List of best MKV players

The more we are advancing towards a world filled with technology, the more are we consuming media. Whether it be for watching our favourite video on YouTube or learning something important using an online video, we watch some or other kind of videos every day.

Now, to play the video files, we of course need a media player.

What is a media player? Media player is a type of application software for playing multimedia computer files like audio and video files. Media players provide most or all of the following features. They allow users to organize their multimedia collection, play songs and movies, rip CD tracks to MP3 and other audio formats, burn CDs, listen to internet radio, download content from online music stores and stream content from the internet.

Every media player has its own specialities. Because of it, some media players might suit our best needs. In this article, we will have a detailed look at some of the best of the many available MKV players for various devices.

What is an MKV file?

An MKV file is a video file saved in the Matroska multimedia container format. It supports several types of audio and video codecs and may include SRT, SSA, USF (Universal Subtitle Format), or VobSub subtitles. MKV files are typically used for storing short video clips, TV shows, and movies.

MKV Players for Windows

Playing your MKV files using VLC Media Player

The best way to play your MKV files on a Windows PC is of course by using one of the most popular media players.

About: VLC is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. VLC Media Player is also highly popular, is completely free, supports almost all file formats without the need to download additional codecs, can optimize video and audio playback for your chosen device, supports streaming, and can be extended almost infinitely with downloadable plugins. Since the VLC media player is open-sourced, you need not worry about your file safety as you can look up its code anytime and it is completely trusted.

Pros of VLC media player:

  • It is open-sourced.
  • Supports various file formats.
  • Plenty of options to control the playback and edit the video.

Cons of VLC media player:

  • It can be a bit overwhelming to some.

Download from here: VLC Media Player

Playing your MKV files using uView player

Another great option for Windows users is to play their MKV files using the uView player.

About: The uView player software is capable of playing media files from local folders or streaming videos from a variety of hosting websites. Its speciality is that it can run videos in the background not only from local folders but also from streaming websites. This way you can watch your favourite videos while playing games or working. The window is set to stay always on top and supports transparency adjustment. Moreover, you can lock the size and position of the window, to avoid accidental changes.

Pros of uView player:

  • Excellent for multi-tasking.
  • Can be used for streaming.
  • Adjustable interface.

Cons of uView player:

  • Not many options to control the playback.
  • Cannot edit.

Download from here: uView Player

Playing your MKV files using Any Player

About: Any Player is a powerful media player designed for Windows 10. It is a free DVD, video & audio player. You can use it to play DVDs, watch movies and films. There’s no need for any video converter as it can play any kind of media formats and DVD. It has a simple to use interface with all the essential functions that you would expect from a media player. The minimum system requirements for Any Player are Windows 10 version 14393.0 or higher, Windows 10 version 14393.0 or higher, Xbox One and architecture of x64. Along with the many file formats, it can play .hevc - High Efficiency Video Coding, .m2t, .m2ts - Blu-ray, BDAV Video, .m2v - MPEG-2 Video, .m4v - iTunes Video, .mkv - Matroska Video, .mod - JVC Everio Video Recording, .mov - Apple QuickTime Movie, .mp4 - MPEG-4 Video, .mpg, .mpeg - MPEG Movie.

Pros of Any Player:

  • Easy to use interface.
  • Supports almost every media file format.

Cons of Any Player:

  • Cannot edit.

Download from here: Any Player

Playing your MKV files using KMPlayer

About: KMPlayer is a world-renowned multimedia player that can play movies, dramas, music, and other content with an average of 1.5 billion plays a month. It is optimized for any specification and gives users the best viewing experience. Supports various codecs and high-definition services such as 3D, 4K, UHD, and you can enjoy images with vivid image quality. Out of the many supported media file formats, some are AVI, MPEG, TS, MKV, MP4, WEBM, MOV, 3GP, 3G2, FLV, OGM, RM, WMV, MP3 etc.

It is one of the best alternatives of any player that exists in the market as it is not only lightweight but the installation is also very simple and the codec bundles allow the user to make sure that each and every video in any format is played without any issue and problem. The minimum system requirements for KMPlayer are Windows Vista 64-bit, Direct X 9 or later, 150Mb of installation space.

Pros of KMPlayer:

  • Support almost all video formats.
  • Supports subtitles and Blu-ray image subtitles in various file formats (PGS subtitles, etc.).
  • Supports Blu-ray Disc and DVD.
  • Can stream and download videos from YouTube.

Cons of KMPlayer:

  • Some features are paid.

Download from here: KMPlayer

Playing your MKV files using SMPlayer

About: SMPlayer is a free media player for Windows and Linux with built-in codecs that can play virtually all video and audio formats. It doesn’t need any external codecs. Just install SMPlayer and you’ll be able to play all formats without the hassle to find and install codec packs. It’s really worth downloading and start using SMPlayer. It’s very intuitive and easy to use. After using this player, you won’t get any more messages about missing codecs and can see the images and videos in great quality.

