12 Best MP4 Players for Windows and Mac

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Edited by Ben Jacklin
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If you edit or work with video for work or for pleasure, you have likely come across a situation where you are looking for a high-quality video player to view videos. It can be difficult to search for the best MP4 player for Windows 10 or another OS due to the vast amount of players available on the internet. Often, you will then settle for one player, but there will still be some uncertainty about whether you are using the best media player software for you.

Luckily, there is no more need to worry. After some thorough searching, we have gathered the best MP4 players for Windows and the top-rated MP4 players for Macs. We are confident that the following list of MP4 players will suit your needs – whether you work with a PC or Mac.

As always, the following lists of paid and free MP4 players are not ranked based on preference or quality. Rather, they are collections of the best MP4 players that we have selected based on reviews and ratings.

Software

OS

License

Windows 95/98/Me (older version), Windows XP – Windows 10, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS

Free

Windows Vista or later, Android, iOS

Free

Windows 7 and Vista, Mac

Free

Show more

Here’s what Movavi Content Team does to provide you with only verified information:

  • When selecting products to include in our reviews, we research both demand and popularity.

  • All the products covered in this article have been tested by our team.

  • When testing, we compare key characteristics, including supported input and output formats, quality loss when converting, and other significant features.

  • We study user reviews from popular review platforms and make use of this information when writing our product reviews.

  • We collect feedback from our users and analyze their opinions of Movavi software as well as products from other companies.

MP4 players for Windows and Mac: The freeware

VLC Media Player by VideoLAN

VLC Media Player was created by VideoLAN, which is a nonprofit organization. It is open-source software for nearly all operating systems, including Windows 8, 10, and other versions, MacOS X, Linux, Android, and iOS. It has both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. VLC Media Player prides itself on its versatility and ease of use. It can play almost everything – including files, webcams, and streams. Some of its input formats include MP4, MPEG, AVI, MPEG-2, M4B, 3GP, and Real. VLC Media Player also has a wealth of features like subtitle synchronization, video filters, and audio filters. Finally, VLC Media Player does not include any spyware, ads, or user tracking.

Pros:

  • Free version includes all features and no ads

  • Can open almost any file format, including obscure ones

  • Various additional tools, including filters

Cons:

  • Open-source nature of the program means the user interface can be confusing

KMPlayer – an MP4 video player

KMPlayer is a video player that is available for Windows, macOS X, Android, and iOS. Released in 2016, KMPlayer serves users in over 150 countries. KMPlayer has a bevy of features for users, including the ability to watch videos in high resolution, video and screen capture options, internal codecs, and support in over 24 languages. Ultimately, users can control all aspects of video, sound, and subtitles. KMPlayer’s mobile application allows for similar features, including playbook speed control and the ability to watch videos through an easy encoding process.

Pros:

  • Available on mobile devices as well as desktops

  • Easy to navigate

Cons:

  • “VIP Features” require payment

Apple's QuickTime MP4 Player

Apple’s QuickTime Player is a longstanding MP4 player. It is available for various editions of both MacOS X and Windows. As you can see on this page, you have a wealth of QuickTime Player editions to choose from. QuickTime Player provides a wealth of features to users, like easy-to-use playback controls, simple editing features like trimming, splitting, and flipping/rotating, and the ability to easily share the videos that you love. Apple provides a wealth of documentation on QuickTime Player in case that users have questions on getting the most out of this MP4 player.

Pros:

  • Available on a Windows PC and Mac

  • Extensive user guides available

  • Basic editing tools

Cons:

  • Can’t read more obscure files

Media Player Classic (MPC-HC) – an open-source MP4 player

Media Player Classic (also known as MPC-HC) is an open-source MP4 player. MPC-HC is most known for its lightweight nature. It’s small enough to be used even on old and weak laptops. It claims that users can watch movies on any SSE2 CPU. MPC-HC also offers a fairly comprehensive frequently asked questions page to answer most questions about using this MP4 player. That said, there are some downfalls – most notably, that MPC-HC is only available on Windows devices. Also, although the app is still downloadable, the support for the player has stopped in 2017.

