: MPEG-1/2/4, RealVideo, WMV and etc.

Pros

• Allows sports live to stream.
• Free to use.
• Efficient and wide compatibility.

Cons

• Complicated for beginners.

6 KM Player

KM Player is one of the leading sources for video playbacks and content discovery! It is highly rated for record-breaking viewership and can serve efficiently like a standalone video player.

Supported Video Formats: Allows users to play UHD, 4K, 2K, and 3D videos.

Pros

• It offers a much smoother playback with its internal codex files.
• Extends support to 36 languages.
• Available for free.

Cons

• Annoying adds.

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7 SM Player

SM Player can be used for listening to audio tracks and music content. There are so many handy features and easy to adjust subtitles, customizable playlists, screenshot tools, graphic equalizers, and many more.

Supported Video Formats: All popular media file formats like WMV, MP4, MKV, AVI, etc.

Pros

• It is open-source and free.
• Comes with Equalizers and supports radio as well as YouTube Browser.
• Can fetch video subtitles automatically from the Internet.

Cons

• You need to spend more time being familiar with its interface.

8 Media Monkey

If you take music seriously then Media Monkey is the best option. The best thing to know about this software tool is that it can help you get information about the album, artists, etc. directly from the internet.

Supported Video Formats: MP3, OGG, MPC, WMA, WAV, VQF, FLAC, APE, FLAC, etc.

Pros

• It allows iPod connectivity.
• It is well known for its advanced features, including advanced synchronization, organization, tagging, and convenient media library.

Cons

• Too many features are difficult to handle for a beginner.

9 AllPlayer

There are so many amazing features hidden inside AllPlayer , and they are quite useful for beginners and professionals. You will love to work with its voice recognition ability for subtitles.

Supported Video Formats: APE, FLAC, MOV, QuickTime, RMVB, MPEG, MPG, M2TS, MKV, 3GP, MP4, FLV, AVI, MP3, and many more.

Pros

• It comes with quick to start interface.
• Will not demand more CPU power.

Cons

• Although its name is AllPlayer, it cannot play all media files. That’s sad!

10 Real Player

Real Player is quite simple and works like a solid media manager. You will be glad to know that it also possesses an android compatible application. This all-in-one player can assist you in playing music, watching videos, and viewing photographs.

Supported Video Formats: It supported M4V, MP4, RMVB, WAV, WMV, FLV, AVI, and many other popular media file formats.

Pros

• It offers solid performance for all kinds of media files.
• Possess a very simple and intuitive interface.

Cons

• You will not access advanced features like video editing, advanced sorting and photo effects, etc.

11 Miro

Eleventh on this list is Miro . Basically, it’s an open-source TV application that allows you to stream great movies and shows. But after downloading the app, you can enjoy playing your favorite shows on its built-in media player. Miro is free to download. Plus, users can share media through their shared Wi-Fi network. Moreover, you can also install the Miro app on your tablets and mobile phones.

Supported Video Formats: Quicktime, MPEG, DIVX, Flash Video, AVI, Windows Media, and all major video formats.

Pros

• Straightforward interface
• Keyboard shortcuts all playback commands
• It comes with built-in torrent downloading
• You can convert videos into different formats
• It is easy to download and play videos and music from YouTube and Amazon

Cons

• The resume playback option begins the show/movie from a random place

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12 DivX Player

The developers of DivX claim that this media player is the pioneer in providing a free platform for format. And it appears that DivX is known for playing some popular video formats. Also, you can install this media player on Windows and Mac for free.

You can also play UltraHD (4K) videos and enjoy streaming photos, videos, and music to any DLNA-compatible device. Another plus point of using this player is the “Trick Play” option. This feature allows you to skip to a particular scene effortlessly.

Supported Video Formats: MPEG4, MP4, MPEG2, AVI, MKV, and MOV.

Pros

• Smooth playback
• DivX is a lightweight media player
• The free version supports all video formats

Cons

• Glitches during installation

13 MPV

MPV is a free media player. It’s an open-source program released under the “General Public License.” It supports multiple video codecs and audio files. Besides, the player also allows you to integrate subtitles. MPV permits you to experience high-quality videos. Additionally, it supports scripting, such as LuaScript and JavaScript. This playback tool is downloadable by Windows, Linux, and Mac users.

Supported Video Formats: MOV, MPEG2 and MPV.

Pros

• It’s a light-weight video player
• Feature to control video speed

Cons

• It does not support most well-known video formats

14 Plex

Technically, Plex is a streaming service application. It has an extensive media collection, including TV shows, movies, and videos. However, you can download it on multiple platforms and use it like a media player for your personal videos. This media player helps organize your video collections. Also, it allows you to choose videos to share or restrict with your family.

Plex supports all file types, including video formats and Hi-Fi music. Although you can download this software for free on your PC, you can also install it on your tablet or phone.

Supported Video Formats: ASF, AVI, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MPEGTS, MKV, and WMV.

Pros

• User-friendly interface
• Includes free content from Warner Bros
• Improves media library through metadata and subtitle integration

Cons

• Some features are not free

15 5KPlayer

5KPlayer is one of the top-rated media players for Windows 7 to 10 and Mac. It is compatible with many video formats and codecs and plays famous video and audio files without plugins. With 5KPlayer, you can import media files from websites like Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and more.

Supported Video Formats: MOV, M4V, MP4, and MP3.

Pros

• Glitch-free video playback
• Easy installation and setup
• Built-in video downloader and AirPlay/DLNA support
• You can rotate videos and add subtitles to your videos

Cons

• A bit confusing for the beginners
• Slow downloading process

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16 PlayerFab

With 100+ million and 80+ million global users, PlayerFab is a free video player that supports common video and audio formats. You can enjoy downloading this software on your Windows and Mac operating systems.

PlayerFab helps you organize and manage your local media library. This media player offers an automatic video collection, so you can easily find all your favorite content under one folder. The player also allows adding and editing the metadata and permits you to create a customized playlist of your audio and video files.

Supported Video Formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, VOB, FLV, and M2TS.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Attractive user interface with PC and TV playback modes
• Intelligent movie folder recognition (DVD or Blu-Ray)
• You can rotate videos to 90 degrees (clockwise and counterclockwise)

Cons

• No problem found yet

FAQs About Windows10 Video Player

1. How to Play DVDs in Windows 10 for Free?

Windows 10 doesn’t have a dedicated DVD Player. Windows Media Center has been discontinued & replaced with Windows DVD Player. The app costs $15 in the Microsoft store and does not come preinstalled.

Users who upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7, or Windows 8 with Windows Media Center, are entitled to a free copy of Windows DVD Player. However, the app has many playback & compatibility issues, not to mention a large number of bugs. Free alternatives such as VLC Video Player are much better. Insert your DVD, open the VLC player, go to Media > Open Disc to watch it.

2. What Is the Default Video Player for Windows 10?

Windows 10 comes with the Movies & TV app set as the default video player. With it, you can watch content from your collection, from rentals and purchases made on other Microsoft devices, or you can rent and buy new content.

You can change the default video player to any other video player app you prefer. For this, launch the Windows’ Settings’ app from the Start menu or by typing ‘settings’ in the Cortana search box. Next, select the ‘Apps’ option. From there, select ‘Default apps,’ click on ‘video player,’ when prompted, choose your preferred video player app.

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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