Requirements: macOS 10.12+
, 103.67MB free space
Version 8.1(2848) (28 Jul, 2021) Release notes
Category: MultimediaApplication
QuickTime, the default Mac media player, does not support AVI, as well as many other popular codecs. This is a good reason to look for a third-party video player app. We suggest choosing high-quality apps to ensure stable playback. After searching, we’ve come up with the 6 best ways to play AVI on Mac.
Elmedia Player is the top choice to play AVI files on Mac for many users. Aside from AVI files, this Mac AVI player also supports a huge number of formats: MKV, WMV, MOV, MP3, FLAC, etc. You don’t need to download additional codes or add-ons.
It has a very user-intuitive interface, making it simple to watch AVI files and accessible for anyone - even those with little to no Mac experience. What’s more, you can easily watch clips from YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vimeo ad-free, directly in your player window.
Consider Elmedia Player PRO - a paid upgrade that unlocks features such as streaming via AirPlay2, DLNA and Chromecast, video effects, an audio equalizer, custom color scheme, automatic subtitle search and much more.
Top features of Elmedia AVI Player
Pros
Cons
JustPlay is a small app that packs quite a punch when talking about playing video files. It can handle AVI files with ease, offering you the possibility to play Ultra HD resolutions, 8K included. Its interface is smooth and you can easily find your way around the app even if it’s your first time using it. It comes with a hardware-accelerated decoding function that makes the app capable of playing even the largest .avi files easily, while also giving you full control over audio sync, playback speed, or subtitles.
Of course, the functions list offered by JustPlay can go on. And we need to mention the automatic deinterlacing feature so that you will never have to see the horizontal artifacts that can sometimes be visible on objects that move fast.
Key features of JustPlay
Pros
Cons
Another perfect answer to all those who wonder how to open AVI on Mac is VLC Media Player. Not only is VLC extremely versatile, capable of dealing with a long list of formats with ease, but it’s also an all-in-one tool for opening less common formats. Thanks to its V10-bit codec, VLC handles every video you throw at it without needing extra plugins or codecs. The downside, however, comes from VLC not being capable of playing Blu-ray videos. And if you’re fine with that, there’s something else that might bug you about VLC. The audio can lag a lot sometimes, ruining the entire experience. However, if they could deal with the audio issue, VLC could move up in our rankings.
Key features of VLC
Pros
Cons
Another suggestion for an app that will enable you to view AVI files on Mac without a problem comes from 5KPlayer. Just like the other software we presented so far, 5KPlayer can handle many video formats without needing any codecs or plugins. The list supports - but is not limited to AVI, MOP4, MKV, WMV, FLV, MOV, WMA, H.265, or 3GP. So, if you want to watch AVI on your Mac, you can rely on the 5KPlayer to deliver a smooth experience.
Capable of handling high resolutions of 4K or 8K, this player also plays audio files. It offers support for AirPlay and also allows users to download video and audio files from multiple websites. It doesn’t look like this app has any evident glitches or issues, however, it can sometimes take a long time to process a video before playback.
Key features of 5KPlayer
Pros
Cons
Last but not least on our list, Cisdem is another AVI viewer Mac users can rely on when they look for a remarkable video-watching experience. Compared to VLC, it is a lot easier on the system resources and its user interface is a lot more appealing. The formats it supports are just as wide as with the other software suggestions we offered in this article, making Cisdem a great solution for those wondering how to view AVI on Mac.
Resolutions can go as high as 5K and even at a high resolution, this player does a great job at synchronizing the audio to video. Since it can also be used to download YouTube videos, it’s an awesome solution to take care of many of your needs.
Cisdem key features
Pros
Cons
Free AVI Player for Mac is another popular alternative to play AVI files on Mac. It shares many similar features to Elmedia Player like the ability to play HD quality videos, support for a long list of file formats, and high-quality audio output. You also get to run Blu-Ray and DVD files with ease and the ability to customize your viewing settings like screen size, subtitle options, brightness, hue control, and the ability to adjust audio tracks and effects. Also, with additional helpful benefits like screenshot capture, optimized lossless audio experience, and support in multiple languages, this software is definitely worth a peek for any video consumer.
Top Features of Free AVI Player for Mac
Pros
Cons
This chart provides you with an at-a-glance analysis of the best AVI players for Mac, comparing general info as well as in-depth technical capabilities.
|
Top features
|
VideoDuke
|
Elmedia
|
JustPlay
|
VLC
|
5KPlayer
|
Cisdem
|
Free AVI Player
|
|
Open AVI on Mac as well as other video formats
|
Open AVI on Mac as well as other video formats
|
yes (AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, MOV, DAT, M4V, MPG, DivX, MKV, etc.)
|
yes (MP4, AVI, MOV, SWF, DAT, MKV, etc.)
|
yes (MKV, MP4, VOB, WMV, MPG AVI, etc.)
|
yes (MKV, M2TS, MP4, AVI, WMV, FLV, etc.)
|
yes (MKV, AVI, FLV, AVCHD, WMV, etc.)
|
AVI, MP4, MKV, MOV, MP3, AAC
|
|
Allows local AVI streaming to TV
|
Allows local AVI streaming to TV
|
yes (PRO)
|
no
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
|
Includes Video Tuner
|
Includes Video Tuner
|
yes (PRO)
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
|
Supports video format conversions
|
Supports video format conversions
|
no
|
no
|
yes
|
no
|
yes (PRO)
|
no
|
|
Included Audio Equalizer
|
Included Audio Equalizer
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
|
Allows subtitle playback acceleration/deceleration (Subtitle sync)
|
Allows subtitle playback acceleration/deceleration (Subtitle sync)
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
|
Allows searching for subtitles online
|
Allows searching for subtitles online
|
yes
|
yes
|
add-on
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
|
Allows you to record your desktop
|
Allows you to record your desktop
|
no
|
no
|
yes
|
no
|
no
|
no
|
|
Allows AVI chapter navigation
|
Allows AVI chapter navigation
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
|
No-cost option
|
Free option
|
yes
|
no
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
yes
|
AVI stands for Audio Video Interleaved and it’s essentially a file format that contains compressed video and audio content. While developed by Microsoft, this format is supported not only on Windows but also on Mac and Linux. This file format has been widely implemented across multiple platforms and applications for its ease of use and simplicity. It’s great for carrying movies and TV shows because it can compress into such a small size.
FAQ
Indeed, a Mac can play AVI files through its native video player - QuickTime. However, you should know that some codecs are not supported by this player. Often Quicktime can't play AVI on Mac. To avoid getting an AVI video with a codec that is not supported by QuickTime, install Elmedia Player on your Mac. It will play hundreds of formats without needing extra codecs or plugins, delivering you an awesome watching experience.
The best option to watch AVI files is through Elmedia Player. This all-in-one app will make it so easy to open any type of file that you will never need another app again. Here’s how you can open .avi files with Elmedia:
If you’ve ever wondered how to play AVI files on Mac, without installing additional software, here’s a simple way to do that.
Go to convert-video-online.com and follow these simple steps:
Yes, Windows 10 can play AVI with Windows Media Player. In fact, you can play multiple other formats as well with PC’s default player. But be sure you’re running the latest version of WMP and have the required codecs, or else you may run into playback issues with certain audio or video files. Alternatively, you can always go third-party like VLC Player, which works perfectly well with PC, too.
Both AVI and WMV were developed by Microsoft. AVI files have notably larger size, however the video playback quality is better. Mostly AVI format is used for editing purposed while WMV is rather for online streaming of media content. Read a detailed review of the top WMV players for Mac and choose the best WMV player for Mac that meets all your requirements.