Pros:

  • Small app size means even older devices can run it

  • Detailed FAQ page on the website

Cons:

  • Unavailable on a Mac and Linux

  • App support ended in 2017

RealPlayer – a video-playing software for Windows

RealPlayer is an MP4 player that is available on Windows. With over 1,000,000,000 downloads in its history, RealPlayer is one of the most used MP4 players. Users can access features like the ability to download web videos, convert web videos to formats like MP3, and require a PIN to access their private videos. You are also able to stream HD videos to your television by using hardware like Xbox One, Roku, or Chromecast. If you have a Mac, you can use RealTimes to create video stories from your photo library.

Pros:

  • Extremely popular, with more than 1 billion lifetime downloads

  • Can password-lock videos

  • Stream content to a smart TV or Xbox One

Cons:

  • Interface is dated

GOM Player – a video player from GOM lab

This video playing software is produced by GOM lab – a Korean company. The name of the company is a short version of Gretech Online Movie Player. Also, “gom” in Korean means “bear”, and this is why the icon of the player has a bear’s paw on it. The program itself has a clear interface and some features other programs lack. For example, you can install the mobile app called GOM Remote to your smartphone and use it as a remote while watching videos. Convenient, isn’t it?

Pros:

  • Extensive library of subtitles that you can add to downloaded videos

  • Use mobile app as a remote while watching videos on the desktop app

Cons:

  • Some features restricted to the paid version

PotPlayer – an MP4 player by Kakao

PotPlayer is a comparatively recent addition to the media players’ family. Also developed by a South Korean company (Kakao), the player is extremely light-weight, allows you to fix some problems of the video (for example, if the audio is not properly synchronized with the video), and even gives you some video editing options. PotPlayer supports more file formats than many other players previously mentioned in this list, which makes it a great alternative to any of them.

Pros:

  • Fix desynchronized audio

  • Supports almost all file formats

Cons:

  • Only available on Windows

MP4 players for Windows and Mac: The paid software

Elmedia – a video-playing software

Elmedia is a video player that plays almost any file that you have, including MP4, FLV, MOV, and DAT files. Some highlights of using Elmedia include multiple audio tracks in any video, the ability to fit a video or image to your screen, and easily-adjusted playback speed. Elmedia has received a 4.5 rating in the Apple iTunes store and is available for $9.99.

Pros:

  • Not restricted to a single audio track in a video file

  • Adjust the speed of video playback

Cons:

  • Only available on the App Store

Cisdem MP4 Video Player – a video-playing software for Mac

Cisdem MP4 Video Player is a video player for Mac. Like other video players, you can play video and audio files (including MP4 files) with no necessary codec packs. It can play high-quality video files (like 4K, 5K, and 1080p videos) without crashing or buffering. Cisdem MP4 Video Player is easy to use and offers several helpful tutorials. You can purchase one lifetime license of Cisdem MP4 Video Player for Mac for $9.99.

Pros:

  • Play ultra-high-quality, 5K videos

  • Tutorials available to show you the ropes

Cons:

  • Only available on a Mac

DivX Player for Windows and Mac

DivX Player is another MP4 player that is available on both Windows and Mac devices. Like RealPlayer, DivX is heavily used. DivX Player is playing on more than one billion devices. With the DivX Player, users can watch their videos in extremely high quality and can convert videos into a variety of forms, including MP4, MKV, and HEVC. You can also use DivX Player to stream any video to devices like gaming consoles, tablets, or Chromecast. While you can download a free version of the player, DivX Player also offers a pro version, which is ad-free and includes additional features. You can purchase the pro version for a one-time cost of $19.99.

Pros:

  • Available on both Windows and Mac computers

  • Stream videos to other devices

  • Free version available

Cons:

  • Some features only available in the paid, pro version

Emby Premiere – a personal media server platform

Emby Premiere is another premium MP4 player. It is somewhat more technical than the other players on this list. Emby itself is a Personal Media Server platform, which means that you need to have your own server installed and your own media to view. However, by purchasing Emby Premiere, you can access an array of unique features for an MP4 player, including accessing free Emby apps, using Emby’s DVR feature, and downloading multimedia to smartphones (specifically Android, iOS, and Windows devices) and viewing them at your convenience. There are several Emby Premiere licenses that you can purchase, including a monthly license that costs $4.99 per month.

