Best Video Player Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Infuse is ranked #1 of 42 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of mpv and Bitmovin Player. The best-ranked option with a free plan is mpv. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Infuse at $1.42/mo.
Your choice of video player can depend on the files you watch, your device and the playback controls you need. Compared on codec support, maximum resolution and hardware acceleration, the entries also cover subtitle formats, playback speed control and supported platforms. A portable version may matter if you use more than one setup. Infuse, mpv and Bitmovin Player are among the named options. Check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing, then weigh the published compatibility and playback details against your viewing habits.
42 video player software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Infuse Top pick · 7.7 Free plan · $1.42/mo
#2 mpv Runner-up · 7.5 Free plan · Free
#3 Bitmovin Player Also great · 7.2 - Free planFree trial iOSmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$1.42/mofirst paid tier About InfuseVisit site - Free plan AndroidapiLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatformsFree About mpvVisit site - Free trial AndroidapiiOSmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Mac, Windows, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android, Roku, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and web browsers
- Codec support
- H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP9, AAC, MP3
- Subtitle formats
- WebVTT, SRT, TTML/DFXP, CEA-608/708
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan iOSmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan macOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, BSD, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, QNX
- Codec support
- 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
- Subtitle formats
- MicroDVD, SubRip, OGM, SubViewer, Sami, VPlayer, RT, SSA, AQTitle, JACOsub, PJS, MPsub, SPU, VOBsub, Closed Captions
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan Android
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Android phones, tablets, and Android TV devices
- Codec support
- HEVC/H.265, Dolby Vision, AC3, DTS, DTS-HD, DTS:X, TrueHD, E-AC3 JOC
- Subtitle formats
- SRT, SUB, VOBSUB, PGS, SSA
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - AndroidiOSmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 22 one-time
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$22/mofirst paid tier About GOM PlayerVisit site - AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android
- Codec support
- MPEG-1, MPEG-2, H.263, MPEG-4 SP/ASP, H.264, H.265, HuffYUV, MJPEG, RealVideo, RMVB, Sorenson, WMV, Cinepak, AAC, MP3, AC3, DTS
- Subtitle formats
- SRT, VPlayer, SAMI, MPL2, MicroDVD, SSA/ASS, EIA-608/EIA-708, TX3G, WebVTT, VobSub, PGS, SUP
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Paid from
- 17.99 one-time
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$17.99/mofirst paid tier About Movist ProVisit site - WindowsiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, Android, iOS
- Subtitle formats
- SRT
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 19.99 one-time
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Codec support
- H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, H.261, H.263, H.264
- Subtitle formats
- SRT, ASS
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Codec support
- H.264/AVC, HEVC/H.265, AV1, VP8, VP9, AAC, MP3, Opus, FLAC
- Subtitle formats
- 3GPP Timed Text, DVB, DVD, SSA/ASS, SubRip (SRT), TTML, VobSub, WebVTT
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - LinuxWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- iOS, Android
- Codec support
- H.264, MP3, Opus, WebM, Ogg
- Subtitle formats
- SRT, VTT
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - macOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- macOS
- Codec support
- H.264, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG, VC-1, Xvid, H.266/VVC, AAC, AC-3, DTS, FLAC, MP3, Opus
- Subtitle formats
- ASS, SSA, IDX, JSS, RT, SMI, SMIL, SRT, SUB, TXT, UTF, VTT/WebVTT
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WebiOSAndroid
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 99 one-time
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - extensionmacOS
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Linux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Linux
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Hardware acceleration
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which video player software is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Infuse is ranked #1 of 42 with a score of 7.7. mpv is second and Bitmovin Player third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Infuse has the lowest first paid tier we found: $1.42/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.