VLC for Android
Free, ad-free open source player with built-in codecs and DVD ISO support
Video player for Android: 14 apps compared
A good video player for Android does one job well and stays out of the way. In this group of 14 apps, 11 carry no ads, and the split between types is easy to see. Local file players such as VLC for Android read media from internal storage, SD cards and USB, and also open network streams and DVD ISOs. Server clients such as Jellyfin only work once you run your own media server. YouTube front ends like NewPipe, LibreTube and PipePipe replace Google's own app and add things like SponsorBlock.
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Size and licensing separate the picks too. Several of these apps come in under 12 MB, while VLC is 47.3 MB because it handles so many sources. Most of the free, open source entries list a GPL license. The two Google apps, YouTube and Google TV, are free but include in-app purchases, and YouTube also shows ads.
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
Lark Player:Music Player & MP3
Free Android player for local MP3, FLAC and MKV files with equalizer and lyrics
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
Video Player All Format HD
Light video player with popup play, background audio and 8x speed
NOVA Video Player
Open-source, ad-free Android player for NAS, USB and network video libraries
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Top 5 picks
VLC for Android
VLC for Android, from Videolabs, is free, has no ads and no in-app purchases, and is released under GPL-3.0-only. Google Play shows over 500 million installs and a 4 rating. It plays video and audio files, network streams, network shares and DVD ISOs, and it asks for storage access to read media on SD cards and USB. Version 3.7.2 is 47.3 MB.
Jellyfin
Jellyfin is the client for the free Jellyfin media server, so it needs a server you have already set up. From there it streams your own library to the phone, plays Live TV and recorded shows if you have the extra hardware, and can cast to a Chromecast on your network. Version 2.7.3 is 8.5 MB, ad-free and GPL licensed.
Litube
Litube version 3.0.3 is an ad-free video client at just 8.4 MB. It plays natively, with controls for quality, speed, subtitles and audio tracks, and adds background playback, picture-in-picture and a mini-player. Built-in downloads cover video, audio and playlists, and sponsor segments can be skipped. It is licensed GPL-3.0-only.
PipePipe
PipePipe 5.5.0 builds on NewPipe and lets you browse YouTube, NicoNico and BiliBili. It adds SponsorBlock for YouTube and BiliBili, ReturnYouTubeDislike, live chat and bullet comments, search filters, a sleep timer and a music player mode. It is free with no ads, and at 31.1 MB it is larger than most of the other open source clients.
NewPipe
NewPipe 0.29.1 is a lightweight YouTube front end at 11 MB, free and without ads. It uses no Google framework libraries and not the YouTube API, so it runs on devices without Google services and needs no YouTube account. It was last updated on August 21, 2026, and is licensed GPL-3.0-or-later.
Questions and answers
Which video players here have no ads?
11 of the 14 apps carry no ads. That includes VLC for Android, Jellyfin, LibreTube, NewPipe, Litube, PipePipe and PlayTube. YouTube and Lark Player both show ads and offer in-app purchases.
Do I need a server to use Jellyfin?
Yes. The app is a client for the Jellyfin media server, and it only works with a server that is already set up and running. Live TV also needs additional hardware or services.
Can I use a YouTube alternative without a Google account?
NewPipe and LibreTube both work without a YouTube account. NewPipe also runs on devices without Google services, and LibreTube does not require Google Services on the device either.
Related categories
Best-of lists
Start with where your video lives. Files on the phone or an SD card point to VLC for Android, which asks for storage access to read them. A home library points to Jellyfin, provided a server is already running. Online video points to one of the YouTube front ends, where PipePipe adds the most extras and NewPipe stays smaller at 11 MB. Lark Player has a 4.6 rating on Google Play and over 500 million installs, but it leans toward music and shows ads, so check that trade-off before installing it for video alone.