Top 5 Media Player Apps for Android

Stock media players suck. That’s why when you setup your Android device for the first time, one of the first apps you download from the Play Store is a good media player. There are lots of good media players out there but if you try want what we think are the best then read our Top 5 Media Player Apps for Android smartphones and tablets.

MX Player

MX Player has been our standard video player for our Android devices. It has clean, straight forward layout and wide support for different video files and CPU types. MX Player is a light app at almost 12MB and is free to download. It is ad-supported which shows when you pause your video but only when you’re connected to the Internet. But if you really want to get rid of the ads there’s a Pro version for Php260USD 4INR 376EUR 4CNY 32.

Archos Video Player

Archos Video Player is actually my main media player for my Android TV Box. It’s got a nice interface and organizes your video collections in a visually appealing way. It even downloads movie info, posters and subtitles which makes it a really good video manager. The only downside is that it doesn’t have a strong codec support. In my case it won’t play audio from an MKV file. The good news is that AVP allows its users to use an external player like MX Player. AVP is available as a free version but with ads. There’s an ad-free version which costs Php200USD 3INR 289EUR 3CNY 25.

Kodi/XBMC for Android

If you want a substitute to Archos Video Player you can also opt for Kodi/XBMC for Android. Like AVP, it has a nice interface and layout that’s good for those with huge media collection. Aside from video playback it can also play your music and show your photos. It also supports add-ons like online TV channels and apps to enhance your media experience. Kodi/XBMC for Android is not available on the Play Store but you can download it for free on their website via the link above.

Wondershare Player

For those who want a player that works well with videos on the Internet, Wondershare Player is a good choice. As a local video player, Wondershare Player neatly displays your stored videos and music files for easy file browsing. If you like casting your media it has support for Chromecast and UPNP-enabled devices. As for videos on the Internet, it has its own Internet browser with pre-installed bookmarks to popular sites like YouTube, TED, and IGN so you can watch those videos directly on the app. The best part is you can download those videos on your device for offline viewing.

VLC for Android

Although still in Beta, VLC for Android is already considered a capable video player with support for open network stream and the ability to browse folders directly. When playing you can adjust playback speed and set your sleep timer. It can play music files as well and comes with its own equalizer. As mentioned earlier, it’s still in Beta so you might notice some bugs every now and then.

Got something to add to this list? Feel free to mention your favorite Android media player in the comments field below.