2024 Best 13 Free DVD Players for Windows 10/11 - Play DVD on Windows 10/11

"I need a DVD player app for Windows 11. When I put a DVD into may computer, it won't automatically start." -- Microsoft Community

Since Microsoft dropped Windows Media Center in Windows 10^[1] and 11 , watching DVDs requires additional DVD player for Windows 11/10. While streaming services have gained popularity, many users still have extensive DVD collections. What's the best free DVD player for Windows 10/11? This guide explores 13 best free DVD players for Windows 10/11 and addresses issues on playing DVD on Windows 10/Windows 11.

To identify the best free DVD players for Windows 10 and 11, we considered factors such as OS compatibility, media playback capabilities, user interface, download popularity, and user reviews from reputable sources like CNET and Softonic. Read on for our reviews and find the best free software to play DVDs on Win10/Win11.

Part 1. Best 13 DVD Player Software for Windows 10/11 64bit/32bit

The following table is a simple comparison of top pick of Windows 11/10 DVD players, including supported DVD disc types, decodable audio and video codecs, and ratings from authoritative websites, to help you quickly choose the one that best suits you:

1. VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is the most famous one among these DVD players for Windows 10/11. It has been supporting DVD playback since 2000. It's compatible with Windows 10 and 11 and the VLC Win32 has been published to Microsoft Store on Windows 11 with DVD support^[3]. Recent updates to VLC, such as version 3.0, have enhanced DVD playback capabilities, notably with support for HD-DVD .evo files and improved handling of MKV files, including DVD-menus and FFv1 codec. The ensures this DVD player for Windows 10/11 smoother playback and a more complete DVD experience.

VLC can play DVD discs, DVD folders, and ISO files. You can set it to automatically play a DVD when it is inserted by choosing the "Play DVD movie VideoLAN VLC media player" option. When play a DVD with VLC, you can select title, chapter, audio and subtitle track, jump forward, jump backword, jump to specific time, set playback speed from 0.02x to 32x, deinterlace, and more. There are quite a lot of options. However, some users have reported issues with VLC DVD playback on Windows 11/10/8/7, such as showing green screen during DVD playback.

Features Overview

• Play videos audios in mainstream file formats on other platforms (Mac OS X, Linux, Unix...);
• In addition to playing DVD, it can also play CD/VCD/SVCD;
• Perform media conversion and streaming.
• Rip DVD to MP4 and other formats.

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with VLC

Step 1. Put the DVD disc into your PC's optical drive.

Step 2. Download, install, and open VLC on Windows 10/11. The latest version 3.0.21 for Windows is about 41.1 MB.

Step 3. Click Media -> Open Disc... -> select Disc device -> hit Play. Then the DVD will start playing on your Windows 10/11.

If you want to make VLC your default DVD player in Windows 10/11, you should go to Settings -> Apps -> Default apps and set "Video Player" to VLC.

VLC media player Q&A

Q: Can VLC play any region DVD?

A: It mostly depends on your DVD drive. If your DVD drive is RPC1 drive, VLC should work regardless of the region code. But if your DVD drive is RPC2 drive, it's hard to say. Nowadays a lot of newer DVD drives are RPC2 drives. Some of these drives don't allow raw access to the drive untill the drive firmware has done a regioncheck. VLC uses libdvdcss and it needs raw access to the DVD drive to crack the encryption key. So with those drives VLC is unlikely to bypass the region protection. As for other RPC2 drives that allow raw access, VLC may need a long time to crack the key.^[4]. Or you can resort to professional DVD ripper to rip copy protected DVD before playing it.

2. 5KPlayer

5KPlayer is a widely acclaimed free media player capable of playing DVDs on Windows 11, 10 (64 bit & 32 bit), 8.1, 8, and 7. Since released, it has been quickly adopted by users around the world, always being one of the top 10 downloads of Multimedia for Windows in Softonic.

