Best 10 Free WebM Players for Mac, iPhone, Windows 10, Android

avatar
Written by
Updated on: April 10, 2023
Time to read: 14 minutes
thumbnail

Do you need to play a WebM media file on your macOS, Windows, iOS, or Android device but cannot find a reliable app? Your search ends here! We bring you the ultimate list of the best WebM players for various devices below.

Since WebM file is a dominant video and audio container for websites and web apps, it’s uncommon for desktops, laptops, and mobile devices. However, we’ve performed detailed research on the internet and found the following 10 WebM media players as reliable options.

We stressed upon features like the user interface (UI), user experience (UX), app security, learning curve, etc., when choosing the best apps. Not to mention, media streaming, wireless media import, subtitle support, etc., were our top priorities.

From thorough testing and our expertise in media player apps, we can say that the following WebM file format players should be your first choice when looking for one.

Table of Contents

What Is a WebM File?

WebM is the most popular media container for websites, web, and mobile apps. It delivers high-quality visuals and audio at minimal file size. Many video production houses started delivering their TV shows, music videos, and movies in WebM format to minimize the content file size. Furthermore, WebM is an open-source video container technology.

WebM has been built on the Matroska (MKV) video container profile. It uses video codecs VP8, VP9, and AV1 to compress video in its offline or online streams. For the audio processing part, it relies on audio codecs like Vorbis and Opus.

How to Open and Play WebM Files in a Browser?

Most web browsers have a built-in WebM player since it’s the most widely used audio/video delivery media. Thus, you can easily play WebM media files on your Apple Safari, Google Chrome, or Microsoft Edge web browsers.

You can follow these steps to learn how to open WebM files on any browser:

WebM is running on the Safari browser
  • Open the Safari web browser on your MacBook.
  • Use the Finder app to go to the directory where you saved the WebM file.
  • Now, drag and drop the file on the address bar of the Safari browser.
  • Alternatively, press the Command + O keys together to bring up the file browsing window.
  • Navigate to the saved WebM file, click on it, and hit the Open button to play the video.

Though you can play this file on Safari or any other standard web browser, you don’t get features like playing subtitles, controlling video, streaming online, etc. Thus, you need a standalone media player like Elmedia Player to play WebM files the way you want.

Best Free WebM Players

1. Elmedia Player

Playing WebM in Elmedia

We found that the Elmedia Player is one of the best free WebM players you can use reliably on your Apple laptop. Also, you can easily play almost all popular and rarely-used media formats on this application. It supports MP4, MP3, WMA, MKV, M4A, M4V, 3GP, FLV, SWF, GIF, and numerous other file types.

Another cool thing is you can use the player to play WebM files without using any file conversion app, on which most other media players rely. Elmedia is fast and lightweight and easily plays media files with or without hardware acceleration, GPU, etc. Plus, you can import or download subtitle files for your favorite foreign or English movies in one app. Moreover, you can stream content from your Mac computer to other compatible Apple devices, Roku, Chromecast, etc., using Elmedia Player.

Features:

  • Customized playlist for audio and video
  • Basic and advanced playback controls
  • Customizable subtitles
  • Multi-monitor support
  • Tune video quality parameters like brightness, saturation, gamma, hue, sharpness, etc.
  • Tune audio quality using a built-in equalizer

Pros

  • Conversion-less playback of most audio and video formats
  • Take screenshots in high definition (HD)
  • Add or download subtitles
  • Stream content using Apple AirPlay
  • Lightweight and easy to install
  • Built-in support for DTS, Dolby Digital, hardware decoders, etc.

Cons

  • Only available for macOS
  • Certain features aren’t available on the freeware version

Developer’s Name: Electronic Team, Inc

Download the App: Mac

Supported macOS Versions: macOS 10.12 and later (like Puma, Lion, Mojave, Monterey, and Ventura)

Supported Media Formats: WebM, SWF, WMV, MP3, FLAC, M4V, DivX, MP4, DVR-MS, OGV, FLV, etc.

Pricing Information: The freeware license offers most features; the Pro version costs $19.99

How to Play WebM Video Files on Mac With Elmedia Player?

Find below a quick and simple guide on how to play WebM files on Elmedia Player:

1. Download and install the Elmedia video player from App Store for free. 

Install Elmedia

2. Run the application from Launchpad and choose a WebM file that you want to play.

Here’s how it’s done: 

  • Click the File menu on the toolbar and select Open and navigate to the folder where the WebM file is available. Select the content and click Open to playback WebM on Elmedia.
  • Drag and drop the WebM file directly on the blank screen of Elmedia Player.
  • Select and right-click the file; hover the cursor on Open With and choose Elmedia from the context menu that opens.
Add your ASF file to the player and enjoy watching.

3. Sit back, relax, and enjoy watching TV shows, movies, etc., in WebM format on Elmedia.

Choosing the Best WebM player for Mac

2. Windows Media Player (WMP)

Windows Media Player: videos in the Library

Another potential app to run WebM files on your Win 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP is using the WMP. You may ask, “Can Windows Media Player play WebM files?” If there are the right video and audio codecs installed on your PC, the answer is yes.

