QuickTime is a collection of multimedia frameworks created by Apple to enable devices to run many different formats of video, sound, picture, and animations. Generally, most of the features work in the background except QuickTime player, which is commonly referred to as QuickTime itself.
Despite all the great features, QuickTime has been on the decline for some time now. Support for Quicktime was dropped in 2016 for Windows, and later in 2018 for macOS. This collection of multimedia codecs and a media player was essential before modern OSs got built-in support for H.264 and AAC.
Now, to provide you with some of the best alternatives to QuickTime, we have curated a list of the most reliable media players out there. Take a look at their features, and choose the one that best satisfies your requirements.
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10 Best QuickTime Alternatives in 2021
VLC Media Player
When it comes to QuickTime alternatives, VLC is perhaps the best choice out there. Being an open-source software, it provides no advertisements or other paywalls. Also, it has support for playing most video and audio file formats that exist as of now. It can also play DVDs, text content, subtitles, ID3 tags, and more.
With VLC media player, you also get many great features like a built-in equalizer, video effects and filters, sound tweaks, and media format conversion. It also has seamless support for playing video files on different devices running on the same network. Overall, this app provides most of the functionality and features present in QuickTime, if not more.
Download: VLC Media Player
Kodi
This is another reliable open-source option for a QuickTime alternative that offers great functionality. It can also play most formats of video and music because of the support for hardware and software decoders.
There are also many skins and plug-ins that you can get for Kodi, which makes it customizable. It is available for both PCs and smart TVs with an intuitive and well-laid-out user interface.
Download: Kodi
RealPlayer
Being one of the more modern options amongst other QuickTime alternatives, this media player brings some powerful and intuitive features. Apart from playing most types of file formats, you can also download videos from video-sharing websites in just one click.
Also, this app features a bit of AI which can help you to recognize movie and TV characters very easily. The search and organize features are very well done along with the UI and should work great for most users.
Download: RealPlayer
PotPlayer
With many internal codecs and support for 3D video formats, PotPlayer is an appropriate alternative to QuickTime. It is compatible with many different devices and provides a smooth and stable video playback experience.
Along with these great features, you also get webcam support, gapless video playback, support for blu-ray subtitles, and capture support, and hardware acceleration. It also works equally well for audio files and can play most of them.
Download: PotPlayer
SMPlayer
Similar to the other options on this list, SMPlayer is open source and available for free. On top of that, the features it brings makes it a really good alternative to QuickTime. You can play almost all file formats without the need for external codecs.
This media player can also stream YouTube videos directly and provides a built-in equalizer. You also get support for themes and custom icons, with support for over 30 languages.
Download: SMPlayer
MiniTool MovieMaker
This is one of the options in this list that not only provides great video playback but also offers powerful editing tools, similar to QuickTime. It is a video maker and editor, and you can create videos using images and various transitions.
Also, the videos can be edited using several tools that you get at your disposal. You can merge video files, add music tracks, flip or rotate videos and much more.
Download: MiniTool MovieMaker
Media Player Classic (MPC-HC)
With Media Player Classic, you get a very simple and intuitive alternative to QuickTime. It works really well on weaker hardware and provides support for DVB playback.
You can also tweak some of the parameters like button color, playback speed, navigation, and more. Like other options on this list, this media player can also run most of the video and audio file formats with ease.
Download: Media Player Classic
GOM Player Plus
GOM Player Plus brings one of the most polished user interfaces for playing videos and maintaining a media library. It can automatically sync subtitles for the video being played. This audio player has support for most file types out there, but some may need an external codec to be installed.
You get support for hardware acceleration, speed control, themes, and much more. Also, this app is low on resource demand and should run on even older computers with weak hardware.
Download: GOM Player Plus
5KPlayer
This is yet another alternative to QuickTime that works really well for the intended purpose. You get support for DLNA and AirPlay to stream your local media content.
There is also a built-in radio player with support for major radio stations. Also, the intuitive library management tools are great for keeping your files organized. You can download and stream videos from platforms like YouTube too.
Download: 5KPlayer
KMPlayer
The last but not the least powerful alternative to QuickTime in this list is KMPlayer. It can play most resolutions and formats of videos. Also, the playback speed, colors, and other video parameters can be adjusted easily during playback.
You also get a built-in equalizer with support for both audio and video. Additionally, there are also option to change how the subtitles look. With these features, you can easily consider this to be one of the better alternatives to QuickTime.
Download: KMPlayer
