VLC is a free, open-source, and cross-platform media player that has gained immense popularity among users. It is known for its ability to play almost any type of video or audio file, as well as its user-friendly interface.
The application once ruled the media player market for PCs. However, in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of limitations with the program and Mac users are increasingly looking for VLC alternatives for Mac.
One of the most prevalent drawbacks is that VLC crashes without warning. This often happens when users are trying to play a new video format that has not been added to the player’s database.
Additionally, VLC is not able to play broken files or files that are incomplete. This can be a major inconvenience, especially when users have downloaded a large file and it is not able to play correctly.
Fortunately, many excellent VLC alternatives for Mac offer features that VLC lacks. The following is a list of the best VLC alternatives for Mac.
Best VLC Alternatives For Mac
1. Elmedia Player
Elmedia Player is a versatile media player for Mac users that offers a lot of features and options.
For starters, it can do a lot of the things that VLC can do such as playing a wide variety of audio and video file formats.
However, Elmedia Player also has some features that are missing in VLC such as easy DLNA and AirPlay support.
There is also the ability to download subtitles for movies, and it even supports Chromecast.
It also supports playback of all popular video formats out of the box without any additional codecs or plugins needed, and can also handle most audio files.
Elmedia Player includes some handy extra features, such as the ability to download videos from YouTube and other websites.
There is a more convenient feel to its layout than VLC. The way its menu is set up is much more organized and user-friendly.
Overall, Elmedia Player is a great all-around media player that should be able to handle all of your video and audio needs.
Other features include:
- Streaming to Chromecast, Smart TVs, and other compatible devices
- Viewing an ad-free version of YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion
- Customization options for color themes
- Bookmarking favorite sections of videos
- Subtitles in a large variety of languages
- Adjusting playback speed
2. QuickTime
QuickTime is a powerful multimedia technology with a built-in media player, which helps you to play, record, edit, and share audio and video files on your Mac.
Its emphasis is on mp4 so you will find that it supports very clear and smooth playback of this file format.
It is also worth noting that, unlike VLC, QuickTime comes with an excellent video editing toolkit, which you can use to create professional-looking videos or movies.
If you want to convert videos to audio form, QuickTime is also a great option as it offers very high-quality audio output.
From the iCloud drive, you can also access your content on any of your devices including iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This means that you can play your favorite movies or songs on the go.
One of the main advantages of QuickTime is that it integrates very well with Apple’s ecosystem.
If you are using other Apple products such as MacBook, iPhone, or iPad, QuickTime will be a natural fit for you.
It also offers excellent support for AirPlay, which allows you to wirelessly stream audio and video content from your Mac to other devices such as Apple TV.
Other features include
- PiP mode for watching videos in a small window while you work on something else
- Ability to create playlists
- Local and remote files
3. 5KPlayer
Like VLC, 5KPlayer is free to use and it can play a wide range of video and audio formats. It also supports AirPlay, which lets you stream audio or video from your Mac to an Apple TV, speaker, or another Mac.
One key difference between 5KPlayer and VLC is that 5KPlayer offers more built-in features. For example, it includes a downloader that lets you save online videos to your hard drive, and it can be used as an AirPlay receiver.
You can view 2k and 4k HD videos with 5KPlayer, and it also supports 360-degree VR videos. If you have a TV that supports HDR, 5KPlayer can take advantage of that too.
The best part is that it uses only less than 10% of your Mac’s CPU when playing a 4K video, which is pretty impressive.
This play supports different ranges of lossy and lossless file formats such as M4A, FLAC, ALAC, APE, OGG, AAC, etc.
4. MPlayerX Media Player
MPlayerX is built for autonomous viewing of almost any kind of video file you may encounter. It’s one of the most lightweight media players out there, and yet it doesn’t sacrifice features or looks.
What MPlayerX does best is offer a simple design that allows for easy playback without any fuss.
The user interface is straightforward and to the point, with playback controls that are conveniently placed and easily accessible. There are also some nice touches, like the ability to create playlists and add playback speed controls.
One area where it beats VLC hands down is that it recognizes filename patterns to build playlists automatically.
For example, if you have a bunch of episodes of a TV show with the naming convention “Show Name SXXEYY”, MPlayerX will automatically add them to a playlist for easy binge-watching.
