The Best Video Players for Android in 2024

Watching videos on your Android device is a great way to kill time or relax. With the right Video Players for Android, you can get an optimized viewing experience tailored to your needs. But with so many options on the Play Store, how do you choose the best Android video player for you? This comprehensive guide will walk you through the top video players for Android and help you find the perfect app to meet your needs.

Video Playback Features to Look For

When evaluating video players for Android, keep an eye out for these key features that impact your viewing experience:

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• Format support – Can it play all your video file types like AVI, MKV, MP4, MOV? The more formats supported, the better.
• Adaptive streaming – Automatically adjusts video quality based on your connection speed. Useful for uninterrupted playback.
• Hardware acceleration – Uses your device’s hardware for efficient video processing and playback. Helps save battery life.
• Subtitle support – Displays subtitles perfectly synced with video playback. Great for foreign language content.
• Customization – Lets you tweak the interface, themes, gestures and more to your liking.
• Extra features – Picture-in-picture, popup player, kids lock, etc add convenience.

The Best Free Video Players for Android

Don’t want to spend any money? These free Android video apps have you covered.

VLC for Android

With over 500 million downloads, VLC for Android is undoubtedly one of the most popular choices. Developed by VideoLAN, this open-source, free multimedia player is renowned for its format versatility.

VLC plays virtually all video and audio formats including MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, FLAC, and more. It can also play network streams and disks. For audio, VLC provides various equalizer presets and spatializer effects to augment your listening experience.

On the video side, VLC enables adjusting aspect ratios, zooming and rotating. You can stream content to Chromecast devices via the app. The media library automatically organizes all your audio and video files for quick access. VLC even allows you to play files in the background with a pop-up window.

While the features makes VLC extremely powerful, it also adds some complexity. The interface has a learning curve and the app can feel sluggish on older or low-end Android devices. But overall, it remains one of the top choices for local and network media playback.

Key Features:

• Plays all major formats including discs and network streams
• Equalizer presets and audio effects
• Aspect ratio adjustments and zoom
• Background playback and pop-up interface
• Free and open source

MX Player

With over 500 million downloads on the Play Store, MX Player is a leading free video player for Android. It is renowned for its smooth, efficient video playback thanks to optimization features like multi-core decoding.

The app supports all mainstream formats like AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, FLV, and more. You can enable hardware acceleration for even better performance. The Kids Lock is great for parents to restrict access.

MX Player really shines when it comes to subtitle support. You can resize, reposition and customize the text style. The app can even display two subtitles simultaneously. Gestures allow adjusting brightness, volume, playback speed and more while watching a video for quick access.

MX Player does display some ads during use. It also promotes video content from its streaming platform MX Takatak. While a Pro ad-free version is available, the free player itself is quite feature-rich.

Key Features:

• Plays all major video and audio formats
• Multi-core decoding optimization
• Gesture controls for playback, subtitles, etc
• Dual subtitle support
• Kids lock available

KMPlayer

With over 100 million downloads globally, KMPlayer is a modular video player packed with handy features. The app automatically organizes all your local audio and video files for easy access.

KMPlayer supports common formats like MP4, MKV, AVI plus less mainstream ones like FLV and OGM. You can enable hardware acceleration for smooth full HD and 4K playback. The interface allows resizing the playback window or going full screen.

Useful additional features include changing playback speed, taking screenshots, bookmarking positions within videos and data saver mode. KMPlayer even lets you stream personal media from cloud services like Google Drive for anywhere access.

While the interface isn’t as intuitive as VLC or MX Player, KMPlayer is still a great option thanks to its format versatility, optimization features and handy tools for media playback.

Key Features:

• Plays less mainstream formats like FLV and OGM
• Hardware acceleration for HD/4K videos
• Adjust playback speed
• Bookmark videos
• Stream from cloud storage

Video Player All Format (XPlayer)

With over 50 million downloads, Video Player All Format (also called XPlayer) is a popular free local media player. As the name suggests, it supports playback of pretty much any media file including 4K, Full HD, SD, and even obscure formats.

XPlayer provides expected basic playback controls like speed adjustment. You can minimize videos to a small floating window for multitasking. The app enables streaming your locally stored media to Chromecast devices.

A private folder protected by password keeps your personal videos safe from prying eyes. This comes in handy on phones shared by multiple family members. The interface automatically switches to a darker scheme in night mode for comfortable viewing.

While XPlayer ticks all the right boxes, it lacks some of the advanced optimization features found in MX Player and VLC. But overall it remains a great option if you want a fuss-free video player without too many complex settings.

Key Features:

• Supports virtually all video formats including 4K
• Floating pop-up player
• Private folder with password protection
• Night mode for dark theme
• Free with no ads

The Best Paid/Premium Video Players for Android

Don’t mind spending a few bucks for an enhanced ad-free experience? Here are some of the top paid video player apps for Android.

MX Player Pro

The ad-free paid version of MX Player costs $5.99 but is well worth it for an uninterrupted viewing experience. You get the same excellent playback features without annoying ads.

MX Player Pro supports all leading audio and video formats. The optimization features ensure you can play even high bitrate 4K/HD content smoothly. Dual subtitle capability, kids lock, gesture controls and Chromecast streaming are present.

This premium version brings additional perks like the ability to play audio in the background. MX Takatak video recommendations are also disabled. For power users, unlocking extra decoding options is possible with the pro license.

