Trying to choose a media player app is similar deciding on a web browser: conflicting opinions abound, everyone wants to convert yous to "their" app of selection, and it's piece of cake to drown below all the different options out in that location.

The good news? Worthwhile media player apps always ascension to the superlative as they distinguish themselves, and for the most part, it doesn't matter which one you choose. The best media histrion for you lot is the one you most enjoy using.

There are many costless media players for Windows x, offering a multifariousness of tools, options, and support for different video formats. If you're struggling to figure out the best option, here are the best free media players available for Windows 10.

i. VLC Media Histrion

VLC Media Player is the about popular media histrion in the world. If you await on a site similar AlternativeTo, y'all'll run across that VLC ranks upwards peak with over 6,000 Likes. VLC is clearly the male monarch. But is it right for yous? Maybe, maybe not.

VLC is complex and powerful. "All-in-1 solution" describes it all-time, and yous can practise a lot with information technology, particularly with all of the advanced settings and options to tweak. The downside? VLC verges on "bloated" condition and may not offering the best performance on older, slower hardware.

But if y'all hate tinkering and but want a media player that'southward free and works right out of the box, VLC is the answer. Information technology tin can stream video URLs in existent-fourth dimension, and it can play all standard media types, including CDs, DVDs, and nigh popular video formats similar MP4, AVI, and MKV. No need to download, install, and fiddle with codecs.

All in all, we empathize why VLC ranks as one of the almost pop GitHub projects to date. Considering information technology'south been in agile evolution since 2001, information technology's rubber to say that VLC won't be going anywhere any time soon.

For all of this, VLC keeps its spot on our list of all-time Windows software.

Summary of benefits and notable features:

  • Supports near media codecs out of the box.
  • Supports playback from files, discs, external devices, webcams.
  • Supports online streaming with about mainstream protocols.
  • Hardware acceleration for fast GPU playback.
  • Customize advent with the VLC Skin Editor.
  • Bachelor on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Download: VLC Media Role player (Free)

2. PotPlayer

PotPlayer is a media role player app from Republic of korea. If VLC didn't have such a strong make identity, PotPlayer would probably stand in its place as the king of the complimentary media players.

VLC and PotPlayer share a lot in common, notably that they both serve as easy all-in-one media players for users who just want an out-of-the-box solution. Just unlike VLC, which can run into trouble when dealing with larger files or cut-edge video formats, PotPlayer always works.

If you want to tweak options and customize them to your liking, PotPlayer lets yous. In fact, y'all'll find it packed with more settings than even VLC and lots of advanced features similar scene previews, bookmarks, clip recording, and more. And best of all, it uses fewer resources than VLC.

Most users probably won't care, but you should know that PotPlayer is free but proprietary software (i.due east., not open source). Regardless, it's a smashing costless media actor for Windows ten.

Summary of benefits and notable features:

  • Detailed interface that shows a lot without existence chaotic.
  • Supports about media codecs out of the box.
  • Supports playback from files, discs, external devices.
  • Supports online streaming with almost mainstream protocols.
  • Better handling of large files (Blu-ray) and cutting-edge formats.
  • Available on Windows simply.

Download: Daum PotPlayer (Free)

If you like the thought of PotPlayer and other portable apps, have a await at this list of the best portable apps that require no installation.

3. Media Histrion Classic

Media Player Classic is 1 of those apps that tin can stir up nostalgia and transport you downwardly memory lane.

Released back in 2003, it was the favored alternative to Windows Media Actor back during the Windows XP days. It stalled evolution in 2006 and has since forked into two separate projects: Home Cinema (MPC-HC) and Blackness Edition (MPC-Be).

Dwelling Cinema is the meliorate choice for everyday users, aiming to remain every bit lightweight every bit possible while supporting the latest standards and video formats. Black Edition is the superpowered version with more features, improvements, and enhancements, simply it isn't as simple to use.

The Home Cinema version is what y'all see in the above screenshot, illustrating its basic nonetheless effective (and familiar!) layout.

And that's really the biggest selling bespeak of Media Player Archetype: fast operation, low resource usage, pocket-sized installation size—truly lightweight in every style. It handles near formats without event, and it supports some advanced features similar subtitle downloads, video capture, and integration with Skype.

Media Player Classic is the largest open-source alternative to VLC. If you don't like how much bloat VLC took on over the past few years, and if you don't similar PotPlayer'southward closed-source evolution, so this is the gratis Windows 10 media player for you.