If you’re looking for a media player that can handle just about any video file you throw at it, and doesn’t get in the way of a lot of bells and whistles, MPlayerX is a great option.
Additional features include:
- Gesture control
- Audio/subtitle synchronization
- Advanced playback options
5. Movist
Movist is a great alternative to VLC player for Mac. It has a simple and clean interface that is easy to use. Movist supports many popular video formats, including AVI, MKV, and MP4.
It also has a built-in subtitle downloader so you can easily find and add subtitles to your videos.
You can select the decoder and set the options for each video format.
Movist also supports AirPlay so you can easily stream your videos to your TV or other devices.
In terms of HDR tone mapping, it’s one of the best VLC alternatives for Mac as you will get a full range of options to choose from.
Movist also has excellent video quality and can play 4K videos without any lag.
Other features are:
- Advanced subtitle support
- Toggling playback speed
6. IINA
When it comes to one of the primary VLC alternatives for Mac, IINA definitely holds its own.
This open-source media player is built upon MPV and supports all the popular audio and video formats out there. In addition, it also offers support for Touch Bar controls, Picture in Picture mode, Split Screen mode, etc.
Additionally, what makes IINA a strong contender is the fact that it is highly customizable. You can change almost everything in the player, from the user interface to the keyboard shortcuts. This allows you to tailor the media player according to your preferences.
While its design isn’t blocky like VLC, it houses the same feature and more. Plus unlike VLC, you can switch to dark mode with IINA.
Other notable features include
- The ability to play online streams
- Netflix support
- AirPlay output
7. DivX
DivX is a media player software application developed by DivX, LLC, a subsidiary of Rovi Corporation. It is capable of reading a wide variety of multimedia formats, including AVI, DivX, XviD, MP4, MPEG-1 Part 2, MPEG-2 Part 2, and VOB.
The player also features H.264 video decoding up to 1080p High Definition and is able to play HD and Blu-ray videos.
While the player itself is free, the company also offers a paid Pro version with additional features, such as DivX To Go for transferring video to portable devices, Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding, and support for subtitles.
One thing you can do on DivX that is not available on VLC is broadcast to any DLNA-compatible device on your local network. You can also password-protect videos you’ve downloaded or created.
Other features are:
- Media library
- Play from Google Drive
- Resume playback
8. PowerDVD
PowerDVD is a great alternative to VLC for Mac. It’s packed with features, including the ability to play 4K and HDR content, as well as 360-degree videos.
PowerDVD also has support for Chromecast and AirPlay, so you can easily stream your media to a TV or other display.
You can resume watching videos from where you left off, and there’s even a Picture-in-Picture mode so you can keep watching while you’re doing other things.
Unlike VLC, PowerDVD also allows you to share videos with friends and family via different means and you can even record your own videos.
The software isn’t free, but it’s well worth the price if you want a comprehensive media player.
Other features include:
- Search and play your media files in one place
- Organize your media library with ease
- Create instant slideshows from your photos
- Share your media across devices and with others
- Watch movies and TV shows in stunning 4K quality
9. Cisdem Video Player
Cisdem Video Player is a free video player like VLC Media Player for Mac.
It can play almost any video and audio format without any codec packs, including standard videos (MOV, MP4, M4V, MKV, AVI, FLV), HD videos (HD MOV, HD MP4, HD MTS, HD TRP), and audio files (MP3, M4A, WAV).
Besides playing local media files, Cisdem Video Player also allows you to stream videos from YouTube, Facebook, and other online video sites. And it can act as a DVD player to play unencrypted DVDs and DVD folders.
Cisdem Video Player has a sleek and intuitive interface. You can easily manage, organize, and play your video files. There are no adverts or watermarks.
Other features are:
- Plays standard and HD videos smoothly
- Streams videos from online sites
- Comes with a sleek and intuitive interface
- Supports Touch Bar control
10. Miro
Another open-source media player for Mac like VLC is Miro. Miro is a music and video player that supports almost any audio or video file format you can think of.
It also comes with built-in support for popular internet radio stations, so you can easily keep up with your favorite shows.
Miro has a beautiful and intuitive interface that makes it easy to use. It also comes with all the features you would expect from a media player, such as playlists, equalizer, and crossfade.