If you found the free version of MX Player excellent but were irritated by the ads, upgrading to pro is highly recommended.

Key Features:

• No ads or video recommendations
• Background audio playback
• Advanced decoding controls unlocked
• Same great playback features as free version

PowerDirector Video Editor & Video Maker

Priced at $5.99, PowerDirector from CyberLink is a capable premium video player bundled into a full-fledged editing app. The video editor itself is quite advanced with features like multi-track timelines, chroma key, slow motion and more Video Players for Android.

The video player supports all widely used media formats and 4K playback. You can stream locally stored videos to Chromecast devices. Adjustments like zoom, aspect ratio, rotation and speed control are available.

PowerDirector really shines by combining powerful editing tools with a optimized media player. The app can play and render videos up to 4K resolution perfectly. The intuitive interface makes both editing and video playback user-friendly.

If you want capable video playback paired with pro-grade editing tools in one package, PowerDirector is a top choice. The reasonable price brings excellent value Video Players for Android.

Key Features:

• Robust video editor + player
• Plays and renders 4K video smoothly
• Basic playback adjustments
• Chromecast streaming support
• $5.99 value-packed pricing

KMPLAYER Plus

The paid version of KMPlayer costs $3.99 and unlocks additional useful features plus removes ads. Hardware-accelerated 4K video playback ensures smooth performance.

KMPlayer Plus enables continues playback so videos keep playing sequentially in a playlist. You can set custom resolutions for greater control. The recorder tool lets you save streaming video clips offline.

Privacy gets a boost via private folder, incognito browsing and app locking. Other extras include tag editing, cloud file transfers, screenshot capture and video effects Video Players for Android.

While the free version of KMPlayer is quite decent, upgrading to Plus brings worthwhile upgrades like 4K acceleration, continuous playback, privacy enhancements and more.

Key Features:

• Hardware-accelerated 4K video playback
• Continuous playback of playlists
• Video clip recorder
• Private folder and incognito browsing
• $3.99 good value

BSPlayer Pro

The paid version of BSPlayer costs $3.49 but packs in lots of extras for the price. It plays a wide array of media formats and supports multi-core hardware decoding for efficient 4K/HD video playback. Useful additions in BSPlayer Pro include the ability to play background audio and video.

BSPlayer Pro includes the ability to play background audio and video in a floating popup window for multitasking. You can play media from compressed formats like ZIP and RAR files directly.

The player offers a sleep timer to stop playback after a preset duration. Drawing on the video canvas, video effects and capturing screenshots are also possible. A neat feature is video bookmarking to easily resume playback later.

If you found the free version of BSPlayer great but were irritated by the ads, the Pro upgrade removes them entirely delivering an optimized ad-free experience Video Players for Android.

Key Features:

• Multi-core decoding for efficient 4K/HD playback
• Background audio and floating video player
• Plays compressed ZIP/RAR files
• Video bookmarks and canvas drawing
• $3.49 good value

OPlayer Lite

For $2.99, OPlayer Lite delivers a highly customizable video player without ads. It supports playing media over network protocols like SMB for streaming from PCs.

Advanced features like HDR tone mapping, color management and Expert mode cater to discerning videophiles. OPlayer Lite can even upscale lower resolution videos to 4K.

With Chromecast support, you can easily stream locally stored media to your TV. The Daydream VR mode optimizes your videos for viewing with a Google Daydream VR headset.

The OPlayer developers frequently update the app and actively engage with users. If you want a premium video player with tons of customization and high-end playback options, OPlayer Lite is a great choice.

Key Features:

• Network streaming support
• Upscaling and HDR video enhancements
• Daydream VR mode
• Highly customizable
• $2.99 reasonable price

Picking the Right Video Player

With so many excellent options on the Play Store, choosing the ideal Android video player app ultimately depends on your unique needs and preferences.

If you want a free, feature-rich app that plays virtually anything, VLC is a outstanding option loved by millions. MX Player offers unparalleled subtitle support through gestures and dual language capability.

For those willing to pay a small amount, MX Player Pro, PowerDirector and BSPlayer Pro deliver an ad-free premium video playback experience. KMPlayer, XPlayer and OPlayer Lite are great all-round choices with solid format support and useful extras.

Evaluate your must-have features like format versatility, Chromecast streaming, HDR video enhancement, and choose a video player that best fits your viewing needs. With the right app, you can kick back and enjoy movies, shows and other video content to the fullest on your Android device.

FAQs About Video Players for Android

Should I use MX Player or VLC for Android?

Both MX Player and VLC are excellent in their own right. VLC has wider format support while MX Player excels at subtitle management. Ultimately it depends on which features are more important for your viewing needs.

Does VLC support 4K videos on Android?

Yes, VLC can play 4K videos without issues on newer Android phones and tablets. It leverages hardware acceleration to ensure smooth ultra HD playback.

What is the best free video player for Android without ads?

VLC is arguably the best free video player on Android that is entirely ad-free. Other solid no-ads options are KMPlayer and Video Player All Format XPlayer.

Can I play BluRay discs on Android using VLC?

Yes, VLC has the ability to play back BluRay disc images. You need to download the disc image in ISO format first before opening it in VLC.

Which video player is best for MKV files on Android?

VLC, MX Player, KMPlayer and Video Player All Format are all excellent choices for playing MKV videos smoothly on Android devices.