Tealdeer
Focus: command line, cheat sheet and tldr. Shares open source and github with mpv. Rated 4.5 (mpv: 4.7).
OtherFreeCross-Platform
4.5Visit
Desktop App
mpv
A powerful free media player that plays almost anything.
Rating
4.7 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
macOS, Windows, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is mpv?
mpv is a free media player controlled from the command line and keyboard. It supports a wide range of audio and video formats, codecs and subtitle types and runs on Linux, Windows and macOS. Hardware decoding is available but is turned off by default and can be switched on with an option.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what mpv does well
- Plays almost any video or audio file
- Fast and keyboard friendly
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- No traditional menus, so there is a learning curve
- Mostly set up by editing options
Who mpv is for
People who watch lectures and videos and want a fast, flexible player.
Who can skip it
Anyone who wants a player with a polished point-and-click interface out of the box.
mpv alternatives
Not sold on mpv? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
navi
Focus: terminal, cli and cheatsheet. Shares open source with mpv. Rated 4.8 (mpv: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
keyd
Focus: key remapping, shortcuts and linux. Shares keyboard and open source with mpv. Rated 4.5 (mpv: 4.7).
OtherFreeLinux
4.5Visit
yabai
Focus: window manager, tiling and macos. Shares keyboard and open source with mpv. A Mac app, not a desktop app. Rated 4.5 (mpv: 4.7).
Mac AppFreemacOS
4.5Visit
fzf
Focus: fuzzy finder, command line and shell. Shares open source and github with mpv. Rated 4.8 (mpv: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
lazygit
Focus: git client, terminal ui and developer tool. Shares open source and github with mpv. Rated 4.8 (mpv: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
Free alternatives to mpv
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
Atuin
Focus: shell history, terminal and command line. Shares open source and github with mpv. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
bat
Focus: file viewer, command line and developer tool. Shares open source and github with mpv. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
btop
Focus: system monitor, terminal and processes. Shares open source and github with mpv. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
htop
Focus: process viewer, system monitor and terminal. Shares open source and github with mpv. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
MuseScore Studio
Focus: music notation, sheet music and composition. Shares open source and github with mpv. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
scrcpy
Focus: android, screen mirroring and phone control. Shares open source and github with mpv. Adds Android. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
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