Top 14 Best MP4 Players for Mac and Windows 11/10/8/7

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Updated on: November 3, 2023
Time to read: 14 minutes
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In this guide, we’re looking at the best MP4 players for Mac and Windows. Our expert team has tried and tested a huge number of applications, and by considering features such as ease of use, file support, reliability, and cost, we’ve been able to create the definitive list of the very best options.

Table of Contents

Top 6 MP4 Players for Mac

App OS Free/Paid
Elmedia Mac OS X 10.12+ Paid
VLC Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later; Android; iOS and iPadOS Free
GOM Player (for Mac) for Mac OS (OS X 10.13(High Sierra) or higher; for iOS (iPhone/iPad) Free
IINA Mac OS X 10.11+, the latest macOS recommended Free
DivX Mac-64 if your operating system is Mojave (10.14) or later; Mac-32 if you use High Sierra (10.13) or earlier

Free

DivX Pro $19.99
5KPlayer Mac Free

Top 8 MP4 Players for Windows

App OS Free/Paid
Windows Media Player Windows 7/8/10/11 Free
Real Player Windows 7/8/10/11 Free  (Premium Plans up to $49.99/year)
VLC for Windows from Windows XP SP3 to the last version of Windows 11 Free
PotPlayer Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP Free
5KPlayer Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP Free ($59.95 for the full license)
KMPlayer minimal Windows Vista 32-bit/recommended Windows 10 64-bit Free
BS.Player minimal Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 Free ($29.90 PRO version)
GOM Player for Windows Windows 7(32/64bit) or later (11 supported)

Free

GOM Player Plus for PC Permanent License $15

List of the Best 6 Mac MP4 Players Software

The MP4 player Mac users have installed on their system isn’t always the best option, and many download third-party apps to help with playback. Below, we’ve explored the six best options for Mac.

1. Elmedia Player

Elmedia Player deserves its place at the top of our list. As well as allowing you to play MP4 video files reliably on Mac, it also has support for a variety of other file types, many of which aren’t natively supported by OSX.

Elmedia Player has a simple and intuitive layout but also a variety of other features to alter the look of the video and give you more control. Add subtitles, speed up the video, add filters, and even watch using a picture-in-picture mode. You can also stream to certain DLNA-compatible devices like Smart TVs.

This MP4 movie player also has excellent support and is regularly updated to prevent and fix bugs.

Elmedia Player - Playlist

Download URL: Elmedia Player

Supported formats: AVI, MP4, WebM, m4v, MOV, MXF, WMV, and more

OS: macOS X 10.12+

Developer: Electronic Team, Inc

Price: Free (Pro Upgrade $19.99)

How to Play MP4 Files on Mac with Elmedia

To download and use Elmedia Player on your device, follow these simple steps.

1. Download Elmedia Player from the App Store by searching for the name of the software.

Install Elmedia

2. Launch the app and find the file you wish to play, you can open it by clicking and dragging it to the icon in the dock or selecting File > Open before navigating to the file itself.

How to play h264 files on mac using Elmedia Player

3. Enjoy your MP4 videos with all the features of Elmedia Player.

2. VLC

This is an incredibly popular player for MP4 video files as well as most other mainstream file formats. VLC is completely free to download and use. This open-source software has been downloaded over 100 million times.

It has the option to add subtitles and some advanced features, such as an audio EQ. You can load videos from streams and webcams as well as open files on your device. Considering the fact that this is free software, it is impressive, but it isn’t updated as often as some other MP4 player software and can be buggy.

VLC Player - Library

Download URL: VLC

Supported formats: WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV, H.264/AVC, FLV, and more…

OS: macOS X 10.7.5+ (older versions are available)

Developer: VideoLan

Price: Free

3. GOM Player (for Mac)

GOM Player is well-known amongst Windows users, and the Mac version is currently in Beta. This means you can download it for free and play MP4 video files as well as many other different file types, but you can’t necessarily use all of its features.

The Windows version allows you to repair corrupted files, for instance, but the Mac version doesn’t have this support. We are also waiting for subtitle functionality to be added.

GOM Player on a Mac

Download URL: GOM Player

Supported formats: AVI, MP4, MKV, FLV, WMV, MOV, and more

OS: macOS X 10.13 (High Sierra) +

Developer: GOMLab

Price: Free

4. IINA

IINA is a sleek option for those looking to find free MP4 video player software that works with the latest versions of OSX. It is made by independent developers, and you can even access the source code via GitHub.

IINA has a great user interface and features, including picture-in-picture and dark modes. It also has a plugin system, so in the future, further features may be added. As well as reliably handling MP4 video playback, this system offers a customizable layout and interface that looks great on Mac and a music mode for listening to audio files.

