Windows Media Player AlternativesOnly apps categorised as Media Players

The best Media Player alternative to Windows Media Player is VLC Media Player, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Windows Media Player and loads of them are Media Players so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Media Player alternatives to Windows Media Player are MPC-HC, foobar2000, MPV and AIMP.

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Windows Media Player alternatives are mainly Media Players, but if you're looking for Audio Players or Internet Radio Services you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Kindle Fire, Android Tablet, iPhone, Android, Windows and Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Windows Media Player.
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Alternatives list

  1. VLC Media Player icon

    VLC Media Player

     7680 likes
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    Enjoy seamless media experiences with this cross-platform, ad-free player supporting multimedia files, DVDs, streaming, Chromecast, 4K, and no tracking. Customize with themes, play offline, and get privacy-focused service without registration. Fully extensible by plugins.

    167 VLC Media Player alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • AppImageHub
    • Apple Watch
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Apple TV
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Kindle Fire
    • Haiku
    • Android TV
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1
     
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    9
    134
    Comments about VLC Media Player as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    Top Positive Comment
    Rasheed AZ
    5

    Can actually play most media files and actually fulfil its purpose unlike wmp

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    20

    VLC, while an awesome media player, lacks WMP's library features. Thus, it is not an all-in-one system like WMP is.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    tpc1095
    Positive
    1

    Not an alternative to Windows Media Player at all because the main function of WMP is to organize song tracks into albums by artist. Just playing a file isn't a big deal.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    3 of 9 comments
    Windows Media Player Icon
    VLC Media Player icon

    • Most users think VLC Media Player is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • VLC Media Player is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Windows Media Player.

    • VLC Media Player is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Windows Media Player.

    • VLC Media Player is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • VLC Media Player is Customizable and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  2. MPC-HC icon

    MPC-HC

     1308 likes
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    A lightweight open-source media player for Windows, giving support for all video/audio formats. It boasts no ads, dark themes, codec support, and seamless YouTube playback. Developed by longtime contributors, it's mature software with community improvements and crash fixes.

    139 MPC-HC alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    MPC-HC screenshot 1
     
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    46
  4. foobar2000 icon

    foobar2000

     1536 likes
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    Audio player offering MP3, FLAC support, gapless playback, customizable interfaces, CD ripping, advanced tagging, ReplayGain, plugins, and is known for its freeware model, running on various Windows versions with high audio fidelity.

    198 foobar2000 alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Foobar custom.
     
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    3
    25
    Comments about foobar2000 as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    tvgoing1
    Negative
    1

    foobar is not windows media player, it does not play videos

    GGhz
    Positive
    0

    Light weight MUSIC player, has everything you need. about 4MB installer and 15MB on ram ,light on CPU

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Difficult to use, I couldn't work out how to rip CDs with it.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Windows Media Player Icon
    foobar2000 icon

    • Most users think foobar2000 is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • foobar2000 is Free Personal and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • foobar2000 is Customizable, Privacy focused and MinimalisticWindows Media Player is not according to our users
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    CyberLink PowerDVD icon
    CyberLink PowerDVD

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  6. MPV icon

    MPV

     548 likes
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    MPV is an audio and movie player based on MPlayer and mplayer2. It supports a wide variety of video file formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types.

    113 MPV alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • BSD
    • F-Droid
    • Haiku
    • Xfce
    • Chocolatey
    MPV screenshot 1
     
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    1
    10
    Comments about MPV as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    Guest
    Positive
    5

    MPV is an open source and professional project

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Windows Media Player Icon
    MPV icon

    • Most users think MPV is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • MPV is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • MPV is Minimalistic and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  7. AIMP icon

    AIMP

     874 likes
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    Feature-rich audio player for Windows and Android supporting diverse codecs and interfaces. Includes conversion tools, skins, plugins, and custom equalizer for enhanced audio streaming and podcast playback.

    340 AIMP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • PortableApps.com
    AIMP screenshot 1
     
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    1
    21
    Comments about AIMP as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    Gustavo D
    Negative
    0

    AIMP is awesome, no question about it, but it's not a all media player. It explicitly doesn't play video. With plug-ins it can pull video content from say, YouTube, but it won't show the video, the reason is stated as something about focusing on being a audio player. I'm paraphrasing. If you are replacing WMP as audio player though, maybe first try iTunes. AIMP may be a little much for you.