You must install WebM DirectShow filters or WebM Media Foundation codecs to play this file type on your PC. Apart from this setback, this is the native media player for millions of PCs worldwide. Moreover, it lets you play CDs, DVDs, etc., without buying any separate app.

Features:

  • Disc ripping, burning, and playback
  • Sync portable devices
  • Shell integration for the Now Playing panel

Pros

  • Native media player for PCs
  • Available for free
  • Skin customizations

Cons

  • There’s a challenging process of playing subtitles
  • Dated user interface

Developer’s Name: Microsoft

Download the App: Get WMP here 

Supported Operating Systems: Win 7, 8, 10, etc. 

Supported Media Formats: FLAC, WMV, WMA, HEVC, MP4, AVCHD, etc.  

Pricing Information: Free

3. VLC Media Player

VLC media player for WebM files

VLC Media Player is yet another leading name among popular WebM file players. It’s a cross-platform app because you can get it for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. This multimedia player is available for the end users for free. Just download and start watching the movies and TV shows you want. The player lets you download subtitles from online sources directly on the app without opening other tools.

Features:

  • Built-in video editor
  • Offers streaming service
  • Compatible with music CDs and DVDs

Pros

  • Supports various keyboard hotkeys
  • Compatible with trackpad and mouse gestures
  • Lets you customize video and audio qualities

Cons

  • It’s hard to locate advanced features
  • The user interface is dated

Developer’s Name: VideoLAN

Download the App: Mac | Win | Linux | iOS | Android

Supported Operating Systems: macOS, Win XP SP3 and newer, Android 4.2 and later, and iOS 9.0 or later 

Supported Media Formats: WebM, MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, MKV, VOB, WMV, MPG, etc.

Pricing Information: Free 

4. RealPlayer

Videos in the Library of the RealPlayer

Yet another cross-platform and multi-device WebM video player is RealPlayer. It’s also a popular online video-downloading app. However, you must read its instruction manual and license agreement to understand proper content downloading policies. Because online content comes with copyright protection.

The tool lets you stream your videos live to social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. If you love dark mode UI for PC or mobile apps, you go it in this multimedia player. Moreover, RealPlayer lets you burn HDD or mobile storage content on CDs and DVDs.

Features:

  • Play Now feature for theatre experience on streaming sites
  • Priority updates with Premium subscriptions

Pros

  • Play online WebM files in full-screen
  • Download online videos or audio of different qualities

Cons

  • Not available for macOS devices
  • Content downloading and pro features aren’t free

Developer’s Name: RealNetworks, Inc.

Download the App: Win | iOS | Android

Supported Operating Systems: Win 7 and later, Android 6.0 and up, Requires iOS 13.0 or later

Supported Media Formats: WebM, DVD, MP4, 3GPP, AAC, DIVX, AVI, etc.   

Pricing Information: Free; Premium plans range between $2.99 to $47.99

5. Miro Player

Miro Player’s website

You can break free of the cycle of buying apps by considering Miro as your next WebM player. However, you might have to compromise a lot on the user interface. From the look of the official website, it looks like the developer isn’t actively updating the app and the website. Furthermore, it relies greatly on converting content to a specific file type. You might need to convert WebM to another format like MP4 before being able to play the video.

Features:

  • Built-in audio and video file converter
  • Lets you download online content

Pros

  • Plays WebM on Apple computers by converting to another compatible format
  • Cross-platform media player

Cons

  • The website is dated and unresponsive
  • The software interface looks outdated

Developer’s Name: Participatory Culture Foundation

Download the App: Miro Player

Supported Operating Systems: Win XP and up, macOS

Supported Media Formats: WebM, Quicktime, MPEG, AVI, WMV, WMA, FLV, etc. 

Pricing Information: Free

6. GOM Media Player

GOM Player’s window

GOM Media Player is another potential app you can use on PC, Mac, and mobile phones for WebM file playback. It comes with additional codecs so that you can play various other video and audio formats too. The multimedia player’s specialty is touch-optimized skins. You can also choose from a wide variety of default skins. Furthermore, if you need to focus on the content of the media player, then you can switch to the basic white skin. It contains minimal content control on the UI so that you can focus on movies or TV shows.

Features:

  • Supports subtitles like SRT, SUB, RT, SBV, etc.
  • Offers additional codecs

Pros

  • Supports 360° VR content playback using DirectX 11 or newer (not supported on Windows XP/macOS)
  • Skin customizations and optimizations

Cons

  • Ads in a free version
  • Searching the subtitles not available on Apple computers

Developer’s Name: GOM & Company

Download the App: macOS | PC | iOS | Android

Supported Operating Systems: Win 7 or later, macOS, iOS 11.0 or newer, Android 4.4 and up

Supported Media Formats: WebM, MKV, MP4, AVI, FLAC, OGG, M4A, etc. 