With this free DVD player for Windows 11/10, users can play any regular DVDs and also commercially copy-protected and region code locked DVDs, DVD folders, and ISO files with one-button operation without needing any DVD codec installed on Windows 10/11. 5KPlayer, coming with a modern design, enables users to master its features, functions and operation skills in a little while.

Features Overview

• Play videos music in all popular formats like MP4, AVI, MKV, HEVC, MOV, WMV, MP3, FLAC, AAC, WMA, WAV, etc;
• Free download videos/movies/music from 1000+ online video sites;
• Stream videos audios for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, etc;
• Convert videos to MP3, AAC, MP4 for free.

5KPlayer is a free Windows 10/11 DVD player capable of playing encrypted DVDs and DVDs of any region without the need for additional software.

Read more 5KPlayer reviews on CNET>>

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with 5KPlayer

Step 1. Open the DVD drive and insert the DVD disc you want to play.

Step 2. Download, install, and launch the DVD player software on Windows 10/11. It has been upgraded to version 6.9 which is a lightweight program with 57.9 MB.

Step 3. Click DVD button on 5KPlayer main interface, choose the source DVD, and hit Play. You can resize the playback window, rotate video, select chapter, load external subtitle, and take snapshot.

3. Windows DVD Player

This DVD player for Windows 10/11 is Microsoft's official app - Windows DVD Player. This program was released on July 20, 2015, and is capable of reading any DVD disc that is in DVD-Video format. It's no problem to play a protected store-purchased DVD or a user-made disc. But the Blu-ray discs are out of luck.

Windows DVD Player is priced at $14.99 in the Microsoft Store. But if you upgraded to Windows 10/11 from Windows 7(Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate)/8/8.1 with Windows Media Center, you can download Windows DVD Player from the Windows Store for free^[2]. However, it's not free for those who have a new PC. It offers a 7-day free trial, however, the free trial won't let you play any DVD. You can only use it to verify the compatibility of your system.

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with Windows DVD Player

Step 1. Download Windows DVD Player app from the Microsoft Store. It requires Windows 10 version 10240.0 or higher. The setup file has an approximate size of 12.76 MB. After you download the setup file, install it on your Windows 10 PC and then launch it.

Step 2. Insert a DVD into your DVD drive and click Play.

If you're not eligible to install Windows DVD Player for free or don't want to spend $15 for such a simple app or find Windows DVD Player not opening, not working or not recognizing your DVDs, keep reading to find another DVD player for Windows 10/11.

Windows DVD Player Q & A

Q: Does the Windows DVD Player app support playing DVDs from a file backup?

A: No, the Windows DVD Player app currently can only play DVD movies on optical discs.

Q: If I buy the Windows DVD Player app in the Microsoft Store, will it also be available on my other PCs?

A: Yes. If you buy the Windows DVD Player app from the Microsoft Store, you are entitled to install this app on your other Windows 10 PCs.

Windows DVD Player Related Articles:

• Windows DVD Player Error Code: 0x87E10BC6 [Windows 10 Help]
• Video Could not Be Decoded When Playing DVD in Windows DVD Player

4. DVD Player - FREE

DVD Player, released in 2020, is a relatively new free DVD player that might not be widely known. While it sounds like free DVD player software, it offers in-app purchases. DVD Player - FREE, with a simple and clean interface, is available to play DVDs and also popular videos on Windows 10 version 17134.0 or higher. Besides playing DVD discs, it can also open DVD folders and DVD ISO files.

Some users have praised it as the best free DVD player for Windows 10/11 for its smooth playback and accurate menu navigation, especially when compared to VLC. A user named Nick says: "In VLC, sometimes, the selection on the DVD menu is out of sync. That didn't happen here."

Feature Overview

• Play VCD, Blu-ray;
• Play video media files like mp4, .wmv, .mkv, .m4v, .mov, .avi, .mpg, .mpeg, .mts, .m2ts, .ts;
• Select desired video tracks, sound tracks, subtitles;
• Select external subtitle

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with DVD Player – Free?

