Ranking of the best video players for Android and iOS in 2020

If a few decades ago, watching films in places not intended for this was a curiosity, today this no longer surprises anyone. For the convenience of watching video files, different manufacturers offer a choice of their video players, suitable for devices on Android and iOS platforms. This article gives a rating of high-quality video players in terms of their functionality and in the opinion of users.

How to choose the best player for your device? First, highlight the most important selection criteria for yourself. Secondly, at the price most suitable for you. Third, remembering that popular models are not the best. It is necessary to study all the technical characteristics and capabilities that are just listed in this review.

Top 9 best video players for Android and iOS in 2020

• VLC;
• Infuse 5;
• MX Player;
• PlayerXtreme Media Player;
• KMPlayer;
• nPlayer Lite;
• XPlayer;
• CnX Player;
• Plex.

Let's consider each of the programs in more detail.

VLC

The VLC media player was first developed by Parisian students in 1996. Today, this player is great for all operating systems, including Android and iOS.

This video player is suitable for watching regular video or streaming from the Internet, as it supports both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols. It can handle almost all video formats: MP3, audio, MXF, Media Video, and so on.

In 2020, the current version is 3.0.8. This version of VLC has a lot of improvements and improvements required in our time. Such updates made him one of the leaders.

One of the features is considered the ability to view 360-degree video, as well as audio with more than 8 channels.

The VLC video player is best suited for watching a movie or series with subtitles.

VLC's interface is quite user-friendly. There are many settings to adapt it for you. The default settings are fine for anyone, though. You can download additional skins to change the appearance.

The application is downloaded absolutely free from the official website or on the app store, or google play.

• no need to install additional codecs;
• perfectly reproduces poor quality videos;
• the ability to view video files with subtitles;
• you can watch streaming video from the Internet;
• free use;
• support for video download via wi-fi;
• user-friendly interface even for a beginner.

• many newbies will not understand the settings;
• weak design.

Infuse 5

Infuse video player developers are constantly improving their product. The main change was the ability to view videos from any connection, although earlier versions did not have the ability to upload via Dropbox or Wi-Fi.

Infuse 5 supports many video formats such as MP4, M4V, MOV, AVI, MKV, WTV, MTS, ISO, VIDEO_TS and others.

Very user-friendly and intuitive interface. When downloading and opening the application, the orange "add files" button immediately pops up. And files can be added to this player in several ways:

• from a web browser;
• via FTP;
• from iTunes;
• from application documents;
• from a shared folder;
• by HTTP link;
• from Documents;
• their other applications.

You can also add movies or other videos through the cloud or Plex.

At any step, instructions for further actions are offered, this makes the video player understandable even for a beginner who is not versed in new technologies.

The video viewing mode has no less advantages:

• viewing with subtitles;
• change the volume, brightness during playback.

Overall, this is a good app for streaming video lovers, although regular videos play just as well.

• support for many formats;
• streaming to other devices;
• easy interface;
• convenient playback mode.

• the application, although free, implies a lot of in-app purchases;
• only suitable for IOS.

MX Player

Video player MX Player is considered one of the best video player for tablets, phones and other Android devices.

The main advantage is the ability to use a large number of codecs. For example, on Google Play, you can find and install ARM v5 and v6. And this advantage is not the only one, as this player supports a large number of file formats, which is certainly a great advantage.

The interface of the program is also very convenient, and especially the settings. Each user can customize MX Player for himself:

• protection from children;
• change of design;
• background playback;
• audio playback;
• memorizing the position and playing from that moment.

Many users will also appreciate the ability to scroll video, resize images using multi touch.

There is also a function for playing subtitles, which also has no significant complaints.

• support for many formats;
• great functionality;
• changing the size and brightness of the image using multi touch;
• free program.

• not suitable for iPhones;
• to eliminate ads, you need to pay for this version.

PlayerXtreme Media Player

PlayerXtreme Media Player is recognized as one of the best video player for iOS devices.

This program is universal, as it helps not only to view video files, but also to listen to audio, view photos.

Files can be downloaded over the network, from a phone, or through a browser. The player supports SMB / FTP and Upnp / Dlna protocols. In general, the files are played back without problems and in good quality.

PlayerXtreme Media Player supports a wide variety of video file formats dat, 3gp, gxf, avi, dv, flv, asf, divx, and others.

The interface will be appreciated by MAC users, for them it will be the most familiar design. Nevertheless, the beginner will also have no difficulties. In the video playback mode, you can use the subtitle function, rewind, and background mode.

Previously, this player was only suitable for Apple products, but in 2018 it became possible to download it to the Android platform.

• supports many formats;
• you can set a password;
• you can hide folders from "guests";
• suitable not only for video files.

• the program is free, but you need to download a paid version to use many functions;
• iTunes - DRM protected files are not supported.

KMPlayer

Another popular and high-quality player is KMPlayer. Many agree that this Korean development has become a "giant" among such programs.

One of the advantages is video playback of almost all formats such as 3GP DVD, WMA AVI, MKV, VCD, QuickTime, Ogg, OGM, MPEG-1/2/4 FLV, WMV and RealMedia. A big plus is the ability to open damaged or not downloaded avi files.

This player is packed with great functionality allowing you to view both streaming and non-streaming video.

