These 5 MacOS video players for 4K are better than QuickTime – and most are free

I film and edit a lot of video content. Editing and color-correcting videos can be a very complicated and time-consuming process. When you’re done, you want to see an accurate representation of what the content will look like. Are the colors true? Are the edits clean? 

There are so many moving parts.

However, there’s one part I’ve found especially frustrating: the MacOS built-in video player Quicktime. In my experience, Quicktime doesn’t always represent color correctly, and — even more frustrating — the player sometimes gets bogged down with video that is 4K or higher. The same holds for the VLC media player. Although the colors are more accurate than Quicktime’s, VLC’s struggle to play 4K content is pretty sad.

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These shortcomings started me on a journey to find a video player that not only handles 4K content well but also displays accurate colors. You’d be surprised at how challenging that quest could be.

Fortunately, I’ve found several apps that blow Quicktime — and even VLC — out of the water.

Let’s take a look at those apps.

1. Elmedia Video Player

I’m starting with Elmedia Video Player because it’s without question the best video player I’ve ever used. Not only can it play 4K+ content smoothly, but the color accuracy is very impressive.

Elmedia includes advanced playback features and streaming options; supports Chromecast, AirPlay, Roku, and DLNA devices; includes all the necessary codecs to support 70+ video formats; sports a beautiful (and minimal) UI; and supports playlists, subtitle sync, variable playback speeds, playlist broadcasting, stream control, font customization for subtitles, multi-monitor support, fine-tuning of video playback (brightness, saturation, contrast, hue, gamma, sharpness, and noise reduction), looping, screenshots, and more.

Elmedia is now my default video player on MacOS and can be used for free with extra features available in a Pro account ($19.99).

Best for: Those who view videos of different formats, require serious 4K support, and prefer to tweak the playback of content. 

2. iFunia Media Player

iFunia Media Player can play back HEVC, 1080P, 4K, and 8K high-res videos with amazing smoothness in just about any format. You can add subtitles, switch audio tracks, capture your screen, and control playback with hotkeys. The player delivers video format conversion, HDR playback support, auto-resume, a user-friendly UI, and much more. iFunia can also play back your videos in full screen or a mini, floating window.

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You can create/manage playlists with four playback modes: play in loop, play in order, play in random, and play single in loop. iFunia supports video rotation, incognito mode, and enables you to view meta info for your videos.

iFunia Media Player can be installed on both MacOS and Windows for free.

Best for: Those who like to curate playlists of 4K video content.

3. Movist Pro  

Movist Pro offers a beautiful interface featuring practical controls that spring into action with a simple cursor hover. The menu offers video stats in real time, and you’ll get access to all the functions required to play your videos back exactly how you want.

Movist supports accelerated decoding of the H.265/HEVC codecs, so you can enjoy buttery smooth playback of 4K videos, all while dramatically cutting down CPU usage. You also can set default preferences for things like language, video quality, filters, EQ, and more.

There is no free version of Movist Pro and the basic version costs $4.99. There is also a Pro version that adds support for internet video, network servers, browser extensions, and picture-in-picture, and costs $7.99.

Best for: Those who need playback of 4K video created with the H.265 codec and need a player that doesn’t demand too much from system resources.

4. Infuse

Infuse supports nearly every video format ever created and can stream from just about anywhere. You’ll also enjoy metadata and artwork organized into easy-to-browse categories. You can sync Infuse metadata, library settings, and playback progress with iCloud, so you can view content from all your devices while jumping right back in where you left off. 

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Of course, Infuse also offers smooth playback of 4K (Ultra-HD) HDR and HDR10+ videos with hardware decoding of both h.264 and h.265. Other features include drag-and-drop transfers, sync with Trakt, custom collections and playlists, projector support, video upscaling, support for UPnP & DLNA, parental controls, and more. 

There’s a free version and a pro version of Infuse; the pro version adds additional formats, HD quality audio, AirPlay and Google Cast, Dolby Vision and Atmos, trailers, and more.

Best for: Those who like to stream 4K content to other devices, while also upscaling smaller resolution videos to larger screens without too much loss.

5. IINA

IINA is heralded as the “modern media player for MacOS.” Because it is MacOS only, the developers can focus on building seamless support for MacOS features such as Force Touch, Touch Bar, and Picture-in-Picture. The UI blends in perfectly with the MacOS aesthetic and includes a dark mode and sleek look. 

The UI can also be customized, and playback supports local files, online streams, and YouTube playlists. IINA plays 4K videos with zero lag or blurring. One thing to keep in mind is that IINA doesn’t play video content above 4K, so if you have 8K videos, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

IINA is free and open-source, while also in active development.    

Best for: Those who want a high-quality video player that can handle 4K content while looking and behaving like the default MacOS app.