# Media players for Mac

> Play MKV and other video formats QuickTime Player won't open.

From dockpicks (https://dockpicks.com/), a hand-picked, independent directory of Mac apps. Web page: https://dockpicks.com/media-players/

Group: Create. 5 apps, listed best first. Prices are the vendor's wording, checked October 2026, and can change.

Built into macOS: QuickTime Player. QuickTime Player handles everyday playback of common movie files, and it can also trim clips and record your screen or audio. It does not support plug-ins for extra codecs, so formats such as Matroska (MKV) and many older files are out of reach, and Apple stopped converting many legacy formats after macOS Mojave. If you download or collect video, a third-party player is one of the first things worth installing.

## 1. IINA

Modern, Mac-native video player built on mpv

- Price: Free
- Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: Yes, GPL-3.0 (https://github.com/iina/iina)
- Website: https://iina.io/
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/media-players/#iina

A free, open-source video player built on the mpv engine, with a native macOS interface, trackpad gestures, Picture in Picture, Live Text and a plugin system for things like subtitle sources.

Our take: The best default for most people: it plays almost anything and feels like a proper Mac app. No tracking or telemetry.

## 2. VLC media player

The plays-everything player, including DVDs and streams

- Price: Free
- Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: Yes, GPL-2.0 (https://github.com/videolan/vlc)
- Developer: VideoLAN
- Website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/media-players/#vlc

A free, open-source cross-platform player that handles most media files as well as DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs and various streaming protocols.

Our take: Pick it when IINA chokes on an odd file or you need disc playback or network streams. Its interface looks dated on the Mac compared with IINA.

## 3. Infuse

Polished player for your NAS, Plex, Jellyfin or Emby library

- Price: Free; Infuse Pro $1.99/month, $16.99/year or $99.99 lifetime
- Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: No
- Developer: Firecore
- Website: https://firecore.com/infuse
- Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/infuse/id1136220934
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/media-players/#infuse

A video player that streams from a Mac, PC or NAS over SMB, NFS, FTP or WebDAV, or from Plex, Emby and Jellyfin servers, and fetches artwork and metadata automatically. It runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Vision Pro.

Our take: Best if you keep a movie library on a server and want a good-looking library view across all your Apple devices. Dolby Vision, lossless audio and AirPlay need Pro.

## 4. Elmedia Player

Player that streams to AirPlay, Chromecast, Roku and DLNA TVs

- Price: Free basic version; PRO edition $19.99 on the Mac App Store
- Pricing model: Free tier. A usable free version, with a paid upgrade for more.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: No
- Developer: Electronic Team, Inc.
- Website: https://www.elmedia-video-player.com/
- Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/elmedia-universal-video-player/id937759555
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/media-players/#elmedia-player

A media player for most video and audio formats that can stream to Apple TV, AirPlay and Google Cast devices, Roku and DLNA smart TVs. It also has subtitle support and a 10-band equalizer.

Our take: Worth a look if you mainly want to send local files to a TV. The free edition covers playback, but streaming and picture adjustments need PRO.

## 5. mpv

Minimal, scriptable command-line player for power users

- Price: Free
- Pricing model: Free. No payment needed for the full app.
- Usable without paying: Yes
- Open source: Yes, GPL-2.0-or-later (https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv)
- Website: https://mpv.io/
- Facts checked: 2026-10-24
- On dockpicks: https://dockpicks.com/media-players/#mpv

A free, open-source command-line media player with wide format and subtitle support, high-quality GPU rendering, HDR support and Lua scripting.

Our take: For people who prefer config files and keyboard control over menus. Most Mac users get the same engine with a friendlier interface in IINA.