The OTT Platforms and media streaming scene is quite alive in 2024, but media players are still essential apps for every PC. While most media players can play videos, it’s important you have a seamless experience. Wondering which one to go for? We’ve compiled a list of our picks for the best media players for Windows 10/11 systems.

There are a wide range of video formats that prioritize efficiency or quality, and not every media player can handle all file types. Hence, an ideal app shouldn’t let you worry about such technicalities. Our picks of the best media players check all, if not most boxes.

The media players in this list are powerful and compatible with several file formats. Consequently, you can rely on this list to have the best watching experience on your system.

Note: Apps mentioned in this list aren’t in any order of preference.

1. PotPlayer

Developed by the South Korean company Kakao, the feature-packed video player for PC could give VLC a run for its money. Despite being less-known initially, PotPlayer has gained great popularity in the last few years.

PotPlayer offers a wide range of customization options that allow you to personalize the software. Using techniques like CUDA, QuickSync, and DXVA, PotPlayer can deliver maximum performance and a lightweight experience. That’s why PotPlayer is the second-best media player on the list.

Compared to VLC, PotPlayer might be less popular, but it might support even more file types. It’s a great player for MP4/FLV/AVI/MKV files, which are very common, and it can even play 4K HDR files efficiently. You can choose between sound cards, bookmark your favorite scenes and preview them, and a lot more.

The video player for PC can also play 3D videos and supports various types of 3D glasses. In addition, It comes with lots of built-in keyboard shortcuts and hotkeys. But what makes VLC more popular than PotPlayer?

The long list of features and settings for most users might be just too much. Also, PotPlayer is limited to Windows. Overall, PotPlayer is one of the best media players right now that can play anything you throw at it.

Why should you use PotPlayer?

• Attractive interface
• Better audio performance
• Tons of customization options

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

2. VLC Media Player

Given the plethora of features, custom skins, and helpful customization options it comes with, VLC certainly deserves mention among the best media players of 2024. It has maintained its name in the popularity charts for years now.

VLC Media Player is a free media player available for all popular platforms. Created by the VideoLAN project, VLC supports many audio and video compression methods and file formats. Over the years, it has earned the reputation of being the “play everything” video player, including 3D videos. Not to mention, you can take screenshots of your desktop as well. However, it struggles with high-resolution video files at times, but is definitely ahead of several others in the competiton.

It is one of the best PC media players due to its fast and straightforward nature that doesn’t involve any painstaking steps. Besides playing local content, you can also use VLC to stream content from online sites like YouTube. Intrigued how? Read our detailed articles on amazing VLC tips and tricks.

This amazing Windows Media Player alternative also receives frequent updates and has a large user community. It runs on all Windows versions, from Windows 11 to Windows XP SP3. This free movie player keeps receiving new features and updates from time to time.

Why should you use VLC?

• Free and open source
• Plays almost anything
• Available on almost all platforms

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

However, if you are an iPhone user, you can check out our list of best video players for iPhone that you can use in 2024 here!

3. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is another great and free Windows 10/11 media player that can play almost all mainstream video and audio files. You can add external codecs to boost compatibility. It comes with 3D, 4K, and UHD support has a 64-bit version, and can play videos in up to 8K 60fps on PCs with capable hardware.

KMPlayer is also known for its wide range of support for formats. Users have lots of choices of audio and video effects, which makes sure that they don’t have a dearth of any features or support. Despite tough competition, KMPlayer maintains a decent user base, and would not disappoint you.

You can choose the parts of videos as favorites, make them repeat, remap the keys for the remote interface, etc. You also edit video subtitles inside the KMPlayer. First released in 2002, KMPlayer free media player was acquired by Korean streaming company Pandora TV in 2007.

Why should you use KMPlayer?

• Robust media organization
• Highly customizable
• KMP Connect feature

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

4. Windows Media Player

Microsoft added the Windows Media Player in Windows 11 release. It replaces Groove Music and can play both movies and music. When it comes to customizations and features, it’s nowhere near VLC or Kodi, but for basic things like watching movies or listening to music, it’s pretty good.

You get the option to speed up videos, a built-in casting option, an equalizer, and a skip previous and forward menu. That’s pretty much it. The UI complies with Windows 11’s new UI standard, and the overall design of the player looks pretty refreshing.

Microsoft’s legacy Windows Media Player was left untouched for quite a long time, but the new refresh is promising. With a minimal interface, it can play most videos supported video formats easily, and wouldn’t let you down if you don’t want advanced features.

Why should you use Windows Media Player?

• Supports various video formats
• Offers a minimal user interface

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10

5. Media Player Classic – Black Edition

Further, Media Player Classic – Black Edition is an MPC fork that’s still continuing the legacy of the defunct Windows 10 media player. MPC-BE is also based on the discontinued MPC – Home Cinema edition that was previously on our list.

Anyway, MPC-BE is a lightweight yet powerful video player for Windows 10 and older versions. It carries a dark-themed UI with a slight resemblance to the look and feel of Windows Media Player.

The open-source media player first arrived in 2012; it has got support for hardware decoding, deinterlacing, timely software updates, and supports a wide variety of audio and video formats.

Among other features, MPC-BE has inbuilt subtitle search, seek bar previews, and you can customize everything from its logo, window, and video color correction, etc. Moreover, it can be used via Windows Command Prompt and includes inbuilt support for the youtube-dl to fetch content from the video-sharing site.

Why should you use MPC-BE?

• Extensive customization options
• Works via command line
• Lightweight software

6. GOM Media Player

GOM Player, or Gretech Online Movie Player, is a completely free Windows media player alternative with inbuilt support for the most popular video and audio formats. That means it can play all the most popular video formats like AVI, MKV, MP4, FLV, MOV, etc.

