VLC for Android
Free, ad-free open source player with built-in codecs and DVD ISO support
Video apps for Android: 23 to compare
Video apps on Android can be sorted with a few quick checks before you install anything. Ads and in-app purchases come first. VLC for Android, Jellyfin, LibreTube and NewPipe are described as free of ads, while YouTube and Video Editor & Maker show ads and purchases.
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Size is the next check. Jellyfin is 8.5 MB and LibreTube 8.8 MB, while NewPipe is 11 MB and VLC for Android is 47.3 MB. Finally, look at the licence. VLC uses GPL-3.0-only and Jellyfin GPL-2.0-or-later, so their source code is open.
Apps in this category
YouTube
Free video app from Google with ads, optional Premium and Teen rating
Jellyfin
Official ad-free Android client for your own Jellyfin media server
LibreTube
Open-source, ad-free YouTube frontend with SponsorBlock, no account needed
NewPipe
Open-source, ad-free YouTube client that runs without Google Services
Video Editor & Maker
InShot's free Android editor with AI captions and 4K 60fps export
YouTube Kids
Kid-focused video app with four content modes and a screen-time timer
Edits
Instagram's free, ad-free Android video editor with 4K export and AI animation
Screen Recorder
InShot's XRecorder: 1080p capture, facecam and editor, free with ads
YouCut
Free Android video editor with 4K export and 0.2× to 100× speed control
CapCut
Free Android video editor with keyframes, auto captions and 4K 60fps export
Google TV
Google TV: 700,000+ titles across streaming apps, ad-free and free to install
Litube
Ad-free open-source video client with downloads and sponsor skipping
PipePipe
Ad-free open-source client for YouTube, NicoNico and BiliBili with SponsorBlock
PlayTube
Free, ad-free open-source YouTube client with PiP and downloads
SkyTube
Ad-free, open-source YouTube client with downloads and channel blocking
SkyTube Legacy
Ad-free, open-source YouTube client for older Android phones, 8.6 MB
SuperX Video Downloader
Open-source Android downloader with HLS, DASH, proxies and no ads
KineMaster
Android video editor with AI captions, chroma key and 4K 60 FPS export
Video Player All Format HD
Light video player with popup play, background audio and 8x speed
Screen Recorder Video Recorder
Free Android screen recorder with internal audio, facecam and GIF tools
NOVA Video Player
Open-source, ad-free Android player for NAS, USB and network video libraries
YouTube TV
Cable-free live TV from 100+ channels with a 9-month cloud DVR, US only
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Top 5 picks
VLC for Android
VLC for Android from Videolabs shows no ads and has no in-app purchases. At 47.3 MB it is the largest of the open-source picks here, at version 3.7.2, updated October 16, 2026. It plays local files, network streams and shares, and DVD ISOs, under GPL-3.0-only.
Jellyfin
Jellyfin is a client, not a standalone player: you need your own Jellyfin server running before it does anything. At 8.5 MB it is small, at version 2.7.3, updated September 16, 2026, with no ads and a GPL-2.0-or-later licence. It can stream to a Chromecast on your network, and Live TV needs extra hardware or services.
LibreTube
LibreTube is an alternative YouTube frontend from Team LibreTube, version 32.1, updated August 23, 2026. It is 8.8 MB, shows no ads and uses GPL-3.0-or-later. It needs no YouTube account or Google Services, and adds SponsorBlock, DeArrow and subscription groups.
NewPipe
NewPipe is a lightweight YouTube frontend at 11 MB, version 0.29.1, last updated August 21, 2026. It parses the website instead of using Google libraries or the YouTube API, so it runs on devices without Google Services and needs no account. No ads are shown, and the licence is GPL-3.0-or-later.
Edits
Edits from Instagram is free and has no ads, but it includes in-app purchases. The current version is 454.0.0.54.77, updated November 2, 2026. It exports in 4K without a watermark and records clips up to 10 minutes long.
Questions and answers
How many video apps here have no ads?
Of the 23 apps in this list, 15 have no ads. VLC for Android, Jellyfin, LibreTube, NewPipe and Edits are among them. Edits still lists in-app purchases, so no ads does not mean no paid options.
Do the YouTube alternatives need a Google account?
LibreTube does not need a YouTube account or Google Services on the device. NewPipe works the same way: it avoids Google framework libraries and the YouTube API, and needs no account. Both are free and use GPL-3.0-or-later licences.
Which video apps have the smallest download?
Among the apps with a listed size, Jellyfin is smallest at 8.5 MB, then LibreTube at 8.8 MB, NewPipe at 11 MB and VLC for Android at 47.3 MB.
Related categories
Best-of lists
Version strings can be a poor guide. YouTube and YouTube Kids both show a version that varies by device, so the update date is the better signal: November 4 and November 3, 2026. Both carry ads, and YouTube also lists in-app purchases. If a child will use the app, YouTube Kids has Preschool, Younger, Older and Approved Content Only modes, and its Google Play rating is 4.2. For editors such as YouCut and Video Editor & Maker, check the paid options before you plan a long export, since both list ads and purchases.