Additional features that enhance viewing comfort include:

• automatic change of volume level in quiet files;
• memorization and subsequent reproduction from this moment;
• subtitles in different formats;
• "Cloud" service for storing information.

In general, this is a convenient and high-quality program for viewing and listening to audio and video files. It is suitable for laptops, tablets and android smartphones.

• support for almost all formats;
• opening damaged or not downloaded avi files;
• cloud storage;
• free.

• an abundance of advertising;
• sometimes it can be "buggy".

nPlayer Lite

According to some users, nPlayer Lite is a worthy replacement for AVPlayer. In addition to the main advantages and advantages of players for iPhone and iPad, this video player has a licensed DTS soundtrack. This was achieved thanks to the agreement of the developers.

NPlayer Lite Video Player supports many formats like RMVB, OGV, MOV, MKV, MP4, AVI and so on. Audio file formats include MP3, WAV, APE, FLAC and others. By the number of supported formats, this program is considered one of the best in the App Store.

The developers provide for cloud storage of files, which allows you to play videos online. You can watch movies or TV series from other servers: FTP, SMB \ CIFS, WebDav, STFP, Toshiba and UPnP \ DLNA.

nPlayer Lite has a large number of settings that allow you to change and adjust the background or other characteristics for each user.

• supports many formats;
• licensed soundtrack DTS;
• cloud storage;
• many different settings.

• the free version has very limited functionality;
• the price for the paid version is far from democratic;
• sometimes it can "hang".

XPlayer

XPlayer is considered a professional video player and a relatively new program. It is able to open video files of all formats, among which are the most popular: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV.

The program has a lot of positive options. One of these is protecting files from deletion or unauthorized interference. This is done using a specially created folder that only one user has access to.

For those who like to watch movies or TV series with subtitles, this application is best suited, since the subtitle function is implemented here at a high level.

Other features include:

• hardware acceleration;
• support for 4K;
• the program automatically recognizes all files from the device or media;
• Convenient control of brightness, volume or playback progress.

Although XPlayer is a professional player, it is also suitable for ordinary lovers of watching videos from a phone or tablet.

• support for all video formats;
• improved file storage;
• automatic file recognition, no updates.

• many users report problems with rewinding;
• not suitable for IOS devices
• functionality depends on the device.

CnX Player

CnX Player is a highly efficient 4K video viewing software. It is suitable for devices with different OS - Android, iOS and Windows 10.

The supported player formats include both standard and popular - MP4, MKV, AVI and FLV, and less common ones. It can handle all codecs.

The program interface is characterized by intuitive use, and even beginners in using smartphones, tablets and PCs can understand it.

When watching a video, you can use gestures to change the volume and brightness, as well as control the playback speed. For users looking for a training program, this is the most suitable option, since there is also a “subtitle” option.

The CnX Player video player has a large amount of functionality and settings, its capabilities include image scaling, as well as adding video from the device library. But in general, the program is slightly inferior in capabilities to other applications.

• suitable for devices on different OS;
• supports all codecs;
• designed for 4K video;
• high performance;
• requires minimal battery consumption;
• free use.

• does not support all file formats;
• inferior to many similar programs.

Plex

In terms of its functionality, characteristics and capabilities, the Plex video player is not just a player, but a real media server. According to many users, Plex is the best player for MAC. It will be appreciated by users of devices such as iPhone and iPad. Although, it is suitable for devices on different operating systems, such as Windows or Android.

The main feature is considered to be wide support, since Plex works well with TV - set-top boxes, tablets, smartphones or other devices. One of the advantages of a media server is its support for all formats.

Using and viewing files is facilitated by its interface. It allows you to add different video files from the library and use them on different devices with Plex installed. This allows you to watch movies and TV shows from the previous location without throwing it from one device to another. To watch video from a media server, for example, on a TV, you need to install Plex Media Server in Russian.

Synchronization with cloud storage is considered an additional advantage.

But, the mediserver has its own difficulties, for example, with all the richness of settings, they are quite difficult to implement.

An important condition is the installation of the Plex server on the computer, and the player on the smartphones.

• support for all formats;
• media server;
• the ability to work with multiple devices;
• broadcasting video to smart-TV;
• high quality reproduction;
• free;
• suitable for many devices;
• a large number of settings.

• difficult to master the settings;
• high performance of devices is required.

Outcome

Every lover of films, TV series, or those who have it related to the profession, has been or is looking for a video player suitable for him. In order not to be mistaken with the choice, it is necessary to take into account all the features of the device and the required conditions.

This is especially acute with such a variety of proposed options. Although, not every video player is suitable for all operating systems, such as XPlayer.

In 2020, it is necessary that the program be able to play video files of any format - 4K, HD, Full HD without stuttering. The ability to download files from different servers and media is useful, and this feature belongs to many of the players discussed earlier.

For the price, video players have a fairly large range of differences, ranging from absolutely free and reaching non-budget options. There are programs with an additional purchase, that is, the main one is free, and to get additional functions, you need to buy another version. In most cases, this is done so that the user can get acquainted with the player.

Summing up, it should be noted that there are plenty of good applications, but at the same time, each of them has its own shortcomings, which are usually not critical and it is possible to eliminate or smooth them out.