It has all the basic functionalities that come loaded with other popular PC media players. But GOM Player comes with lots of advanced features like A-B repeat, Media Player Capture, speed control, audio/video effects, screen capture, etc. Moreover, it gives you a choice to change skins and make the whole look of GOM Player highly customized.

Using GOM’s own library, you can download lots of subtitles to enjoy movies and TV shows in your preferred language. You can also link this awesome media player for Windows 10 with the vast database of OpenSubtitles.org.

It could be possible that this media player software might not support some uncommon types right away. For those scenarios, GOM Player’s Codec Finder service will let you search for the missing codec. GOM Player for Windows supports a wide range of operating systems, ranging from Windows 10 to Windows XP SP3.

Why should you use GOM Player?

• Codec and subtitle finder
• Clean and colorful interface

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7

7. DivX Player

The next entry on our list of best media players in 2024 for Windows 10 is DivX Player. It calls itself the first of its kind media player that offers free HEVC playback. It goes without saying that the DivX player is optimized for playing video files in the most popular formats like MP4, MKV, DivX, and AVI.

You can also enjoy UltraHD (4K) playback with this popular and useful media player. DivX also acts as a streaming media player that lets you stream music, video, and photos to any DLNA-compatible device.

Furthermore, the DivX player comes with advanced features like Trick Play, which lets you jump to your favorite scenes easily. With the support of Chapter Points, you can simply play different scenes.

Its smart media library keeps track of the private as well as purchased video content. The support for multiple audio means that you can switch among different soundtracks without hassle. With its Resume Play feature, you can jump to the point where you left off.

Why should you use DivX player?

• Full of features
• “DivX To Go” feature
• DLNA streaming support is great

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

8. Kodi

Kodi, formerly called XBMC, is another free and open-source media player on our list. It’s a highly customizable media player that you can use on your laptop or desktop to get a media center-like experience. Just in case you’re missing Windows Media Center on Windows 10, Kodi is a great alternative.

Kodi is a powerful contender for the top media player for streaming and is even better if you’re using it with an external, larger display because of its 10-foot user interface. In the recent past, Kodi has been in the headlines due to pre-loaded Kodi boxes and add-ons that support piracy.

Kodi plays almost all popular video and music formats, podcasts, and other digital media stored locally or on the internet. Initially, Kodi was developed independently and called Xbox Media Center for the 1st gen Xbox gaming console. Likewise, this recommended media player also has plug-ins to expand its features and include functionalities like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Veoh, etc. Above all, Kodi is an open-source software developed by a global community of unpaid volunteers.

Why should you use Kodi?

• Media center experience
• Content streaming
• TV interface

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP

9. Plex

Next up, Plex lets you easily take care of your large media collection, which can include anything like videos, TV shows, movies, photos, personal videos, music, etc. It organizes your collections and makes them look great. With its easy-share nature, you can pick and choose what to make public and give your family access.

However, the app’s highlight is the ad-supported free streaming service that offers free movies and TV shows from major studios such as Warner Bros, Lionsgate, MGM, etc.

Apart from that, this contender for the best video player for PC supports almost all file types, including Hi-Fi music and video formats. As it’s Chromecast supported, you can cast the videos on your larger TV screen.

Furthermore, you can also use the Plex app on your phone or tablet to take control of your player. Use this app to streamline your video content library and get the advantage of a feature-rich video media player as well.

Why should you use Plex?

• Media management
• Takes care of metadata
• Most platforms are supported

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7

10. 5KPlayer

Another app is 5KPlayer for Windows 10 media player which is worth mentioning on the list. As the name might suggest, it is a top-rated video player for Windows 10 as it’s extremely compatible with various video codecs and formats. While it may not be as powerful as VLC or PotPlayer, it can play popular audio/video files without external plugins.

The user interface of the app is very clean and simple. It’s also known for its more streaming options. Moreover, it also lets you import videos and music from websites like YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, MTV, etc. It’s compatible with common formats like MP4, MOV, M4V, MP3, AAC, etc.

Why should you use 5KPlayer?

• Built-in AirPlay support
• Video downloader for many video sites

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7

11. MediaMonkey

If keeping your media organized is your primary goal then, then this freemium software could be a considerable choice among various free media players for Windows 10. The player is also known as MMW which is short for MediaMonkey for Windows.

Just like other notable movie players, MediaMonkey for Windows PC comes with the ability to extend the functionality with the help of plugins. Likewise, you can use them to make the look of the player more appealing, enhance device support and playback, and newer music discovery features. The player comes with party mode and can sync with Android and iOS devices.

Why should you use MediaMonkey?

• Intelligent file tagging
• Heavily configurable

Supported Platforms: Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7

Honorable Mention: MPC-HC

Finally, apart from these, we would like to name Media Player Classic (known as MPC-HC) as a special mention. The free media player for Windows 10/11 was earlier on this list, but its development has now been discontinued. You can still use MPC-HC on your Windows system, but don’t go around expecting any updates or bug fixes.

There are tons of software available for the Windows platform; hence, choosing the right one for your computer isn’t an easy task. With the increasing number of newer media formats, not all free media players can run all popular file formats like MKV, FLV, AVI, MP4, MOV, etc.

Apart from being feature-rich software, a great media player also needs to be simple, intuitive, and lightweight. If we consider these factors, we can recommend a good video player for PC like VLC, GOM, Media Player Classic, etc. But, what about their features?

Moreover, 4K UHD videos with HDR support are emerging, and every user should be able to play UHD HDR videos without looking for solutions about their media player not supporting it. Hence, an ideal media player app should relentlessly play anything that you throw at it.

So, which free media player is best in your eyes? Which one do you use to enjoy movies and other media content? Don’t forget to share your views and become a part of the discussion.

FAQ