Summary: find best MKV video player for macOS here after you read the unbiased review of top 6 free MKV media player.
- Free Video Players For Mac
- Best Video Player For Mac
- Vlc Player For Mac
- Wmv For Mac
- Avi Media Player For Mac Free Download
- Just double-clicking on any.AVI,.MKV or any other video file would almost immediatley cause my entire system to just lock up. The only thing that worked was my cursor. Everything else just stopped. I prefer MPlayer X because of the QuickTime like disappearing of the title bar and play controls compared to VLC.
- Download Free AVI Player for Mac to play AVI, 4K, 1080P/1080i/720P video on Mac.
Windows reportedly got the native support of MKV file format through the new built-in codec in the video app 3 years ago. While Mac seems to have no update plan for the open-source container format. This makes it hard to play MKV on Mac with its QuickTime player or iTunes, unless you download a MKV codec pack to ensure proper playback, especially when Quicktime component Perian has been discontinued for 6 years, failed to work with OS X Lion or later versions.
Download Elmedia Video Player for macOS 10.12 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. Elmedia Video Player is a free media player for macOS. It can play pretty much any file type, be it AVI, MP4, FLV, SWF, WMV, MKV, MP3, M4V etc. Elmedia Video Player is an all-in-one solution that doesn't call for any additional plugins or codecs. Any Video Converter Free Mac is the best free video converter to convert any video to MP4, AVI, WMV, MP3, and edit video on macOS for free.
Calm down. Free MKV video player for Mac is your way out. Before reviewing the apps for playing MKV files on Mac, there is a word or two about the best MKV player for Mac, which shall:
- Support an extensive list of video/audio formats without any codecs installed.
- Cope with 4K/HD videos without bugs, time lags or slowdowns.
- Adjust parameter settings in a flash, such as manage subtitles, choose the track, etc.
- Come with intuitive Mac-style interface to play MKV at your fingertips.
- Be free of pops up, ads, malware or spyware.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Free MKV Players for Mac 2021
Since most posts focus the features while underestimate the user feedback and media sites review while compiling the best MKV media player for Mac list, here we do a new compilation and include the 2021 best free MKV player for Mac software, with their pros, cons, ratings and reviews all listed below.
1. 5KPlayer
User Rate: ★★★★★ | License: Free
When it comes to free MKV player for Mac in 2021, 5KPlayer is the one you can never miss. Despite of a newly emerged app, the lightweight app has ranked no.1 with the most Mac downloads on the tech sites CNET, receiving a chunk of thumbs up from customers worldwide for its ease of use and tremendous DVD/video/audio playback ability. Specifically, you can play Matroska videos all at your fingertips with perfect HD experience.
Except for supporting DVD, MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, MKV, H.264, MPEG4, FLV, M2TS, AVCHD, 3GP, WebM, etc, the free MKV video player for Mac also adds the latest HEVC/H.265, VP9, etc into its supported list. That means it will be hassle-free to even play 4K MKV videos in HEVC on your Mac QuickTime. Extra features such as downloading MKV movies and mirroring are icing on the cake.
Pros:
- Minimalistic interface.
- Support UHD videos up to 4K/5K/8K.
- Support HEVC.
- Support online video download.
Cons:
- No problems found
2. VLC
User Rate: ★★★★★ | License: Free
VLC is a world-famous cross-platform free media player running on Windows and Mac. It accepts a wide range of formats, ranging from HD Matroska, QuickTime file format, MP4, OGG, AAC, to DVD, Blu ray, without having to install any extra codecs or filters. You can preview the MKV file you are downloading and experience a stable MKV video playback on your Mac, even it is damaged, incomplete, or unfinished. It also features abilities to add subtitles to MKV files, organize and operate the video/audio/subtitle tracks of MKV easily, loop or deinterlace MKV videos, etc. However, In our test of playing MKV files in VLC, we experience some problems like VLC stuttering or grey screen. You can click here to troubleshoot VLC won't play MKV error.
Besides serving as the best free MKV player for Mac, VLC is the first to support playing encrypted DVDs on Mac by using the libdvdcss library and is available to create screencasts, record the desktop and even convert MKV into various formats.
Pros:
- No additional codecs required.
- Free, open-source and cross-platform.
- Support Blu-ray playback.
Cons:
- Lack advanced music player features.
- MKV playback sometimes won't work.
3. Elmedia Player
User Rate: ★★★★ | License: Paid
Elmedia Player is not as famous as VLC but it remains my personal preference for the best free MKV player for Mac for the extensive support of nearly any video format imaginable, including FLV, SWF, WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, MKV, MPG, etc, without extra codecs required.