Pros:

  • Download files to your mobile device

  • Various unique features not present in other programs

Cons:

  • Program is a Personal Media Server platform which requires an installed server to run

Tune-Up – an MP4 video player

Finally, Tune-Up is another MP4 player, yet it is focused on organizing and transforming your digital music collection. Tune-Up integrates with your iTunes or Windows Media Player library to organize your music collection. It can even help you find missing cover art so that your music collection looks beautiful on your computer. While you can download a free trial of Tune-Up, the software requires an annual subscription of $39.95.

Pros:

  • Syncs with iTunes or Windows Media Player for organizing music files

  • Locate missing cover art

Cons:

  • Annual subscription required

How to playback MP4 files: solving format issues

The MP4 players above, whether free or not, will undoubtedly suit your needs. There are many high-quality MP4 players on the internet. That said, you may have some specific questions on how to get the most out of your MP4 player. For instance, you may have a video file and want to convert it from one format to another but may not necessarily know how to do so.

Luckily, this is a fairly easy task. To illustrate how easy it is, we would like to show you how to convert your files using Movavi Video Converter. Movavi Video Converter is our easy-to-use software that allows for the lightning-fast conversion of any video, photo, or digital media files.

  1. Add the file to the program. Simply drag it into the working area within Movavi Video Converter.
  2. Select the output format. It can be AVI, MOV, or something else.
  3. Click Convert. In a moment, your file will be converted automatically.

This simple, three-step process makes it easy and seamless to convert any file that you have into something else.

If you want to know more about converting video and audio files with Movavi, check out our full guide in this article.

File conversion is just one of the many features included in Movavi Video Converter. You can also easily edit your clips and add high-quality effects to make your videos beautiful. You can download the software for free, and we are certain that you will be satisfied with your experience.

Pros:

  • Use AI to increase the quality of your video

  • Available on both Windows and Mac devices

  • Conversion tools available

Cons:

  • Unable to play files from the web

Frequently asked questions

▶️ What is in an MP4 file?

MP4 is the most commonly used video file format. It stands for MPEG-4 Part 14. The format is popular because it uses the H.264 compression standard, which means good-quality video that takes up less space than if you would use any other video format. MP4 is supported by the majority of websites and devices.

▶️ Can Windows Media Player play MP4?

Yes, it can. If you have issues opening MP4 files with Windows Media Player, try installing suitable codecs or converting the videos to a different format.

▶️ Why can't I play MP4 videos on my computer?

There are many reasons why an MP4 video is not playing. It may be the lack of plugins or codecs to read this file type, your device lacking proper soft, or the file itself being damaged. To learn more about the issue, read the article below:

▶️ How do I fix an MP4 file that won't play?

There are two main ways to fix an MP4 file that’s not playing. First, the file may be damaged. You can use VLC or another tool to fix it. Second, if the file is fine, you can convert it to another format to solve compatibility issues.

▶️ What program do I need to play MP4 videos?

You can choose from a variety of MP4 viewers, including built-in players (Windows Media Player for Microsoft Windows, QuickTime for Mac, etc.), freeware options (VLC, Media Player Classic), and paid readers (Elmedia, Cisdem).

▶️ What is the best MP4 player for Windows?

It depends on what you expect from the software. Here are several options you can choose from:

  • VLC

  • KMPlayer

  • Windows Media Player

  • Media Player Classic

  • GOM Player

▶️ How do I play an MP4 file on Windows 10?

Usually, all you need to do is to double-click the file on your desktop. If this doesn’t work, follow the instructions below:

  1. Right-click the file.

  2. Hover over Open with, then click Choose another app.

  3. Select a compatible app from the list. The default options are Windows Media Player and Movies & TV.

  4. Click OK to confirm your choice. Your computer will open the file with the selected player. And, from now on, when you double-click an MP4 file, the PC will use the selected app to open it.

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