One of the most interesting features of SMPlayer: it remembers the settings of all files you play. So you start to watch a movie but you have to leave… don’t worry, when you open that movie again it will be resumed at the same point you left it, and with the same settings: audio track, subtitles, volume.

Pros of SMPlayer:

  • Can play almost every video and audio format.
  • Remembers the settings you chose.
  • Can stream online videos.
  • Comes with built-in codecs.

Cons of SMPlayer:

  • Not many options to edit.

Download from here: SMPlayer

MKV Players for macOS

Playing your MKV files using Elmedia Player

About: Elmedia Player is a Mac video player that offers advanced streaming options. It can handle any conceivable media format without the downloads of any additional codecs. It is a free video player for Mac that boasts compatibility with all commonly used video and audio formats, including MKV, AVI, FLV, SWF, MP4, WMV, MOV, MP3, DAT, FLAC, M4V, MPG, DivX. This video player for Mac delivers an outstanding HD experience without putting a strain on your CPU.

Not only does Elmedia offer extensive subtitle support, it also lets you decide how they will look during playback. You can choose to either load them manually or automatically. SRT, ASS, SMIL and other formats are supported. Set a custom subtitle delay to sync them with video - useful if the original file has issues. It is very safe to use according to the user reviews and guarantees file safety. Plus, it can also edit your video files and also take screenshots. The cherry on the cake? You can also play your videos in the background.

Pros of Elmedia Player:

  • Almost supports every format.
  • No need to download additional codecs.
  • Has many playback options.
  • Can even edit videos to an extent.

Cons of Elmedia Player:

  • Some features are paid.

Download from here: Elmedia Player

Playing your MKV files using IINA

If you have a modern Mac, your go-to choice should be IINA.

About: IINA is born to be a modern macOS application, from its framework to the user interface. It adopts the post-Yosemite design language of macOS and keeps up the pace of new technologies like Force Touch, Touch Bar, and Picture-in-Picture. IINA supports the native Picture-in-Picture mode, enables you to enjoy either local or online videos without being distracted.

Powered by the open-source media player MPV, IINA can play almost every media file you have. With the support of youtube-dl and their browser extensions, you can also play a variety of online streams in IINA via one click. Since it is open-source, you need not worry about your safety as you can look up its code anytime from here. System requirements: OS X 10.11+, macOS 10.15 recommended.

Pros of IINA:

  • Is open-source and safe.
  • Makes the best use of the features of a modern Mac.
  • Simple and elegant to use.
  • Completely free from ads.

Cons of IINA:

  • Does not support relatively older versions of macOS.

Download from here: IINA

Playing your MKV files using NicePlayer

About: NicePlayer is a powerful, free media player only available for Mac. It can easily play your MKV files. It’s available for users with the operating system Mac OS X and previous versions, and you can get it only in English. NicePlayer is a relatively light program that doesn’t need as much storage space as the average program in the category Audio & Video. This program aims to be a QuickTime player designed for playing movies nicely for a person who likes to watch or present movies on their computer (such as the casual viewer or the video artist). It features full screen or border-less floating windows, convenient controls for scrubbing or queuing movies, and on the fly playlist creation. In a nutshell, it’s power-packed in a small package.

Pros of NicePlayer:

  • Enable to input/output all popular formats.
  • Convert 2D/3D BD, DVD to 3D video

Cons of NicePlayer:

  • Not a very interactive UI.

Download from here: NicePlayer

Playing your MKV files using MKPlayer

About: MKPlayer is a multimedia application created by Rocky Sand Studio Ltd. The video player provides unique and convenient playback features so that playing movies and TV shows are made more fun and optimized. It is an easy-to-use media player designed to offer unique features to enjoy watching videos and listening to music. It is specially developed to play MKV files easily and efficiently. It works with macOS High Sierra as well as macOS Mojave for instant playback on the big screen. Users can also integrate this application with Safari Extension once they enable access at the Safari preferences. It can also be used as a background player as the application stays on top of any open windows for convenient access. Users can also adjust the configuration of the video settings for better visuals. They can change video parameters like brightness, contrast, and saturation.

Pros of MKPlayer:

  • Easy to use UI.
  • Plays almost every media file format.
  • Subtitle and audio selection with video adjustment.
  • Supports Safari Extension.

Cons of MKPlayer:

  • It is a bit overwhelming.

Download from here: MKPlayer

Playing your MKV files using 5KPlayer

About: 5KPlayer is a stylish and powerful media utility that makes it easy for you to play 4K and 5K HD videos, download online videos from the most popular video-sharing websites, as well as stream audio-video. This software is essentially an all-in-one media player which is able to deal with most file types. It can also download a host of online videos and it is compatible with Apple AirPlay technology.

It is even capable of playing damaged MKV files to some extent. This is something that very few media players can do. 5KPlayer, a mixture of free (MKV) UHD video player, music player, AirPlay & DLNA enabled media streamer and online downloader. Its slick interface is represented by two main tab menus, the 5KPlayer and the Library tabs. The 5KPlayer menu provides quick access to features like the video player, music player, DVD player, Radio, YouTube Downloader, and the AirPlay menu, while the Library menu enables you to access and manage music, videos, downloads, and playlists with ease. Along with the various file formats, it can play MKV, 1080 HP, MP4, AVI, WMV and FLV.