Unfortunately, MPC-HC was discontinued in July 2017, just it still works well and is worth using.

Summary of benefits and notable features:

  • Intuitive and piece of cake-to-use interface.
  • Supports nigh media codecs out of the box.
  • Supports playback from files, discs, external devices.
  • Extremely lightweight, which means not bad performance on old machines.
  • Avant-garde features similar subtitle downloads and Skype integration.
  • Available on Windows just.

Download: Media Player Classic (Free)

4. ACG Thespian

Now that we've got the "Big Three" out of the way, I desire to highlight this gem of a video player that'southward in the Microsoft Store. It's called ACG Player, and it's tragically underrated. If you idea Media Player Classic was lightweight, this volition blow you away.

The first matter you'll discover is the simplified interface and touch-based controls. Tap the top half for Play/Pause, or tap the lesser half to toggle the controls. Swipe left-correct to rewind and fast-forward, swipe upward-downwards for book. Obviously, this app was designed for Windows 10 tablets, but keyboard shortcut alternatives exist too.

Advanced features include gesture customizations, multiple window fashion, playlist management, online stream playback, and the ability to tweak subtitle appearances and animations. You lot can as well opt for Ax-Low-cal Video Player, which is a faster version with some of the features cutting out.

ACG Actor does feature in-app ads and includes an in-app buy you can use to remove them. Even so, they're non intrusive, displaying when y'all break a video. It doesn't detract from your video watching feel at all.

Summary of benefits and notable features:

  • Simple, gesture-based interface. Slap-up for tablets!
  • Supports near media codecs out of the box.
  • Supports playback from files, discs, external devices.
  • Lightweight and barebones design.
  • Available on Windows only.

Download: ACG Player (Free)

5. MPV

In MPV, we have another free media player for Windows ten, which too happens to be an open-source, cross-platform contender to VLC. This particular project is a fork of both MPlayer and mplayer2, keeping the good bits of those, throwing out the junk, and introducing a whole lot more than goodies.

The first thing that stands out is the lack of a traditional user interface. It's a pure video thespian with minimal controls overlaid at the bottom, and it'south mostly controlled using mouse movements. Dandy and convenient for touchscreen devices.

Between MPV and VLC, MPV is definitely harder to use if y'all want to do anything more than than just lookout stuff. It's generally more efficient and less demanding resource-wise, merely things like fiddling with subtitles or streaming to Chromecast can be a pain.

Overall, it has a bit of a niche appeal, but it's certainly worth giving a endeavor. What practice you have to lose?

Summary of benefits and notable features:

  • Minimal, mouse-based user interface.
  • Supports nearly media codecs out of the box.
  • Excellent video quality, fifty-fifty when scaling.
  • Lightweight and efficient video playback.
  • Available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android.

Download: MPV (Free)

six. 5KPlayer

Wrapping the list up is 5KPlayer, a fully-featured, ad-supported media player for Windows x.

It'south a comprehensive media thespian that supports a huge range of video formats, including 360-degree video and fifty-fifty 8K. Handily, 5KPlayer supports AirPlay and DLNA out of the box, assuasive you to stream video with almost null loss of quality. Yous tin too stream video directly from YouTube into 5KPlayer, making it easier to manage YouTube videos on the go.

The 5KPlayer interface is piece of cake to employ, fifty-fifty including options to rotate your video through 90-degrees left or right.

Regarding the in-app ads, as with other free media players, they're don't pop-up and wreck your viewing experience. Nonetheless, they practise occasionally appear when you're trying to click on something else, similar a specific setting. Overall, though, the ad-back up media role player is a keen choice for Windows 10 users.

Summary of benefits and notable features:

  • 4K, 8K, and 360-caste video playback.
  • Easy to use interface.
  • Stream live video, with support for YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and others.
  • Support for AirPlay and DLNA.

Download: 5KPlayer (Free)

Not happy with the current ingather of media players? Windows 10 has such an assortment of excellent free media players available, and information technology isn't easy choosing the best option of all. For many people, VLC is the go-to option, fifty-fifty if it is a niggling bloated. You can nevertheless drib and elevate almost any file into the VLC, and it'll work the offset time without any hassle.

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Nigh The Writer

Gavin Phillips (1018 Manufactures Published)

Gavin is the Junior Editor for Engineering science Explained, a regular contributor to the Really Useful Podcast, and a frequent product reviewer. He has a degree in Contemporary Writing pillaged from the hills of Devon, and more than than a decade of professional writing experience. He enjoys copious amounts of tea, board games, and football game.

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