Best Video Player apps for Android

Google’s native video player app is pretty bad, not only because it doesn’t play videos that well but also because the user experience is lacking in many areas. MX Player, however, takes care of both issues – since version 1.7.34, it has been able to play most files with ease and now features hardware decoding on almost all ARMv7 devices (1GHz CPUs or better), which means smooth full-screen playback without much CPU juice being used up.

VPlayer, on the other hand, has everything MX Player does. Then some – not only can it play most video formats with ease, but it also provides support for subtitles and gestures while watching videos (zoom in/zoom out with two fingers) and, the best of all – hardware acceleration.

For a player that’s been around for a short time, VPlayer is surprisingly advanced and best of all – it’s free.

RealNetworks’ RealPlayer Cloud is the best video player app available for those who need to watch their movies on more than one device. It supports mobile streaming from your PC browser, which means you can now watch those movies from any Android phone or tablet! The best part? The app doesn’t even require an account and requires no setup at all, so you don’t have to worry about not being able to stream your favorite movie again because something went wrong with the settings.

Plex is considered a practical choice for those users who are facing limited mobile storage. This tool streams content to your smartphone when you set up the server on your computer. So, contrary to other video players, Plex eliminates the need to store files on your device. It frees valuable storage for other purposes.

It’s a free, robust, and open-source video player and responsive to video codecs. It comes with modern features like picture-in-picture mode. Its appeal lies in delivering a clean user experience while providing power for diverse tasks.

TNP Media Player is a solid video player best suited for those of you looking for the best possible video playback with few distractions. TNP Media Player doesn’t really stand out in any way, but it does support most media formats, has full-screen mode, and, best of all – it’s free to download with no ads or paid features whatsoever.

It’s an excellent video player for Android devices and tablets. Notably, it robustly supports subtitles and plays media from compressed formats. This app features hardware-accelerated playback, multi-core hardware decoding, and the ability to stream from network (DLNA) devices. However, for advanced support, you’ll need to download additional plugins.

Users are capable of enjoying the ultimate 4K video playback on Android with FX Player. This tool comes with a multitude of features. You can acquire rapid video loading and an intuitive interface. It ensures uninterrupted entertainment with various formats like AVI, MKV, and MP4. Moreover, it doubles the entertainment as a slow-motion video player, ensuring you catch every crucial moment. Let’s elevate your entertainment with FX Player.

Those of you who tried MX Player but didn’t like that it uses hardware decoding might want to check out MX Video Player, which has no such limitations and, best of all, is free. It doesn’t support as many formats as VPlayer does (and not even as many as RealPlayer Cloud), but the ones it’s missing aren’t exactly popular most of the time.

VLC Media Player As we’ve mentioned before, VLC Media Player doesn’t only play most video formats known to man with ease, but it also features a-class interface and best of all, it’s completely free. It does lack a few minor features – no hardware decoding here, for example, but VLC is best suited for those who don’t rely on video formats and just want to watch their videos.

This tool excels as a video player specializing in streaming local content to Xbox 360/One, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, and other DLNA-compliant devices. So, despite its shaky beginning, it has evolved as one of the most reliable casting apps. It’s because it supports various media types. You can know that its free version imposes a five-minute content limit. So, for the pro version, you can go for $4.99 affordable charges. Additionally, you can transform your Android device into an AllCast receiver using the AllCast Receiver app.

LocalCast App competes directly with AllCast. It offers similar functions, such as streaming media to Roku, Xbox 360/One, Fire Stick, Chromecast, or Apple TV. In addition to these capabilities, it supports streaming from cloud storage. This storage, like Dropbox and Google Drive, is compatible with most DLNA-compliant devices. Its codec support aligns with Chromecast and covers the majority of major codecs.

Archos is a popular video player tool for Android. It supports several video file types, like MP4, AVI, WMV, MKV, and FLV. Meanwhile, it comes with subtitle formats like SMI, SRT, ASS, SUB, and others. Beyond its versatile compatibility, it offers additional features like external USB storage support, server and NAS support, and an advanced interface with straightforward controls. Notably, it integrates information from sources such as themoviedb.org and IMDb. Ultimately it proves a reliable choice, and there is an affordable pro version available.

This application functions as both a video player and a file transfer app. It allows users to share music and movies without using mobile data with their social media friends. It can smoothly play most music files and movies. This application proves the appropriate practical choice for sharing and enjoying media with friends. The top-notch feature is the free access and huge popularity among users. 

 MoboPlayer is a solid player best suited for those of you looking for something more than MX Player can provide but without needing hardware acceleration. It has most features present in the best media players out there (playlists, gestures while watching the video, subtitles support, etc.) but best of all – it’s completely free.

 It’s a simple yet powerful video player application. It supports a wide range of video codecs. So, it offers features like a privacy folder, night mode, Chromecast support, and variable-speed playback controls. A notable factor is it’s ad-free in the main interface. You can unlock the ad-free version for $3.99.