Elmedia is much more than just a MKV video player for Mac that offers a friendly and pleasant Matroska video playback experience on Mac, it is a full-fledged media server app that can set your MKV video on the loop, manage the subtitles, convert Flash projectors to SWF and even make screenshots from the MKV video as PNG, TIFF or GIF, watch YouTube videos without ads, adjust playback speed, visualizes different events, tweak the brightness, contrast, saturation, etc.
Pros:
- Convenient video settings.
- Play online videos without ads.
- Build-in web browser.
Cons:
- Doesn't support RTSP stream.
4. Mac Blu Ray Player
User Rate: ★★★★ | License: Free
Mac Blu-ray Player is put atop the list of 2021 best free MKV file player for Mac simply because it can play virtually any video file you throw at it, even for the oddball video formats, ranging from AVI, DVD, Blu-ray, Video CD, MOV, FLV, MPEG, AAC, MP4, MP3, to RMVB, AC3. You can watch videos of high definition up to 4K. That means you have no troubles playing MKV videos at 2610p, 1080p, 720p, etc.
With high compatibility with Mac version and proprietary hardware acceleration technology, it promises you an instant playback of MKV files even on the latest Mac OS, without burdening the RAM or CPU usage.
Pros:
- Play all file types, whether physical or digital.
Cons:
- High CPU usage required.
5. MPlayer X
User Rate: ★★★ | License: Free
MPlayer X delivers the perfect balance between simplicity and performance when it comes to play MKV on Mac, thanks to its Mac-style minimalistic interface. It's the best choice on Mac to play HD MKV videos, along with advanced subtitles in ASS format, supporting an impressive amount of imaginable file types and other uncommon formats like ASF, WebM, etc, without extra plug-ins or codec packs.
However, MPlayer X is reportedly bundled with virus and adware that harm your computer and consume a lot of CPU resources.
Pros:
- Pleasant Mac style view.
- Smart multi-touch control.
Cons:
- High CPU usage.
- Frequent system crash.
- No proper playlist feature.
6. MKPlayer
User Rate: ★★★★ | License: Free & Paid
Available in App Store, this MKV video player offers you with two options: free or paid for pro features. If you choose free version, you can free play MKV video files on macOS (macOS 10.10 or later). If you purchase MKPlayer with $4.99, the TV playback feature is unlocked. More pro features gets accessible after you finish in-app purchase at $6.99, including Safari Extension (easily open videos found on websites), MKV multi-track audio and multilingual subtitles playback and video adjustment feature (brightness, contrast, saturation...).
Pros:
- Play MKV video with multi-track audio and multi-track subtitles supported.
- AirPlay feature to stream MKV videos from macOS to TV for bigger screen playback.
- Conveniently configure video adjustment parameters
Cons:
- Pro features need to be paid.
- MKV video playback is not smooth (kind of jittered) sometimes and the audio would fade out every few seconds.
- Unable to move backward or forward in the file being played.
Hope the afore-mentioned MKV video player freeware would help smoothly playback MKV multi-track videos without image or sound issue. You're welcomed to share your recommendations with us if you've ever used any better MKV player.
There are a plethora of Mac video players on the app market. From my perspective, the best video player for Mac should support a vast assortment of formats, crisp visual display, and user-friendly operating features. In this huge and intensely competitive market, we can't figure out which free Mac video player is the best choice at once. If you have the same doubts, then you come to the right place. In this article, I'd like to show you the best media player for Mac that can give you excellent visual enjoyment.
4 Tips on Choosing the Best Media Player for Mac
The best video player for Mac is supposed to:
- Be free of ads, viruses, malware, and spyware.
- Born with a slick and directive interface, making the app simple to navigate.
- Come with strong coding skills and support wide-ranging video & audio format, so you can play any media file including 4K/5K video without losing quality.
- Have compact and basic video playback functions, like play/pause, time display, volume control, etc.
Well, I’ve listed and tested a bunch of Mac video players and screened out the top 10 best free video player for Mac with the above reference in mind.
Top 10 Best Video Player for Mac 2021
Video player software isn’t rare, but top free video player for Mac users is not easy to come by. Hence we picked out the 10 best video players for Mac and give you some detailed information below.
#1. Cisdem Video Player for Mac
Compatibility: macOS 10.10 or later
Cisdem Video Player is an incredible program playing a vast assortment of media file formats. It’s fully compatible with all popular video formats (e.g. WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, M4V, FLV, MKV, RMVB, MPEG, etc.), as well as audio files (e.g. MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, M4A, etc.). The software supports all those codecs ensuring the playback of high-quality video files a breeze.
This best video player Mac takes care of your local media files and the music/videos downloaded from YouTube, Vimeo, or others. You can automatically or manually add subtitles in .ass and .srt formats. It offers smoother playback while other media players show a video jitter, choppy, or stalling.
