Best Media Player for Windows 11 - Top 10 Tools for Audio & Video

Are you looking for the best media player for Windows 11? Although Windows has an in-built media player, third-party tools have extra features that might suit your needs better.

In this guide, I will show you 10 top-rated options for your Windows 11 PC.

Best Media Player for Windows 11

Media Player	Beginner-friendly	Format Support	Pricing	CPU Usage
VLC Media Player	Yes	Over 100 formats	Free	Low
PowerDVD	Yes	Over 100 formats	Premium	Medium
GOM Player	Yes	Over 100 formats	Premium	Medium
Kodi Media Player	Average	Under 100 formats	Free	Medium
KMPlayer	Average	Over 100 formats	Free download	Medium
Free download	Yes	Over 100 formats	Free	Low
DivX Player	Average	Under 100 formats	Free donwload	Medium
SMPlayer	Yes	Under 100 formats	Free	Low
5KPlayer	Yes	Under 100 formats	Free download	Low
ALLPlayer	Yes	Over 100 formats	Free download	Medium

1. VLC Media Player

VLC is one of the most popular media players for Windows users. It’s free and open-source. I’ve been using this tool for years, and it indeed plays nearly all video and audio formats.

It’s also one of the oldest video and music apps, but the developers regularly update it to include new features.

It can play up to 8K video resolution, supports subtitles, and you can easily add filters to audio and videos. It’s a great DVD player, as well.

Pros	Cons
A wide range of media formats are supported	Doesn’t support Blu-ray
It’s a lightweight program	Advanced options can intimidate beginners
Easy and friendly user interface
It decodes hardware quite fast

Get VLC Media Player

2. PowerDVD

PowerDVD by Cyberlink is one of the most advanced media and DVD players for Windows PCs. It supports a range of formats, including Blu-ray, UHD, and ISO. It’s a perfect player for 8K media resolution.

One of its unique features is the ability to play online media right there on the app. For example, you can play Vimeo and YouTube videos and music.

The tool also allows users to stream content wirelessly using the casting features. So you can cast Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Apple TV, and Roku.

Pros	Cons
Exceptional media playback quality	Protected media can’t be cast
You can customize your interface
Ability to share media through a link

Get PowerDVD

4. Kodi Media Player

Kodi is a free and open-source media player for Windows 11. I would recommend this software to users who want to have a large file database in one place.

It supports real-time media like videos and formats such as MIDI, MP4, AAC, and up to 8K media resolution. Also, you can live-stream events and sports using Kodi.

You can also use it for playing games, recording live shows to watch later, and having numerous plug-in libraries to customize your experience.

Pros	Cons
It’s free to use	Beginners might find it hard to add and use plug-ins
Easily customized	It doesn’t support screencasting
It has parental controls
Good for keeping all media in one library

Get Kodi Media Player

5. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is another top-rated media player for Windows that’s rich in features. It supports slideshow creation, video-to-GIF conversion, and the ability to use Chromecast to cast video to bigger screens.

It plays a wide range of formats, like DVDs, 4K, 8K, and Blu-ray media. It also has built-in codecs and supports subtitles for videos and movies.

I recommend this software to advanced media users who want to experience options that are rare in other tools. You can do more than just media playing with KMPlayer.

Pros	Cons
Supports many media formats	High CPU usage
User-friendly interface	Beginners might be intimidated by advanced features
It’s able to play Blu-ray
It has a free version

Get KMPlayer

6. DivX Player

DivX Player is one of the best media players for Windows 11 computers. It can play DivX media formats such as AVI, which is a rare feature. However, it supports other formats such as HEVC, MKV, MP4, and many others.

Some of the unique features are Trick Play and Chapter Points. Trick Play allows users to jump to their preferred scenes, while Chapter Points helps users search and find scenes.

The tool also lets you keep track of your media and play up to 8K video resolution.

Pros	Cons
Easy to navigate through options	Advanced options can be tricky for beginners
Supports casting
It’s a lightweight tool

Get DivX Player

7. Windows Media Player

Windows Media Play is a revamped tool for Windows 11. It boasts a simple and aesthetic interface, and it’s not prone to glitches.

You can also turn on the tool’s dark view.

It supports various media formats such as MP4, AVI, MP3, MOV, 3GP, WebM, ASF, and many others. I use it to play music and videos, and it’s quite pleasing.

Pros	Cons
You can adjust brightness and contrast	Some formats might require add-ons
User-friendly interface
No bugs or glitches

Get Windows Media Player

8. SMPlayer

SMPlayer can remember media settings, volume, subtitles, and much more. Simply put, you can play a video or audio using the last set of preferences.

The media software is highly customizable, especially when making changes to the toolbar. It also has several playback options, and you can sync subtitles.

SMPlayer supports many video and audio formats, and it’s easy to download and install on your device.

Pros	Cons
It’s a lightweight tool	Lacks advanced features for expert users
User-friendly interface	Some formats might need add-ons
Fast to install on your computer
Available for different devices

Get SMPlayer

9. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer is one of the best video and audio tools with a classic codec library. Supported formats include FLV, MPEG, MP4, WEBM, and many others.

It’s pretty lightweight and doesn’t consume too much GPU and CPU resources. Nearly any computer can run it.

Many users like this tool because it supports high video resolutions of up to 8K. You can also enhance the audio quality using simple settings. Moreover, you can watch live videos and online platforms like YouTube.

Pros	Cons
Easy to use interface	Lacks more advanced features
It’s a lightweight app
Compatible with many devices

Get 5KPlayer

10. ALLPlayer

If you’re in a family setup where kids want to use a media player, then ALLPlayer is your program. It has excellent parental control options. You can use a password to lock inappropriate content.

I also noted that it has great playback and subtitle options – the developers have integrated AI to enhance accurate subtitles.

It supports many media formats and peripherals like DVDs and CDs. You can also use the tool to stream live events and sports.

Pros	Cons
Uses AI subtitles	Can’t play Blu-ray format
Supports dual monitor
Supports Dolby surround

Get ALLPlayer

How I Chose the Best Media Player for Windows 11?

To come up with the list of the best media players for Windows 11, I tested and used 20 tools. I checked their:

• Features
• User interface
• Media format support
• Customization
• CPU usage
• User experience
• Advanced app options.

I have also compared their plans (free and paid), and how to download and install them on your Windows PC.

How To Use a Media Player?

In this section, I’ll use VLC Media Player as an example.

1. Go to the official VLC website, download it, and install it on your PC.
2. Open the media player, and on the top-left side, click Media > Open file.
3. Go to where your audio or videos are stored on your PC and select the ones you want to play. Alternatively, you can drag and drop them on the VLC window.
4. Next, locate the controls and use them as you wish.
5. To add subtitles, go to the Subtitle tab.
6. There are many other options that you access through the toolbar options: Media, Playback, Audio, Video, Subtitle, Tools, View, and Help.

Settling for the best media player for Windows 11 is not easy, but I believe this guide will help you make a perfect decision. Choose the one that suits your needs and that can’t overload your PC.

Feel free to tell me which player worked for you in the comment section below. And if you want more info, learn how to play a DVD movie on Windows 11 here.