IINA Player for Mac

Download URL: IINA

Supported formats: AVI, MP4, MKV, FLV, WMV, MOV, and more

OS: OS X 10.11+

Developer: IINA

Price: Free

5. DivX

DivX is one of the options on the market that is ad-supported, which can be a little annoying, but there is the option to get rid of ads by paying for a premium.

The DivX system has its own container file type but also works with other files, including supporting MP4 file playback. The software has custom encoding settings for resolution and bitrate, and you can also convert files using DivX. It works with DLNA-compatible devices, so you can stream your videos to other devices, too.

DivX App on Mac

Download URL: DivX

Supported formats: DivX, MKV, MP4, HEVC, and more

OS: DivX for Mac-64 (64-bit) works on Mojave (10.14) or later. DivX for Mac-32 (32-bit) works if you use High Sierra (10.13) or earlier.

Developer: DivX

Price: Free ($19.99 Premium Upgrade)

6. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer is a free option for those who are looking for a reliable MP4 media player that also has the option to make some basic cuts and edits and even conversions.

5KPlayer is a video player that supports MP4 along with a variety of other file types and also lets you convert files if you pay for the full license. It can cast to DLNA devices and play media from DVDs and streams as well as different local files.

It isn’t updated as often as some of the other options, which means it can cause bugs and compatibility issues with the most recent versions of Mac.

A macOS version of the 5KPlayer

Download URL: 5KPlayer

Supported formats: MP4, H.265/264, AV1, VP8/VP9, MTS, MKV, and more

OS: OS X  10+

Developer: Digiarty Software

Price: Free ($59.95 for the full license)

Conclusion

While all of the options above can play MP4 files, Elmedia is the clear winner on our list due to the fact that this 4K MP4 player has such excellent features including filters and the ability to cast to other devices. It is also regularly updated to fix bugs and problems. Many of the free options are not updated so regularly, which can lead to issues playing movies.

How to play MP4 videos on macOS

List of the Best 8 MP4 Video Player Software for Windows

If you are a Windows user looking for the top video players, there are also a lot of different options on the market. Our experts have checked out eight of the very best Windows MP4 Player options.

1. Windows Media Player

Windows Media Player is the built-in MP4 player that you get when you buy a Windows PC. It does a good job of playing a lot of different file types.

It features a visualizer for audio files and some filters such as EQ options for audio playback. The video features are not as advanced as some other settings but it can load video from many sources and let you tweak brightness, contrast, saturation and hue.

It is free for Windows users and good for basic playback and managing both an audio and video library.

Windows Media Player

URL: Windows Media Player

Supported formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, WAV, and more

Windows versions: XP/Vista/7/8/10/11

Developer: Windows

Price: Free

2. RealPlayer

RealPlayer has been around since the 1990s in different incarnations. It is a good MP4 player for PC, and you can use it on any version of Windows, though you may need to download historical versions of the software if you are running an old version of the OS.

The modern RealPlayer lets you cast MP4 files to DLNA devices and also has support to stream and even download videos from online sources such as Instagram. RealPlayer can also play and burn DVDs.

Video in the RealPlayer

Download URL: RealPlayer

Supported formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, WebM, and more

OS: XP/Vista/7/8/10/11

Developer: Real

Price: Free (Premium Plans up to $49.99/yr)

3. VLC for Windows

VLC has different versions for different operating systems, including Windows. The world’s most-downloaded free player lets you use subtitles and load video from many sources, including DVDs and streams from the internet.

You can also take advantage of different skins to customize the look of the software and even VLC extensions made by an active community. There is still the downside of the software being free, and it doesn’t get updated as often as some options.

VLC Player

URL: VLC for Windows

Supported formats: WMV, AVI, MOV, MP4, MKV, H.264/AVC, FLV, and more

OS: XP/Vista/7/8/10/11

Developer: VideoLan

Price: Free

4. PotPlayer

PotPlayer is a popular free option for those wanting an MP4 video player for Windows XP through to Windows 8.

It supports numerous forms of subtitles and DVD/Blu-Ray playback. It has features including bookmarking and the option to make playlists. It isn’t the most modern option on the list, and it is a “no-frills” MP4 player but a good option for those who want basic functionality for Windows versions up to 8.1.

PotPlayer

URL: PotPlayer

Supported formats: AVI, WMV, MP4, 3GP, FLV, MKV and more

OS: XP/Vista/7/8/8.1

Developer: Kakao

Price: Free

5. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer is a good option for Windows users, and it can stream to DLNA devices, as well as allow you to open a huge number of file formats.