    Windows Media Player Icon
    AIMP icon

    • Most users think AIMP is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • AIMP is Free and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is also Free and Proprietary
    • AIMP is Customizable and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  8. Clementine icon

    Clementine

     749 likes
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    Clementine is a cross-platform free and open source music player and library organizer. It is a port of Amarok 1.4 to the Qt 4 framework and the GStreamer multimedia framework, focusing on a fast and easy-to-use interface for searching and...

    251 Clementine alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Clementine with lyrics pane
     
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    1
    19
    Comments about Clementine as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    154pinkchairs
    Positive
    0

    one of the greatest FOSS players, but tbh I prefer quodLibet since it's more lightweight

    Windows Media Player Icon
    Clementine icon

    • Most users think Clementine is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • Clementine is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • Clementine is Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  10. PotPlayer icon

    PotPlayer

     690 likes
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    Windows multimedia software player offering extensive customization, format versatility, and optimized low-end hardware playback. Developed by Kakao, it avoids adware and features powerful customization, praised for its small footprint and high-quality video output, competing with leading players.

    130 PotPlayer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    PotPlayer screenshot 1
     
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    3
    16
    Comments about PotPlayer as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Video, audio and image capture from any devices in various format.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Built in image, video and audio capture any sources.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    very customisable, allows the user to search and download subtitles through the program itself, without having to go to the browser to search. It also allows the user to synchronize the subtitles/audio via shortcuts and change the filters over the video.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Windows Media Player Icon
    PotPlayer icon

    • Most users think PotPlayer is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • PotPlayer is Free Personal and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • PotPlayer is Customizable and MinimalisticWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  11. Winamp icon

    Winamp

     894 likes
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    Media player for Windows offering ease of use, skinnable design, advanced audio visualizers, and support for plug-ins, playlists, music library, and various audio formats. Known for extensibility, music visualization, and online community support.

    258 Winamp alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    Media Library
     
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    12

    • Most users think Winamp is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • Winamp is the most popular Web-based alternative to Windows Media Player.

    • Winamp is Free and ProprietaryWindows Media Player is also Free and Proprietary
  12. Strawberry icon

    Strawberry

     249 likes
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    Strawberry is a music player and music collection organizer. It is a fork of Clementine released in 2018 aimed at music collectors and audiophiles. The name is inspired by the band Strawbs. It's written in C++ using the Qt framework.

    242 Strawberry alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Warning

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    Strawberry screenshot 1
     
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    2
    13
    Comments about Strawberry as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    zokris
    Positive
    1

    Unlike VLC, Strawberry is not a "file player" but a complete management software for your music collection. Very convenient UI, can rip CDs, gives you the choice of encoders/decoders, ...

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Strawberry is very good option to play CDs extract them, organize and many more

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Windows Media Player Icon
    Strawberry icon

    • Most users think Strawberry is a great Windows Media Player alternative.

    • Strawberry is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
    • Strawberry is Customizable and Privacy focusedWindows Media Player is not according to our users
  13. SMPlayer icon

    SMPlayer

     457 likes
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    SMPlayer intends to be a complete front-end for MPlayer, from basic features like playing videos, DVDs, and VCDs to more advanced features like support for MPlayer filters and more. SMPlayer remembers the settings of all files you play.

    129 SMPlayer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • mpv
    • Snapcraft
    • PortableApps.com
    • Haiku
    • MPlayer
    • Flathub
    • Homebrew
    Playing video - Default Skin
     
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    6
  14. Audacious icon

    Audacious

     298 likes
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    Lightweight open-source audio player for Unix-like platforms focused on high sound quality, extensive codec support, playlist handling, Internet radio, plugins, Winamp-style skins, cue sheets, metadata display, effects, equalizer, and efficient resource usage.

    133 Audacious alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • Xfce
    Audacious screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Audacious as an Alternative to Windows Media Player
    Guest
    Negative
    -3

    Windows Media Player is not Light Weight and audacious is light weight and only an Audio player. Win Media Player is Multimedia Player/RIpper with library functions.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Windows Media Player Icon
    Audacious icon
    • Audacious is Free and Open SourceWindows Media Player is Free and Proprietary
  15. Media Player Classic icon

    Media Player Classic

     761 likes
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    Media Player Classic was designed to look just like Windows Media Player 6.4, but with many additional new features. It has a built in DVD player with real-time zoom, support for AVI subtitles, QuickTime and RealVideo support and built-in...

    133 Media Player Classic alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Media Player Classic screenshot 1
     
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    14
12 of 132 Windows Media Player alternatives