6 Top free MKV Players for Mac in 2024

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Updated on: May 2, 2024
Time to read: 8 minutes
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MKV is a fairly popular and widely-used video file format, but unfortunately Mac’s QuickTime Player doesn’t support MKV and its codecs. That means that in order to open MKV files, Mac users need to look for other solutions. The good news is that there are plenty of free MKV player options available, and in this article, we have collected some of the best ones for your consideration. 

About opening FLV on Mac in short:

Discover the best free MKV players for Mac

Elmedia Player

When it comes to the best free MKV player in 2024, we can’t help but include Elmedia Player in our list. It supports native MKV playback, as well as handles other popular and even niche audio and video formats. Elmedia comes with a clean and intuitive interface, and lets you fully control the playback. You can easily sync subtitles and audio, upload external subtitles, create playlists, bookmark favorite segments, and much more. 

The free version of Elmedia Player provides everything you need for high-quality playback. But you can upgrade your free Elmedia to the PRO version and extend its functionality. Once  upgraded, you’ll get enhanced features like wireless streaming to Smart TVs, Chromecast and DLNA-enabled devices and different playback enhancement options (looping, 10-band graphic equalizer, brightness/color/saturation adjustments, etc.). 

Best MKV Players for Mac

Key features: 

  • Play FLV, SWF, AVI, MOV, MP4, WMV, DIVX, DAT, MP3 and huge variety of other formats
  • Enable multiple audio tracks support (internal and external)
  • Create playlists from local files and files that will be streamed on other devices

Pros

  • Support for hotkeys
  • Wide list of supported formats
  • No codes or plugins required
  • Impressive support for subtitles

Cons

  • PRO version is required to unlock some additional features
  • No support for encrypted Blu-ray disks.

Price: free, $19.99 for Elmedia Universal Video Player

Supported OS: macOS

Latest update: Nov 29, 2023

With PRO version you can get the following features:

  • Streaming local files to Chromecast
  • Streaming local files to DLNA-enabled devices
  • Streaming local files to Apple TVs and AirPlay 2-enbled devices
  • Subtitles saving from opensubtitles.com
  • Taking screenshots during video playback
  • Playback enhancement options
  • Picture-in-picture mode

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player has been around for a long time and it is still popular with users. This media player software is free, open source and works on all platforms. It offers support for a large number of audio and video formats and comes with various customization options.

While VLC is free mkv player for mac, it lacks features such as AirPlay and DLNA streaming and the interface feels a little outdated. This is where VLC loses out against its competitors.

VLC Media Player

Key features:

  • Fast – hardware decoding
  • Plays nearly all formats
  • Advanced control

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

Price: free

Supported OS: cross-platform

Latest update:  Nov 02, 2023

IINA

IINA is an all-in-one media player that caters to all the needs of Mac users. Based on the open-source MPV player, it can handle almost any media file in your library. It can also play online media through its browser extensions. Add-ons are available for Safari, Chrome and Firefox and can be downloaded from the IINA website.

By design, IINA is very similar to the apps made by Apple. In addition, it includes most of the macOS technologies such as picture-in-picture mode, Force Touch, and Touch Bar. IINA can also switch to dark mode.

IINA

Key features:

  • Picture-in-Picture
  • Online Subtitles
  • Touch Bar

Pros

  • Consistent and reliable playback of .mkv files
  • Plugins for Firefox and Chrome browsers
  • Modern UI that is easy to navigate

Cons

  • Not as energy-efficient as other video players, which is a concern if battery life is important to you

Price: free

Supported OS: macOS

Latest update: Jul 07, 2023

5KPlayer

5KPlayer  is another mkv player mac solution you can try. It supports a range of video and audio file formats, as well as DVD and radio playback. Furthermore, it allows for media streaming to Apple TV, Chromecast, and AirPlay or DLNA-enabled devices. 5KPlayer is compatible with many video hosting services, which means you can download videos from Dailymotion, Vimeo, and others. 

Free FLV Player for Mac

Key features:

  • Wireless streaming via AirPlay and DLNA
  • User-friendly interface with easy navigation and intuitive controls.
  • Integrated video downloader for capturing online videos from popular platforms.

Pros

  • Vast selection of internet radio stations for music enthusiasts
  • Support for 5K resolution and HDR content
  • Additional features like screen recording

Cons

  • Limited advanced customization options for audio and video playback
  • Some users may experience occasional performance issues with resource-intensive tasks
  • The built-in video downloader may occasionally encounter compatibility issues with certain websites

Price: free 

Supported OS: macOS, Windows

Latest update: Oct 26, 2021

MKPlayer

The next solution on our list of mkv players for mac is MKPlayer. It is capable of playing a wide range of formats and includes various useful features such as a responsive control panel, AirPlay support, configurable video adjustment parameters, etc. The app can play videos with alternative audio tracks and allows you to add custom subtitles. With support for the Safari add-on for the player, you can also play media found on websites directly in MKPlayer.

MKPlayer

Key features:

  • Open media by dropping media files to the Dock icon of MKPlayer
  • Playback of media container files with multiple audio tracks.
  • Easily add any custom subtitle to your video.

Pros

  • Can play MKV video with multi-track audio and multi-track subtitles
  • AirPlay feature to stream MKV videos from macOS to TV
  • Conveniently configure video adjustment parameters

Cons

  • Advanced features are paid
  • MKV video playback is sometimes not smooth (jittery) and audio may cut out every few seconds
  • Unable to move backward or forward in the file being played

Price: free, has in-app purchases

Supported OS: macOS

Latest update: Aug 14, 2021

OmniPlayer

OmniPlayer is media player for Mac that allows you to easily play MKV files on Mac. It comes with a clean and streamlined interface and offers various features. You can create your own playlists, customize audio and video, work with subtitles. Furthermore, the program allows you to play videos from YouTube and Vimeo and can mirror local videos to Smart TVs. 

OmniPlayer

Key features:

  • Different audio modes: Stereo, Dolby Surround, Headphones, etc.
  • Playlist Control
  • Ability to take a screenshot with different formats.

Pros

  • Consistent and reliable performance of mkv file format
  • Support for most languages
  • Video image adjustment
  • Wireless streaming

Cons

  • Requires a premium upgrade to unlock advanced features

Price: free

Supported OS: macOS

Latest update: Oct 24, 2023

How to choose the best MKV player for Mac

There is a plenty media players on the market today, so choosing the right one can be tricky. To help you with this, we have collected some important criteria that will help you choose the best software and play mkv videos without any problems. So, here are the aspects that you should pay attention to:

  • Range of supported formats
  • Compatibility with latest macOS versions
  • No ads or malware
  • Easy to navigate and clean UI/UX
  • Stable and smooth playback.
  • Audio and video customization options

Conclusion

We hope this article helped you find the best app to play MKV on Mac. There are many free players that support this file format, but they usually offer a limited set of features. If you want to use the player’s functionality to its fullest, we recommend you considering the PRO version. In most cases, paid MKV players include additional features such as streaming, taking screenshots, playback enhancement options, etc.

For a great all-round media player that boasts compatibility with MKV and other video and audio formats and offers a powerful feature set, we suggest Elmedia Player as one of the best available.

FAQ

Unfortunately, native Mac media player doesn’t support MKV files. But you can always use third-party player like Elmedia Player and easily play MKV files on your Mac.

It all depends on the requirements of the user. In this article, we have collected the best options. All these player apps for Mac allow you to play MKV video files and many other formats. If you are looking for a player with a long list of features, flexible audio and video playback settings, and versatility, Elmedia Player will be the best choice for Mac users.