Cisdem best Mac video player contains a built-in video converter, allowing you to media files to MP4, M4V, MOV, MP3, M4A, iPhone, iPad, Samsung, and so on. It's totally free to play video & audio files but to unlock the conversion function, you need to upgrade to the pro version.
Pros:
- Equipped with a concise and decent interface
- Play video/audio files in more than 100 formats
- Play 1080P, 4K, 5K, and even 8K videos
- Load subtitles in any language, or import subtitles, as you want
- Choose the audio soundtracks and stereo
- Capture snapshots of each frame
- Turn volume up or down
- Take less occupancy on CPU memory of your Mac
FAQ: What're the differences between Cisdem Video Player and Cisdem Video Converter?
Cisdem Video Player | Cisdem Video Converter | |
---|---|---|
Download | Free download | Download the free trial |
Price | Free ($9.99 to active conversion feature) | $49.99 |
Video Play | Dedicated video player (rich playback controls) | Inbuilt-in video player (non-primary function) |
Video Convert | Support 40+ output formats | Support 300+ formats |
Batch Convert | No | Yes |
Extra | / | Rip DVD movies and music Download online videos from 1000+ sites |
Both programs support playing and converting features. But as their names indicate, the former is mainly used to play videos, while the latter is a professional video converter & downloader.
#2. VLC Media Player for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7.5 or newer
VLC Media Player, an uncluttered, open-source and cross-platform program, supports DivX and MPEG streaming. It can play DVDs, CDs, VCDs, network streaming protocols, and various types of video files. The best video player Mac offers playlist for viewing multiple videos one after the other.
Meanwhile, VLC empowers you to open Zip media files without unpacking them. And you can simply tweak the playback controls and audio volume (up to 200%). But it’s a little delayed while playing, 'Each time I click on run video network it plays other audio and DVDs, etc. and after a million times it finally plays the YouTube video.'
Pros:
- Help you enjoy Windows Media, MP3, QuickTime, and OGG files.
- Record the movies/music you are playing with VLC
- Adjust playback speed (slower, normal, and faster)
- Support external subtitles and Closed Captions
Cons:
- Outdated user interface
- Delay a little while playing the media files
#3. MPlayerX for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.7 or above
MPlayerX is one of the fastest choices to play MPEG (damaged MPEG files included), MP4, AVI, ASF, WMV, MOV, WAV, OGG/OGM, CD audio, etc. Plus, this best media player for Mac supports multi-touch, gesture, auto-encode subtitles, and online YouTube/Vimeo playback. But don't confuse MPlayerX and MPlayer OSX Extended. They are two completely different programs.
Pros:
- Stand-alone video player for Mac
- Support various output formats and devices
- Auto convert subtitles for media files
Cons:
- Injects pop-up ads or advertising banners which may bring a virus
- Take up too much CPU
- Encounter problem when open the software and ask you to eject the disk image
#4. QuickTime Player for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.6.6 or above
QuickTime Player, bundled with the Mac operating system, is Apple's flagship software. It ensures you to view Internet video, HD movie trailers, and personal media. This best media player for Mac is slick and easy to use. You can quickly export your videos to 4k, 1080p, 720p, 480p (based on original resolution) or extract them as M4A audio. It also functions as a screen recorder. You can record your playing movie, track, or anything on your current desktop.
However, it supports limited video formats. For more formats available like FLV, you have to install external plug-in Perian.
Pros:
- No additional installation required
- Provide you with advanced H.264 video compression technology to help deliver perfect HD video with less storage space.
- Record your Mac screen
Cons:
- A bit slow to launch
- Can’t work with common subtitle files
- Can’t open MKV, WMV, WMA, AVI, FLV, etc.
#5. Elmedia Player for Mac
Compatibility: OS X 10.9.0 or later
A multifunctional free media player for Mac, Elmedia Player supports a wide range of common and not so common audio & video formats, including FLV, SWF, WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MP3, DAT, FLAC, M4V, MPG, MKV, and more. It can play virtually all media files on your Mac. Although it has some other special features, such as downloading online videos from YouTube and adjusting audio settings, they are not free and need to be upgraded.
Pros:
- Play online videos without ads
- Support embedded and external subtitles
- Save and load playlist
- Reset audio delay
Cons:
- Consume major CPU
- Might lose video quality when swiping back and forth
- Only pro version allows to take screenshots
#6. 5KPlayer for Mac
Compatibility: OS X 10.8.0 or higher
5KPlayer is a mixture of free AirPlay media streamer, online video downloader, music player and movie player for Mac. All HD, 4K, 5K videos including MKV, MTS, AVCHD are supported. With AirPlay streaming tech, you can as AirPlay sender/receiver: stream video music from iPhone, iPad to PC or from PC to Apple TV. Although the best Mac video player lets you download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc., the download process will be bit slower.
