Cloud, Backup & PC
Best Media Player Software in 2026
Choosing a player depends on the media files you have and how you want to play them. Compared on format support, 4K playback and hardware acceleration, these options also differ on subtitle support, network playback and supported platforms.
- 01 VLC media player
VLC suits people who want one free player for files, discs and streams across desktop and mobile platforms.
Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS9.1 Visit Specs - 02 mpv
mpv suits people comfortable with a command-line-oriented player and a minimal on-screen controller.
Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux · Android9.1 Visit Specs - 03
Infuse Infuse suits Apple-device users who want to play local, network, cloud, or server-hosted video.
From $1.42/mo Free plan macOS · iOS9.1 Visit Specs - 04
KMPlayer KMPlayer suits people who want a player across desktop and mobile, with subtitle controls and broad listed format support.
Free plan Windows · macOS · iOS · Android9.0 Visit Specs - 05 foobar2000 Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS9.0 Visit Specs
- 06 Volumio
Volumio suits people who want to play music from network storage and control playback through a browser or mobile app.
Free plan Web · Linux · iOS · Android9.0 Visit Specs - 07 5KPlayer
It suits people looking for a free player with broad listed media-format support and wireless streaming options.
Free plan Windows · macOS · iOS8.8 Visit Specs - 08 QMPlay2
QMPlay2 suits people seeking a free desktop player for varied audio and video formats, including users who want network playback, subtitles, or hardware decoding.
Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux8.7 Visit Specs - 09
SMPlayer SMPlayer may suit people who want a free desktop player for common audio and video formats, including network playback and subtitles.
Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux8.6 Visit Specs - 10
MediaPortal MediaPortal suits Windows users who want a home theater PC with live TV, media library, and radio features.
Free plan Web · Windows · iOS · Android8.6 Visit Specs - 11 Music Player Daemon Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux · Android8.5 Visit Specs
- 12 Exaile Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux8.5 Visit Specs
- 13
Audirvāna Audirvāna suits listeners managing local collections who want format and network playback options.
From $6.67/mo Free trial Windows · macOS · Linux · iOS8.5 Visit Specs - 14 Haihaisoft Universal Player Free plan Web · Windows · macOS · iOS8.5 Visit Specs
- 15
AIMP AIMP suits listeners looking for a free player on Windows, Linux, or Android, especially those with varied audio or tracker formats.
Free plan Windows · Linux · Android8.4 Visit Specs - 16 GeeXboX Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux · Self-hosted8.4 Visit Specs
- 17 Zoom Player From $23.95/mo Free trial Windows · Android8.3 Visit Specs
- 18 OSMC Free plan Linux8.3 Visit Specs
- 19 Haruna Free plan Windows · Linux8.3 Visit Specs
- 20 Neutron Music Player Free trial Windows · iOS · Android8.3 Visit Specs
- 21 Fidelia From $29.99/mo Free plan macOS · iOS8.3 Visit Specs
- 22 OnlineTV From €2.50/mo Free trial Windows · macOS · Linux · Android8.3 Visit Specs
- 23 PLAYit From $0.83/mo Windows · iOS · Android8.2 Visit Specs
- 24
Quod Libet Quod Libet suits desktop listeners who want a configurable music library, broad format support and detailed tag editing.
Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux8.2 Visit Specs - 25 MPlayer
MPlayer suits people who want a free player with broad media, stream and subtitle support across several operating systems.
Free plan Windows · macOS · Linux8.1 Visit Specs
mpv, Infuse and VLC media player are among the names to weigh against your devices and playback needs. The listed license model, free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add context on how each is offered and what it costs. Consider whether compatibility, subtitles or playback over a network matters most for your setup, then use those criteria to compare the available options.