Top 8 Free Alternatives to RealPlayer for Mac and Windows

Kevin Miller

March 01, 2024 09:13Posted by to Play Video

"I just upgraded my computer to Windows 10, which the Windows Media Player is no longer available. I used RealPlayer old version 16 previously, should I update to RealPlayer 18 on Windows 10 as the default media player? What are the best alternatives?"

RealPlayer is more than a simple media player for Windows 10, it has advanced features to manage the videos, photos and music files with ease. What are the special features about RealPlayer? Just read on the article to get the detailed information about RealPlayer and alternatives.

RealPlayer and Alternatives

Part 1. RealPlayer Review and Features

RealPlayer 18

RealPlayer for Windows 10 is the ultimate media and video player for your PC. Whether you need to play audio, video, text, images, or even CD/DVD disc, it should be your right choice. You can also upload the videos on RealPlayer Cloud, which is able to play on RealPlayer APK on Android.

RealPlayer seems to be the all-in-one media player on Windows, but when you try to watch/convert the videos in HD, burn/play DVDs in theater mode, or upload more videos to RealCloud, you have to upgrade to upgrade to RealPlayer 18 Plus or Premium instead of take advantage of full features. According to customer reviews, some report that RealPlayer performance is unstable when playing videos. In addition, RealPlayer only has a Windows version. If you use a Mac or want a more stable media player, read the next part to find the RealPlayer alternative for Mac or Windows.

Pros

  • It's convenient to sync your videos between devices via cloud service.
  • It offers advanced library management tools, such as organizing by people and duplicate removal.
  • It has basic editing features, like trimming videos.

Cons

  • It is bloated with features and sometimes becomes slow or even crashes.
  • It's not available for Mac users.
  • Features like an equalizer and DVD burner require a premium plan.

Part 2. Top 4 RealPlayer Alternatives for Mac

Top 1. Free Blu-Ray Player – Enjoy All Video Files

Even you are using the RealPlayer, you are not able to play Blu-Ray discs/folders/ISO files. Free Blu-Ray Player is the ultimate media player that supports all video formats.

Free Download

For Windows

Secure Download

Free Download

for macOS

Secure Download

Pros

  • You can change video effects, such as hue, brightness, contrast, etc.
  • It allows you to customize your subtitles and audio tracks.

Cons

  • You can only watch 4K videos and enjoy DTS or Dolby in the pro version.

Top 2. QuickTime Player – Default Media Player for Mac

Quicktime

QuickTime Player is the default media player limited to play video and audio files. If you do not need to watch DVDs, Blu-Ray movies, MPEG 2 or AC 3 files, you can explore some extra features within the RealPlayer for Mac alternative with ease.

Pros

  • It's free and pre-installed on macOS.
  • It can play online streaming videos by pasting URLs.
  • You can edit your video with basic trimming features.

Cons

  • It supports limited subtitle formats.
  • It can't play some common video formats, such as MKV or DivX.

Top 3. VLC Media Player – Versatile Media Player for Mac

VLC media player is another versatile cross platform video player as a RealPlayer alternative. It works most of the media files, audio CDs, DVDs, VCDs, ISO images, etc. Moreover, it is available on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Pros

  • It is a cross-platform media player available on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android.
  • It's open-source and powerful, with many extensions available.
  • It allows users to install plug-ins to expand its features.

Cons

  • It doesn't have a cloud service like RealPlayer to sync your videos.
  • You can't organize the library with advanced tools like in RealPlayer.

Top 4. 5KPlayer - Free 4K 5K 8K Player for Mac

5KPlayer

5KPlayer is another great free alternative to RealPlayer, with many advanced features. You can watch 4K/8K videos in various formats, like MP4, MKV, AV1, MP8/VP9, etc.

Pros

  • Hardware acceleration for smooth playback of 4K videos.
  • You can directly download videos from various sites.

Cons

  • Some users report there is malware or virus during installation.
  • It requires an Internet connection while using.

Part 3. Top 4 RealPlayer Alternatives for Windows

Top 5. Windows Media Player – Default Media Player for Windows

Windows media player 12

If you want to enjoy common videos and DVDs on Windows 10 for free, Windows Media Player is the recommended solution. Although it is not available by default, you can still download the RealPlayer alternative from Windows Store without problem.

Pros

  • It's a pre-installed and free media player on the Windows operating system.

Cons

  • It only offers basic media playback features without advanced options.
  • It has limited codecs, and you need to download a codec pack to play more media files.

Top 6. GOM Player – Search for the Desired File Codec

Gom player

What should be the best RealPlayer alternative if you want to play some special video formats? GOM Player is the media player that search for the missing codec, which you can view its properties and download the codec.

Pros

  • GOM Player gets updates regularly with new features for users.
  • It can automatically add files to your playlist.

Cons

  • It contains ads in the free version.
  • Some features are hard to find because its interface is difficult to navigate.

Top 7. KMPlayer – Full Packed Media and Video Player

KMplayer

KMPlayer has packed with all sorts of options and settings to explore all the features of the media player. The RealPlayer alternative has a built-in FFMPEG engine, which enables you playback all the video and audio files without problem.

Pros

  • Enjoy 4K, 8K, 3D, and VR videos.
  • It offers many advanced features like cloud service, equalizer, and wireless file transfer.

Cons

  • The 32-bit version is buggy and lacks new features.
  • It has ads on sidebars; you can't remove them unless you disconnect it from the Internet.

Top 8. Elmedia - Fully-Featured Media Player

Elmedia

If you need more features for media playback, Elmedia is also a great RealPlayer alternative. It supports formats like AVI, FLV, MP4, MKV, HD, and 4K videos. Besides, you can customize playback with various options.

Pros

  • It offers powerful support for subtitles, like auto subtitle loading and changing fonts, colors, and sizes.
  • You can watch videos in picture-in-picture mode.
  • You can cast your videos to Apple TV, AirPlay, or DLNA devices.

Cons

  • It lacks timely support for customers.
  • The playback is interrupted when adding a track to the playlist.

Part 4. FAQs of RealPlayer

Wrapping up

RealPlayer is a great and versatile media player for Windows. You can find the RealCloud, media converter, CD burner, and other features within the program. But to take full advantage of the program, you have to subscribe to the Plus or Premium version instead. Moreover, it's sometimes buggy or crashes, according to its users. Therefore, the article also shares the eight best RealPlayer alternatives for Mac and Windows, enabling you to enjoy various media files smoothly.

Select the article rating:
Rating: 4.9 / 5 (based on 353 votes)

More from Blu-ray Master