This article acquaints you with the best MKV players for Mac you can use to play MKV files hassle-freely on your device.
Matroska video files or MKV files are video containers like AVI and MOV files. However, they also boast unlimited support for pictures, audio, and subtitle tracks, such as USF or SRT. The MKV files have multiple benefits, like online streaming, metadata support, recovery of corrupted files, and much more. However, you can only play these files smoothly with the best free MKV player for Mac.
The best Mac MKV players decode the MKV files and offer many features to elevate your experience. For instance, they support a wide range of audio/video formats with no codecs, work smoothly with HD/4K videos, let you adjust settings like track selection hassle-freely, and do not annoy you with any ads/pop-ups/spyware/malware.
However, finding a perfect player to open MKV files on Mac is a challenge. Therefore, we did all the hard work of researching MKV players, evaluating them in terms of the value they provide, ranking, and listing them for our readers.
The following section shares our list of the best players to play MKV files on Mac for free.
Well-Researched List of the Best Free MKV Players for Mac
Below is the carefully curated list of the top players for MKV files on Mac.
1. Elmedia Player
Let us kickstart our list with Elmedia Player. It is undeniably among the best free MKV players for Mac for many reasons. For example, with Elmedia Player, you can perform video tuning, create playlists, capture automatic series screenshots, and much more.
Following is its complete set of features, along with its few hits and misses.
Features of Elmedia Player
- Allows you to import/export bookmarks
- Supports DLNA streaming
- Various formats are supported, such as FLV, AVI, SWF, MOV, MP3, and MP4
- Supports internal and external subtitles
- Support for online subtitle search
- Lets you use hotkeys
Pros
- No plugin or code needed
- Streaming across multiple devices
- Lets you play online videos without advertisements
Cons
- All features not available in the free version
- Encrypted Blu-ray disks not supported
- You cannot download videos
Also Read: Best Video Compressors for Mac
2. 5K Player
We would like to introduce you to the 5K Player. Though not entirely free, it is the choice of many users for its excellent streaming, downloading, viewing, and customization experience. Additionally, features such as extraction of lossless audio make it well-deserving of this position on our list.
Furthermore, the following are its other interesting features, pros, and cons.
Features of 5K Player
- Video downloading directly from the internet
- Support for a plethora of formats, including VP9 and HEVC/H.264
- You get support for AirPlay and DLNA playing
- Supports UHD format
Pros
- Free downloads and streaming
- A lot of codecs supported
- Screen recording and mirroring
- Easy-to-use interface
- Lets you stream and play from your hard drive
Cons
- Ads may seem annoying to some users
3. OmniPlayer
We cannot skip OmniPlayer when it comes to listing the best free MKV players for Mac. You can configure this player the way you want with elegant fonts and colors, playback speed, video color correction, and a lot more. Moreover, AirPlay and DLNA streaming make it a tough contender for many other players.
Let us go through this player’s all features, strengths, and weaknesses.
Features of OmniPlayer
- Video equalizer with contrast, brightness, and saturation adjustment
- Streaming capabilities
- Supports direct URL opening from streaming websites
- Convenience features progress bar preview thumbnails
Pros
- Free and open-source MKV player for Mac
- Audio and video settings
- Functional and simple UI
- Complete control over audio, video, and subtitles
Cons
- Complete features not available for free
- Constantly reminds to rate and review the player
Also Read: Best Video Repair Software for Mac
4. VLC
No list of the best free players for Mac to play MKV looks complete without VLC. It is a renowned name in the media playing industry, with a history dating back to 1996. Over all these years, VLC has been a constant favorite of millions of users for its high-security measures and convenience.
Apart from it, the following are its core features, pros, and cons.
Features of VLC
- Custom playlist creation
- Interface design configuration
- High-speed video and audio conversion
- Support for all major formats, such as MP4, Blu-Ray, OGG, and DVD
- Lets you preview the MKV file before downloading it
- Option to add subtitles
- Allows you to effortlessly organize and operate the MKV audio/video/subtitle tracks
- You can use VLC to play encrypted DVDs
Pros
- Screencast and desktop recording
- MKV conversion into various formats
- Does not need any additional codecs
- Free, cross-platform, and open-source
- Allows Blu-ray playback
Cons
- No advanced features in the music player
- A few users reported playback issues
- Unattractive UI
5. IINA
You can choose IINA if you are looking for a well-designed MKV player for Mac, which supports Touch Bar, Picture-in-Picture, Dark Mode, Touch Bar, Gestures, and Retina. Moreover, plug-in support and compatibility with almost all formats are its highlighting features.
Furthermore, the following features, pros, and cons are also notable about this player.
Features of IINA
- Clean and intuitive interface
- Playback speed controls
- Online subtitles
- Thumbnail preview
- Supports YouTube-dl and browser extensions
Pros
- Open-source and free
- Reliable and consistent in performance
- HDR support
Cons
- Consumes more battery than other MKV players
- No advanced features
Also Read: Best and Free Duplicate Video Finders for Mac
Summing Up
This article acquainted you with the best free MKV players for Mac. You can go through their features, pros, and cons to select the one that fits your needs.
If you have any other MKV player to add to the above list, or have questions/suggestions about this write-up, kindly drop us a comment. We will be happy to get in touch with you.