5KPlayer also allows you to add subtitles, and it also has some other features, such as allowing you to rotate the video as well as play music files and even enjoy the inbuilt radio streaming function to listen to radio stations.

5KPlayer isn’t updated that much, and it can be buggy, but it is a decent MP4 video player, and the free license allows you to enjoy a wide variety of files with ease.

5KPlayer’s interface

URL: 5KPlayer

Supported formats: MP4, H.265/264, AV1, VP8/VP9, MTS, MKV, and more

OS: 10/8/7/Vista/XP

Developer: Digiarty Software

Price: Free ($59.95 for the full license)

6. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is an ad-supported MP4 media player app that allows you to play videos, even in HD and 4K HD formats.

As well as allowing you to download videos and take screen recordings, there are other features within KM Player, including a variety of audio and video effects. You can also bookmark your favorite parts of videos and change the playback speed. The ads are not ideal, but it is a reliable and simple media player that can open MP4 files, among others.

KMPlayer window

URL: KMPlayer

Supported formats: RTS, MPEG1, MPEG2, AAC, WMA7, WMA8, OGG

OS: Windows Vista 32-bit, Direct X 9 or later

Developer: PandoraTV

Price: Free

7. BS.Player

BS.Player is another option for those using older operating systems such as Windows 7. The PRO version of the software is compatible with a lot of different file types and makes it easy to open MP4 files. It also has some basic conversion options, and the most recent versions allow you to download directly from YouTube.

The paid version unlocks some functions, such as playing from DVDs and a custom audio EQ, as well as priority support. BS.Player is also good for grabbing footage from older camcorders as it can play AVCHD files which were used on Canon, JVC, Panasonic, and Sony digital camcorders.

Note: our attempt to play MP4 videos in the free version of this app failed.

BSPlayer’s popup window

URL: BS.Player

Supported formats:AVI, WMV, MPG, MP4, MOV, FLV and more…

Windows version: Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7

Developer: Webteh

Price: Free ($29.90 PRO version)

8. GOM Player for Windows

GOM Player is an MP4 media player application that has a huge amount of added extra features on their Windows version rather than the Mac version and can even allow you to play files that are damaged or corrupted. You can also add subtitles, and if you want to enjoy 4K UHD movies without buffering, then you can upgrade to the PLUS version, which means ad-free viewing, as ads are built into the app if you use the free version.

GOM Windows Player

URL: GOM Player for Windows

Supported formats: AVI, WMV, MPG, MP4, WebM, M4V, MOV, FLV and more…

OS: Windows 7, 8, or 10

Developer: GOMLab

Price: Free ($15 for Plus version)

Outdated/Not Under Development MP4 Players for Windows

There are some options that are no longer in development. Media Player Classic, known to many as MPC-HC, has not been under development since 2017, meaning that those who used this free, lightweight player need to look for an alternative MP4 file player such as those on this list.

Conclusion

There are a lot of different options for Windows users, but they may not provide a huge upgrade on the inbuilt Windows Media Player, which is compatible with MP4 and delivers a pretty good option for most video uses. Alternatively, options like VLC Media Player also provide free MP4 support and many playback features.

What is MP4 File Format?

An MP4 is a container format that has existed since 2001. It contains both video and audio data but can also hold other files within including subtitles that you can load when watching your video.

How to Fix MP4 Video File Not Playing? - Troubleshooting Tips

If you find that an MP4 file won’t play there are some simple troubleshooting steps that you can take to try and get the file working again. It could be a corrupted file, or it could be that the software you are using is buggy or temperamental.

Incompatible Codecs

MP4 files may not be playing because software doesn’t have the right Codec installed. You can add Codecs using OpenCodec, or using a Codec bundle. These come with an installer to make it simple to add them to your device.

Damaged Files

Files can be damaged when downloading or transferring them. If an MP4 file doesn’t work you can download it again in order to see if there was an issue with an incomplete download or corrupted file. Alternatively, you can use file repair software to try to fix your problem.

Media Player Issues

As well as compatibility problems, you might find that bugs and glitches can stop your MP4 from playing. Try a different media player or a more reliable player such as Elmedia to establish whether the video is the problem, or it is the software.

FAQ

Elmedia is the best option for Mac users, the reliable MP4 video player has plenty of features, including DLNA streaming, subtitles, filters, and playback speed control, and is regularly updated to ensure compatibility.

There are many different options for playing MP4s. Can Windows Media Player play it? The answer is yes, but if you are a Mac user, you may need a third-party player. It is easiest to download software such as Elmedia Player to reliably play videos in this format.