Minimalist, scriptable media player for the command line
mpv is a free, open source media player for the command line with a minimal on-screen controller. Built on FFmpeg and descended from MPlayer, it plays a wide range of formats, renders high-quality video with GPU shaders and hardware decoding, and is configured through text files and key bindings. Lua and JavaScript scripts extend it, and the libmpv library powers front ends such as IINA.
- features
- 5
- alternatives
- 9
- platforms
- 3
- Updated
- Oct 12, 2026
Features
Our take
Pros
- Excellent video quality with GPU shaders and hardware decoding
- Highly scriptable with Lua and JavaScript
- libmpv powers other front ends such as IINA
Cons
- Minimal interface with no menus or playlist manager by default
- Configuration lives in text files, which deters casual users
Editorial assessment by the Alternatives.tools team, based on what the product is known for. Not a user review.
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User reviews
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