Unlike VLC, you can download videos from popular video sites like YouTube and Vimeo directly into Miro. You can also use Miro to sync your media library with your mobile devices.
Other features include:
- WiFi sharing
- Conversion between audio and video formats
- Remote control support
11. GOM Media Player
GOM is one of the most popular media players for Windows and it has a Mac version too.
GOM Player for Mac supports a wide range of video and audio formats including FLV, MKV, MP4, AVI, WMV, MOV, and more.
You can also use it to play streaming media from sites like YouTube.
Like VLC, it is free and open source and can view 360 video views which is a type of video that allows you to view all around you in a virtual reality setting.
It also has an auto-rotate feature which is very convenient if you are watching a lot of videos on your phone.
The player offers various customization options like skin themes and playlist view settings.
It also has built-in support for subtitles and you can download them directly from within the player.
Mac users can import entire playlists without stress and also export them for use on other devices.
The player has a clean and simple interface which is very easy to use.
Additional features include:
- Projector support – You can connect your computer to a projector and show your videos on a big screen.
- Screen capture – The player can take screenshots of your video while it is playing.
- Frame by frame – You can view videos frame by frame which is very useful for analyzing them.
- Speed control – The player allows you to play videos at different speeds so that you can view them as slowly or as quickly as you want.
- Equalizer – The player has an equalizer that allows you to adjust the sound.
12. MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is a media manager for Mac that offers features not found in other music players. With MediaMonkey, you can sync your music with your iOS device, automatically find and fix missing album art, organize your movies into folders and playlists, and much more.
You can also enhance video support and playback with MediaMonkey’s Add-Ons.
Unlike VLC, you can record and download movies with MediaMonkey.
The software also features a built-in audio editor for those who want to make more advanced changes to their music files.
Another cool feature is that it automatically looks for the album name, artist name, and genre of the song you’re playing and fills in the missing information for you.
Other features include:
- Syncing with devices
- Filling in missing album information
- Organizing music into playlists and folders
- Built-in audio editor
- Equalizer
- Crossfading
13. MPV
MPV is a free and open-source media player. The aim of MPV is to merge the best features of these players into one single player. The project was started by wm4.
The player is stocked with a ton of features and also has a fully configurable key-binding system that allows the user to bind any action to any key or combination of keys.
Other features include:
- Video scaling with popular high-quality algorithms
- Supports scripting such as javascript
14. Kodi
Like VLC, Kodi is free and open-source. It was built by a non-profit technology consortium, XBMC.
It is a cross-platform media player designed to work on a variety of devices, including personal computers (PCs), laptops, tablets, smartphones, set-top boxes (STBs), and digital signage displays.
It supports a wide range of digital audio and video formats, including MP3, AAC, OGG, WAV, AVI, FLV, MKV, MPEG-4 Part 14 (MP4), and WMV9/VC-1.
The software is also capable of playing and recording live TV programs with a compatible DVB or ATSC tuner.
Other features include:
- Appearance changeable skins
- Ability to view pictures and play music
- TV show library
15. AllPlayer
AllPlayer is a free media player that supports all kinds of formats and codecs. You can use it to play DVDs, CDs, and other media files. It has a sleek interface and is very easy to use.
This player automatically searches for subtitles and comes with an equalizer and playlist management.
It is available in several languages and is compatible with Windows and Mac.
If you want to secure your video, you can set a password for it using AllPlayer. Additionally, you can also take screenshots of the video while it is playing.
The layout for movies is friendly, and you can create bookmarks as well.
This player offers smooth playback and is one of the best media players available.
16. Plex
Plex is a popular media server application that allows you to stream your media files on any device. It is available for free on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
You can also use it on smart TVs, gaming consoles, and mobile devices. Plex allows you to stream your media files from your computer to any other device.
You can also use it to record live TV, and it has a DVR feature.
It can handle large sizes of media data and also has a user-friendly interface.
Plex also has a paid subscription service called Plex Pass which gives you access to additional features such as cloud storage, parental controls, and premium music.
Conclusion
For us, the best media player for Mac is Elmedia Player.
It’s a great all-around media player that can play just about any file you throw at it, has tons of features and customization options, and is very easy to use.
Having said that, the rest of the media players are equally worthy of consideration. Pick the one you like.
