saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

media player · MPC-BE team

MPC-BE

Free, open-source Windows video and audio player with its own decoders and hardware decoding.

53/100

#6 of 12 media players
Facts checked 9 Oct 2026

In short

MPC-BE suits Windows users who want a free, open-source player that decodes on the graphics card and needs no codec pack1,4,6. It supports HDR and HLS, and it loads external subtitle files automatically5,7. The catch: it runs on Windows only, and its pages do not name a media library or a way to add plugins2,7.

Best for: Windows users who want a light, free player with built-in filters.

Where the points come from

Systems0 of 12
Video27 of 31
Streams, audio and library6 of 25
Ads and privacy8 of 20
Price12 of 12

Systems 0 of 12 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Other systemsNoneWindows only. The README lists Windows 7 to 11, and SourceForge lists Windows as the only operating system1,2.0 / 12

Video 27 of 31 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Disc playbackYesSourceForge says it mounts ISO images automatically; changelog entries cover DVD playback and Blu-ray folders1,7.5 / 5
No codec pack neededYesThe wiki says that in most cases MPC-BE needs no additional DirectShow filters; LAV Filters are optional6.6 / 6
Hardware video decodingYesSourceForge lists hardware decoding; the wiki says the built-in decoder supports Direct3D11 decoding; the changelog lists DXVA21,4,7.7 / 7
HDR playbackYesThe changelog lists HDR metadata support and conversion of HDR to SDR7.5 / 5
Subtitle featuresExternal subtitle files, Styled ASS/SSA subtitlesThe wiki covers automatic loading of external .srt files; the changelog covers SSA/ASS rendering. Online subtitle download was removed in 1.6.85,7.4 / 8

Streams, audio and library 6 of 25 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Network streamsHTTP or HTTPS URLs, HLSThe changelog lists a UDP/HTTP reader and HLS Live support. It names no RTSP, RTMP or DLNA7.4 / 8
Audio featuresExclusive audio output (WASAPI or ASIO)The changelog says the audio renderer supports WASAPI exclusive and shared modes. Gapless, ReplayGain and equaliser are not named7.2 / 8
Media libraryNot publishedNot published on the project page, wiki or changelog1,3,7.0 / 6
Plugins or add-onsNot publishedNot published on the project page, wiki or changelog1,3,7.0 / 3

Ads and privacy 8 of 20 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Open-source appsYesThe README says the code is licensed under GPL v3; SourceForge lists GPLv31,2.8 / 8
No ads or bundled offersNot publishedNot published on the project page, README or wiki1,2,3.0 / 8
States no trackingNot publishedNot published on the project page, README or wiki1,2,3.0 / 4

Price 12 of 12 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Price of the player$0SourceForge describes MPC-BE as a free and open source player1.12 / 12

The rule behind each line: how we score media players.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
MPC-BE1 personFree1$0Free and open source; Windows only

Strengths

  • Free and open source under GPLv31,2.
  • Built-in decoders, so a codec pack is normally not needed6.
  • D3D11 decoding is built in; the changelog also lists DXVA24,7.
  • HDR metadata support and HDR-to-SDR conversion are in the changelog7.
  • WASAPI exclusive and shared audio modes7.

Limits

  • Windows only; the README lists Windows 7 to 11 and the SourceForge page lists Windows as the only operating system1,2.
  • The wiki and changelog do not name a media library or a plugin system3,7.
  • The changelog lists no ReplayGain, equaliser or gapless playback7.
  • Subtitle download from the online database was removed in version 1.6.87.

Other media players

  1. 1
    VLC media playerPeople who want one free player for any file, with no ads
    86/100
    $0price of the player
  2. 2
    KodiPeople who want a free, open-source player with a library and add-ons
    76/100
    $0price of the player
  3. 3
    mpvPeople who want a free, scriptable player and are fine without a built-in library
    67/100
    $0price of the player
  4. 4
    PotPlayerWindows users who want many playback settings in a free player
    60/100
    $0price of the player

All 12 media players

Sources

  1. MPC-BE project page, SourceForge. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  2. Aleksoid1978/MPC-BE, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  3. MPC-BE wiki, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  4. D3D11 decoder support, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  5. Automatic loading of external tracks, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  6. LAV Filters, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.
  7. MPC-BE changelog, GitHub. Accessed 9 Oct 2026.

Website: sourceforge.net/projects/mpcbe · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with MPC-BE team.