Pros of 5KPlayer:

  • Can play some damaged MKV files.
  • Completely free to use.
  • Supports various file formats.
  • Specially designed for playing MKV files with ease.

Cons of 5Kplayer:

  • Lacks some playback and editing features.

Download from here: 5KPlayer

MKV Players for Android

Playing your MKV files using MX Player

About: This is probably the first media player that is not only a very powerful media player but also an emerging OTT platform to watch some of the very popular web series. You can use MX Player without any hassles because it has been on the Google PlayStore for more than 10 years now.

All of these years, it has built good trust among its users. This app can be used to play all types of videos and audios extensions such as MP4, MKV, MP3 AVI and many more. This video player allows you to download and customize various codex so that you can play any file formats. It also has a hardware and software decoder that allows your video to play properly with some extra hardware decoding. Along with all these, you can fully customize your MX Player and can even change the full interface of the app. The best thing about this app is that it is used by more than 350+ million users and therefore you can blindly trust and enjoy this app.

Pros of MX Player:

  • Supports various file formats.
  • Even has its own OTT platform.
  • Has many playback options.

Cons of MX Player:

  • Contains Ads.

Download from here: MX Player

Playing your MKV files using RockPlayer2

About: RockPlayer2 plays almost everything, 720p, 1080p FullHD or even 2K/4K UltraHD. The audio and video are synchronised perfectly. RockPlayer brings different experience with a rich set of features and gestures. The best thing about this app is its fun and interesting UI. Along with these, it has full gesture control, a customizable control bar and a reinvented progress bar. Want to watch your videos on big screens? It also supports HDMI Mirroring and Intel Wireless Display. It is an app that takes up less storage space than many programs in the category of MP3 & Multimedia Apps. It can play MKV, AVI, RMVB, FLV, WMV, MOV, MP4, TS, MPG, and many other video formats.

Pros of RockPlayer2:

  • Very interesting UI.
  • Plays MKV files efficiently.
  • Easy to use.

Cons of RockPlayer2:

  • Is too minimalistic and lacks some options.

Download from here: RockPlayer2

Playing your MKV files using Video Player All Format

About: Video Player All Format is a professional video playback tool. It supports almost all video formats, 4K/ultra HD video files, and plays them in high-definition. It is one of the best HD video players for android tablet and android phone. Video Player All Format also protects your private video from being deleted or seen when people use your device. It also features hardware acceleration to use the full potential of your device to play videos in vivid quality. Along with all these, you can change the resolution, change the aspect ratio, download online subtitles, play the video in the background, split the screen and many more. Video Player All Format is also the winner of the best video player as Google Play Best of 2017. Some of the many supported video formats include MKV, MP4, M4V, AVI, MOV, 3GP, FLV, WMV, RMVB, TS and many more.

Pros of Video Player All Format:

  • Plays almost every file format.
  • Has many options to control the playback.
  • Seamlessly plays HD and UHD video files.
  • Comes with a night mode thus providing less strain in the eyes.

Cons of Video Player All Format:

  • Some features are paid.

Download from here: Video Player All Format

MKV Players for iOS

Playing your MKV files using PlayerXtreme

About: PlayerXtreme is a powerful media player that was designed with the idea that videos and movies should be easy to play and available on all devices across your home. PlayerXtreme is not limited to your drawing room. You can take it to school, use it for a presentation or just pass time while waiting for your flight. It recognizes just about any kind of video, music, or photo format and displays all of your content in an easy-to-navigate interface. You can play almost any video format under the sun on your iPad or iPhone with the PlayerXtreme app.

The overall user experience of the app is great. Therefore, PlayerXtreme is highly recommended to people who watch a lot of movies and videos and like to maintain their own library. Along with the many video files, it can play MKV, MOOV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, WMV, WEBM, AVI and a lot more. The cherry on the cake? It is completely free.

Pros of PlayerXtreme:

  • Efficient UI.
  • Hardware-accelerated.
  • Plays almost every video format.
  • Can control playback using various options.

Cons of PlayerXtreme:

  • There could be some more video parameters to control.

Download from here: PlayerXtreme

Playing your MKV files using Movie Player

About: Movie Player is a free powerful video player for iOS. With Movie Player, you can now watch all your favourite films on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.

Movie Player supports all popular file formats. No video conversion is required beforehand. Supported file formats include MP4, M4V, MPV, VOB, TS, OGV, OGM, MKV, MOV, WMV, AVI and a lot more. You can directly play films via Dropbox, rename files directly from the app, delete files, download subtitles and more. Movie Player even plays Videos from email attachments, from your web browser and from many other apps.

Pros of Movie Player:

  • Easy to use.
  • Efficient and responsive UI.

Cons of Movie Player:

  • Some more features can be added.

Download from here: Movie Player

In conclusion, these were some of the best MKV players for various devices and operating systems. Hope you try them out.