Pricing Information: Free; GOM Player Plus costs $9.99

7. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer’s Library

You can also give 5KPlayer a shot as your preferred standalone app for WebM playback. The multimedia player supports the playback of video content in 4K UHD, HD, 720P, and many other qualities. Furthermore, it can play 360° video supplied by VR devices or high-tech cameras. That’s not all! You can play content from conventional DVDs and CDs without installing any plugins. And the latest addition is IPTV streaming in supported regions.

Features:

  • Built-in radio
  • Zero quality loss for video and audio playback

Pros

  • Download videos from various video-sharing and streaming sites
  • Supports Apple AirPlay and DLNA devices

Cons

  • Very slow server for the software download mirror
  • Not available for mobile devices

Developer’s Name: Digiarty Software, Inc.

Download the App: macOS | PC

Supported Operating Systems: macOS, XP SP2 or higher

Supported Media Formats: WebM, AAC, MP3, FLAC, MP4, etc. 

Pricing Information: Free

8. PotPlayer

PotPlayer’s window

If you’re wondering how to play WebM files on your PC, download and install the PotPlayer now. It’s free and easy to navigate. The tool is a good choice for playing WebM videos if you’re working on animated content post-production projects like editing, optimizing, layering texts, etc. Because the tool utilizes hardware acceleration like CUDA, DXVA, QuickSync, etc., for fast video rendering.

Features:

  • Overlay and Direct3D9 Ex Flip Mode support
  • Chapter or scene bookmarking

Pros

  • Hardware acceleration for graphics and texture detail-intensive videos
  • Page flipping, side-by-side viewing, etc.

Cons

  • Missing compatible app for macOS
  • You won’t find it for iOS or Android mobile devices either

Developer’s Name: Daum Communications

Download the App: PC

Supported Operating Systems: XP, Vista, Win 7, Win 8, Win 8.1

Supported Media Formats: WebM, FLAC, HLS, DASH, MPEG, AC3, etc. 

Pricing Information: Free

9. KMPlayer

KMPlayer’s window

If you’re looking for an effortless multimedia player that’ll run on most of your devices, get KMPlayer. It lets you playback WebM content and many popular video files like MKV, TS, MPG, etc. Its diverse networked storage content import lets you enjoy movies, TV shows, and audio from a remote device. It supports WebDav, SMB, UPNP, FTP, etc., so you can stream content from personal or business servers. Moreover, you can participate in games and missions to earn points.

Features:

  • Advanced playback controls like bookmarks and speed control
  • Customize video components like hue, light intensity, hue, brightness, etc.

Pros

  • Gamified video player for mobile
  • Real-time video playback when downloading is still going on

Cons

  • Not available for Apple computers

Developer’s Name: PandoraTV

Download the App: PC | iOS | Android

Supported Operating Systems: Win Vista and later, Android 5.0 and up, iOS 11.0 or later 

Supported Media Formats: WebM, MOV, RMVB, M4V, etc.  

Pricing Information: Free

10. PlayrXtreme Media Player

PlayrXtreme’s window

PlayrXtreme Media Player is a cross-platform media player app that you can use on your mobile devices like iPhone, iPad, and Android smartphones. It lets you sync videos from networked devices, so you don’t need to import media into your device using a cable.

Thus, you can experience video or audio playback across devices in your home or workplace. You can also try out this media player if you stream content online. If you’re finding it challenging to play WebM video files, you can install this app on your iPhone or iPad and start watching TV shows or movies in WebM media formats.

Features:

  • Dedicated Library tab to add movies and music tracks effortlessly
  • iPad directory helps you to import media from iPad’s local storage
  • Play video and audio from remote servers and networked storage if your device supports this feature

Pros

  • It’s suitable for conversion-less media playback on a mobile, tablet, and smart TV
  • It supports various subtitles formats
  • Offers the option to download subtitles from online destinations
  • List ItemCompatible with hardware-accelerated video and audio playback

Cons

  • Not available for Apple computer OS like Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, OS X, etc.
  • Require a monthly or yearly subscription to use standard features like streaming, HD audio playback, subtitles, etc.

Developer’s Name: Mind Cube Apps

Download the App: iPhone | iPod | iPad | Apple TV | Android | Kindle

Supported Operating Systems: iOS (13.0 or later), iPod OS (13.0 or later), iPadOS (13.0 or later), tvOS, Android (4.4 and later), and Fire OS    

Supported Media Formats: WebM, AVI, MKV, MP4, WMV, and many other video/audio containers

Pricing Information: Limited free version; monthly Pro version costs $4.99; annual Pro version costs $19.99

FAQ

The best way to play a WebM file is using the Elmedia Player from App Store. Unlike other media players, you don’t need to convert WebM to MP4 or M4V before playback. You just import the content and play. It’s that easy.

Many online and offline media players support WebM files. For example, you can use the followings:

  • Elmedia
  • Player
  • Safari web browser
  • Chrome browser
  • VLC Media Player
  • Real Player