Alternatives to SMPlayer
mpv/mplayer front-end with youtube support
SMPlayer ranks #5 of 7 in Video players, with an Alt Score of 68. It is licensed under GPL-2.0, free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 8 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Windows and Linux users who want a full-featured video/audio player without hunting for separate codec packs, including anyone who watches a lot of local media files or YouTube and wants playback to pick up where they left off.
SMPlayer is a free, open-source front-end for the mpv and MPlayer engines with codecs for most audio/video formats (AVI, MP4, MKV, H.264, etc.) built in. It remembers per-file settings like playback position, volume, audio track, and subtitles, so videos resume where you stopped. It can play YouTube videos directly, download subtitles from OpenSubtitles, and offers audio/video filters, equalizer, and playback speed controls. Multiple skins and icon themes are available for customization.
Install SMPlayer and open a local video/audio file, a disc, or a YouTube URL; it uses mpv or MPlayer underneath to decode and play it. Playback state is saved automatically per file, and settings/filters can be adjusted through the GUI without touching a config file.
Why people leave SMPlayer
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 SMPlayer compares with its alternatives, feature by feature.
| Video players checklist | SMPlayer | VLC | mpv | IINA | Infuse | MPC-HC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 SMPlayer 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
SMPlayer is a free media player for Windows, Linux and Mac OS with built-in codecs
https://www.smplayer.info/downloads -
License GPL-2.0 verified 2026-07-10
Version 2, June 1991
https://github.com/smplayer-dev/smplayer/blob/master/Copying.txt -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux verified 2026-07-10
SMPlayer is a free media player for Windows, Linux and Mac OS with built-in codecs
https://www.smplayer.info/downloads -
Status active verified 2026-07-10
## [25.06] - 2025-06-08
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/smplayer-dev/smplayer/master/Release_notes.md -
Format support breadth Yes verified 2026-07-10
SMPlayer is a graphical user interface (GUI) for the award-winning MPlayer, which is capable of playing almost all known video and audio formats.
https://www.smplayer.info/en/frontend-for-mplayer -
Hardware decoding Yes verified 2026-07-10
Native support for VAAPI and VDA. Improved VDPAU
https://www.smplayer.info/en/mpv -
Subtitle handling Yes verified 2026-07-10
Just open a video, and then select the option 'Find subtitles on opensubtitles.org' within the Subtitles menu.
https://www.smplayer.info/en/faq -
Streaming (DLNA, network) Yes verified 2026-07-10
You can play YouTube videos at 1080p or even at 4K resolution with SMPlayer.
https://www.smplayer.info/en/faq -
Playback speed & A-B loop Partial verified 2026-07-10
Speed control confirmed; A-B loop not evidenced.
It's very easy to change the audio track, select subtitles, enable a video filter, change the playback speed...
https://www.smplayer.info/en/first-steps -
Casting support Yes verified 2026-07-10
Now you can send videos from SMPlayer to your Chromecast device, including local files from your computer and online streams like TV channels or videos from sites like YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vev
https://www.smplayer.info/en/new-features -
Open source Yes verified 2026-07-10
Version 2, June 1991
https://github.com/smplayer-dev/smplayer/blob/master/Copying.txt -
Library management No verified 2026-07-10
Playlist-based, not a media library.
The shuffle option in the playlist does shuffle the items of the playlist.
https://www.smplayer.info/en/changes
FAQ
Yes. VLC, mpv and IINA have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
VLC, mpv and IINA — every license claim links its source.