Pros:
- Embedded copious codecs for playing different audio, video, and DVD.
- No need to install additional codec or pack.
- Import subtitle and switch soundtrack
- Manage YouTube downloaded videos, DLNA server, and playlist in library
Cons:
- Install Bonjour voluntarily without any hint when you need to make AirPlay work
- The media player will get stuck when playing high resolution & long videos
#7. Realplayer for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.9 or later
Free Video Players For Mac
Realplayer can play all formats of videos. This best video player Mac is a universal media player that automatically recognizes the file format of the video or audio file you want to play. So you can count on it to reliably play the most popular audio and video file formats including AVI, MP4, MP3, WMA, WAV, FLV, MPEG, and more. It requires a fairly powerful machine for some functions. Several applications need to be installed in advance to launch the application properly.
Best Video Player For Mac
Pros:
- Offer several visualization ways for listening and locates your media files automatically.
- Include handy downloading and conversion features that may benefit some users.
#8. DivX Player for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.5.0 or above
DivX Player delivers high-quality video playback for AVI, DIVX, MKV, MP4, and more. It is the best video player Mac to watch DivX, MKV, and HEVC up to 4K films. You can use its built-in TransferWizard to burn videos to DVD/USB/computer. It also comes with DivX Codec Pack and a free 15-day trial of DivX Plus Converter for those who plan to convert.
Pros:
- Support playing HD 720P/1080P, UHD 4K video movies
- Open video directly with URL
- Import video files into library
Cons:
- Large installation file and install other software without permission
- Poor compatibility with the latest system
- Lack some key features, e.g. rewind and forward
#9. Movist Video Player for Mac
Compatibility: OS X 10.10.0 or late
Movist, based on QuickTime and FFmpeg, is another best media player for Mac. It has the ability to encode/decode a multitude of formats and add subtitles. You can do some general and advanced settings for better and convenient video playback. However, the new versions like 2.4.2, 2.4.3 are not free now, which charge $4.99 or $7.99 (Movist Pro). To get Movist free video player for Mac, you should install the old version like 0.6.8 or before.
Pros:
- Simple to operate
- Support playlist
- Many customizable options
#10. NicePlayer for Mac
Compatibility: Mac OS X 10.5 or above
NicePlayer is the best Video Player for Mac with a multi-engine player designed for playing movies nicely. This program features full-screen or borderless floating windows, useful controls for scrubbing or queuing movies, and on-the-fly playlist creation.
Pros:
- Lightweight and compatible with most formats
- Can adjust the aspect ratio
- Make a suitable presentation with the aid of toolbar (Half Size, Double Size, Fill Screen, Fill Width, etc.)
Cons:
- Can’t handle AVI, MKV or MPG videos.
- No support for subtitles and changing audio sources, etc.
- Unable to play the videos by dragging it to the software
- Not convenient to switch to another video
What is Media Player (Software)?
We often need the best media player for Mac, but before installing new software it is good to get some knowledge about it.
According to the explanation from Wikipedia, a media player (software) is a handy program that can help you play videos, music, movies, and other multimedia files on the computer. All media players display standard media control icons: play, pause, fast-forward, back forward, and stop buttons.
How to Use the Best Video Player for Mac?
All video players mentioned above are easy to use. Let's take Cisdem Video Player as an example:
Step 1. Download and install the best free video player for Mac, then launch it.
Vlc Player For Mac
Step 2. Drag and drop the video file you wish to watch to the interface of the software.
Step 3. Click button to start video play on Mac.
Wmv For Mac
How to Change the Default Video Player on Mac?
QuickTime Player is the default Mac media player. You can change it into the best video player for Mac you think.
Step 1. Locate the media file you wish to play.
Step 2. Right-click on it, a drop-down menu will appear.
Avi Media Player For Mac Free Download
Step 3. Choose “Open With” > “Other”, which brings up a dialog for selecting the application to open your media file.
Step 4. Choose your best media player Mac, check the box- “Always Open With”, and click on “Open”.
Conclusion
I deem that you already have the best media player for Mac in your mind, just download it on Mac and have a try if it is right the thing as you expected. Here I advise those who still feel a little confused to choose from, I push Cisdem Video Player for Mac in front of you. it gets more and more reputation and becomes a stable status among the market. 4K video, 5K/1080p HD videos, all of popular SD & HD standard video formats which other free video player tools unable to support, or add subtitle files, Cisdem Video Player for Mac can all fix it. What’s the best I enjoy, it offers crisp and clear visual image, I feel the video playing quite high quality.