Top 10 Best Free Video Players for PC

Liza Brown

Dec 05, 2020• Proven solutions

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

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

Top 10 Free Media Players for PC

• VLC Player
• GOM Player
• Pot Player
• Media Player Classic
• Kodi player
• KM player
• SM Player
• Media Monkey
• All Player
• Real Player

Filmora is a powerful video editing software that is compatible with both macOS and Windows operating systems.

Besides offering a plethora of video editing tools, you can use it to create green-screen videos, stabilize shaky footage captured with action cameras, or make the Picture-in-Picture effect, Filmora also lets you edit audio files with ease.

The built-in library of royalty-free music and audio effects enables you to create compelling soundtracks for each of your videos, while its Denoise feature helps you reduce background noise in audio files.

Download and use it to make your videos special now!

1. VLC:

VLC is maintaining its win-win position in the top video player list from the long past. It is not just good for it’s 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 are maintained by the community.

Supported File 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, AAC, DTS.

Pons

• 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:

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

Supported File Formats:

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

Pons

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

Cons

• Limited help feature.

3. Pot Player:

It 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 support all media files automatically and can also update codecs as per need.

Supported File Formats:

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

Pons

• 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 MPC but it serves as the biggest threat to VLC with its incredible features and open source design. It is capable enough to offer all VLC supported features but at a much smoother rate in an interactive manner. Further, it also extends support to external shaders and filters.

Supported File 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.

Pons

• 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!

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 will serve good only if you have a rich media browsing experience.

Supported File Formats:

Audio: MIDI, AIFF, AAC, DTS, APE, WavPack, WMA, MOD, NSF etc. Video: MPEG-1/2/4, RealVideo, WMV and H.265 etc.

Pons

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

Cons

• Complicated for beginners.

6. KM Player:

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

Supported File Formats:

Allows users to play UHD, 4K, 2K and 3D videos.

Pons

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

Cons

• Annoying adds.

7. SM Player:

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

Supported File Formats:

All popular media file formats like WMV, MP4, MKV, AVI, etc.

Pons

• 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 for you. The best thing to know about this software tool is that it can help you to get information about the album, artists, etc directly from the internet.

Supported File Formats:

It works with MP3, OGG, MPC, WMA, WAV, VQF, FLAC, APE, FLAC, etc.

Pons

• It allows iPod connectivity.
• 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. All Player:

There are so many amazing features hidden inside All Player and they are quite useful for beginners as well as professionals. You will definitely love to work with its voice recognition ability for subtitles.

Supported File Formats:

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

Pons

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

Cons

• Although its name is All Player, 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 to play music, watch videos and viewing photographs.

Supported File Formats:

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

Pons

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

Cons

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

Above all are the best free video players for Windows or Mac on the PC. Which free media player is your favorite? 

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, then 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 own 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. 

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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