PlayAnyVideo / Video player comparisons / Open-source video players Roundup
Open-source video players
Open-source players are free, have no ads and can be checked by anyone. These are the best known.
Information as of November 2026
How we compared Platforms it runs on Price and paid editions Ads in the free version HEVC (H.265) playback on Windows without buying an extension Open-source licence 1. PlayAnyVideo · Our player The player app itself is not open source, but its decoding engine is: LGPL FFmpeg in the Windows app and libav.js in the browser.
Platforms Web browser, Windows, Android (coming to Google Play) Price Free — no paid unlocks Ads No ads, ever Open source Decoding engine: yes (LGPL FFmpeg / libav.js) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Free in the Windows app (LGPL FFmpeg)
2. VLC Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone / iPad Price Free Ads No ads Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Built-in decoder
Plays a very wide range of formats out of the box. Open source and free of charge. Available on many platforms. Network streams and conversion tools are built in. PlayAnyVideo vs VLC · VLC alternatives
3. MPC-HC Platforms Windows Price Free Ads No ads Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Built-in decoder
Lightweight and quick to start. Open source and free of charge. PlayAnyVideo vs MPC-HC · MPC-HC alternatives
4. MPC-BE Platforms Windows Price Free Ads No ads Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Built-in decoder
Lightweight and quick to start. Open source and free of charge. Deep settings and customization for power users. PlayAnyVideo vs MPC-BE · MPC-BE alternatives
5. IINA Platforms macOS Price Free Ads No ads Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows No Windows version
A native macOS design. Open source and free of charge. PlayAnyVideo vs IINA · IINA alternatives
6. SMPlayer Platforms Windows, Linux Price Free Ads Check the official site Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Built-in decoder
Remembers settings such as position and audio track for each file. Open source and free of charge. PlayAnyVideo vs SMPlayer · SMPlayer alternatives
7. mpv Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Price Free Ads No ads Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Built-in decoder
Minimal interface, highly scriptable and configurable. Lightweight and quick to start. Open source and free of charge. PlayAnyVideo vs mpv · mpv alternatives
8. Kodi Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, Android Price Free Ads No ads Open source Yes (GPL) HEVC (H.265) on Windows Built-in decoder
A full-screen, TV-friendly media center interface. A large add-on ecosystem. Open source and free of charge. PlayAnyVideo vs Kodi · Kodi alternatives
Main platforms and editions only — check the official site for the full list.
FAQ Is VLC the only open-source video player? No. MPC-HC, MPC-BE, mpv, SMPlayer, IINA and Kodi are also open source.
Does PlayAnyVideo show ads or ask me to buy codecs? No. PlayAnyVideo has no ads, no paid unlocks and no codec purchases. The Windows app decodes HEVC with an open-source LGPL FFmpeg engine.
Are my videos uploaded when I use the web player? No. Local files are played on your own device and are never sent to a server.
Information as of November 2026. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners; PlayAnyVideo is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Features, editions and prices change — please check each official website.
