Alternatives to mpv
Minimal scriptable player for enthusiasts
mpv ranks #2 of 7 in Video players, with an Alt Score of 78. It is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later, free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 8 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Command-line users and technically inclined video enthusiasts who want a fast, scriptable media player rather than a full-featured GUI application.
A free, open-source, cross-platform video and audio player with a minimal on-screen interface and high-quality rendering via OpenGL, Vulkan, or D3D11, including HDR, color management, and interpolation. It supports a wide range of formats, codecs, and subtitle types, plus hardware-accelerated decoding. It's scriptable (Lua/JavaScript/C plugins) and can be embedded as a library via its C API for use in other applications.
You launch mpv from the command line (or a file manager association) pointing at a local file, disc, or streaming URL, and control playback with keyboard shortcuts or a small on-screen overlay. Behavior and features can be extended through config files, scripts, and third-party user scripts.
Where mpv stands out
Verified capabilities most alternatives don't have.
Why people leave mpv
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
How mpv compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Video players checklist | mpv | VLC | IINA | Infuse | MPC-HC | SMPlayer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
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| Hardware decoding | ||||||
| Subtitle handling | ||||||
| Streaming (DLNA, network) | ||||||
| Playback speed & A-B loop | ||||||
| Plugins / scripting | ||||||
| Casting support | ||||||
| Open source | ||||||
| No ads or upsells | ||||||
| Library management |
Every fact and feature listed for mpv is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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Pricing model Free verified 2026-07-10
**mpv** is a free (as in freedom) media player for the command line.
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/blob/master/README.md -
License GPL-2.0-or-later verified 2026-07-10
mpv as a whole is licensed under the GNU General Public License GPL version 2 or later (called GPLv2+ in this document, see LICENSE.GPL for full license text) by default.
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/blob/master/Copyright -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-10
A not too ancient Linux (usually, only the latest releases of distributions are actively supported), Windows 10 1607 or later, or macOS 10.15 or later.
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/blob/master/README.md -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
sfan5 released this 21 Dec 19:17
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/releases/tag/v0.41.0 -
Format support breadth Yes verified 2026-07-10
It supports a wide variety of media file formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types.
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/blob/master/README.md -
Hardware decoding Yes verified 2026-07-10
Ctrl+h Toggle hardware video decoding on/off.
https://mpv.io/manual/master/ -
Subtitle handling Yes verified 2026-07-10
--sub-visibility=<yes|no> Can be used to disable display of subtitles, but still select and decode them.
https://mpv.io/manual/master/ -
Streaming (DLNA, network) Partial verified 2026-07-10
Network protocols yes; no native DLNA.
Many network protocols are supported, but the protocol prefix must always be specified.
https://mpv.io/manual/master/ -
Playback speed & A-B loop Yes verified 2026-07-10
--speed=<0.01-100> Slow down or speed up playback by the factor given as parameter.
https://mpv.io/manual/master/ -
Plugins / scripting Yes verified 2026-07-10
enhance" the CLI player. Scripts get access to the entire client API of mpv."
As a user script (LUA SCRIPTING, JAVASCRIPT, C PLUGINS). This is recommended when the goal is to
https://mpv.io/manual/master/ -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-10
mpv as a whole is licensed under the GNU General Public License GPL version 2 or later
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/blob/master/Copyright -
No ads or upsells Yes verified 2026-07-10
**mpv** is a free (as in freedom) media player for the command line.
https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/blob/master/README.md
FAQ
Yes. VLC, IINA and Infuse have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
VLC, IINA and MPC-HC — every license claim links its source.