Step 1. Insert the DVD disc into your PC's optical drive.

Step 2. Get DVD Player – Free from Microsoft store. Then install it on your Windows 10/11 PC.

Step 3. Open DVD Player, click DVD drive, and now you should see the DVD you just inserted. Simply click it, if you want to play.

5. MPC-HC

MPC-HC (Media Player Classic Home Cinema) is another good choice when you find your Windows 10's Windows Media Player won't play DVD. MPC-HC provides the ability to play DVDs with menus, chapter navigation, and subtitle. This Windows 10/11 DVD playing freeware is very good at playing old VHS tapes, DVDs and Blu rays. It includes native playback of dozens of formats, with embedded video decoder for x.264, H.264, VC-1 for better playback experience. Unfortunately, MPC-HC 1.7.13 is the final version and there is no update as of July 16, 2017. But you can still download it and use it on modern Windows versions, including Windows 10/11.

Feature Overview:

• Lightweight and free, available for Windows 11/10 and earlier
• Support a wide range of formats like WMV, AVI, MP4, MOV, QT, MPEG, VOB, SWF, etc., along with GPU decoding.

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with MPC-HC?

Step 1. Open the DVD drive on your PC and insert DVD.

Step 2. Download and install MPC-HC. You can find the download link from sourcefourge.

Step 3. Open MPC-HC, select File menu -> Open Disc and then select your DVD to play on Windows 10/11.

6. Kodi

Kodi® media center (previously XBMC™ Media Center) is a free and open-source app that is used to manage your local digital media. You can free download it in the Microsoft Store. The app has been used by millions of users worldwide across systems, including Windows 10/11. It's a versatile media center that doubles as a free DVD player for Windows 11/10, capable of playing DVDs, Blu-rays, and audio CDs. It's also region-free DVD software as you can set the DVD player region free, and also the auto playback, play mode, etc. In addition, you can also play music, radio, and TV shows.

Kodi's extensive ecosystem of add-ons provides additional features and functionality, including DVD playback enhancements and support for different DVD regions. Kodi's newer update ensures that Kodi can correctly recognize and access unmounted DVD drives, eliminating a common source of playback errors. This fix improves the overall reliability of DVD playback within Kodi, reducing the likelihood of unexpected interruptions or failures.

Features Overview

• Support Windows 11/10, Android, iOS, Mac, Amazon, etc.
• Have add-ons to get access to sports events, shows, movies, etc.

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with Kodi?

Step 1. Insert the DVD disc into your PC's optical drive.

Step 2. Download, install, and open Kodi.

Step 3. Select the Disc option in the sidebar and then click Play to start the DVD playback on Windows 11/10.

That's it. if you want to set Kodi play DVDs automatically, you should select Settings -> Player settings -> Discs -> toggle on Play DVDs automatically.

Also read: Can Kodi Play ISO Files? How to Fix ISO Files Not Playing on Kodi?

7. GOM Media Player

GOM Media Player is another good option to play DVD on Windows 10/11 for free. This free DVD player software for Windows 10/11 has a wide range of embedded codecs, including Vorbis, FLAC, ADPCM, XVID, MP41, MP42, MP43, H263, H264, H265, etc. This allows you to play AVI, MP4, MOV, MKV, WMV, audio CD, DVD, Video CD, SVCD, etc. But if you want to play some 4K content, you need to upgrade at $25.

GOM Media Player has fixed an issue that caused embedded subtitles to sometimes be invisible. This ensures a more complete and enjoyable DVD viewing experience. The player has addressed a problem where the search function was not working properly when playing certain TS files. This improvement enhances the user's ability to navigate and find specific content within DVDs. The player now includes a Lyrics Sync Recommendation feature that automatically syncs lyrics that match the video. This is a great addition for users who enjoy watching movies or TV shows with lyrics displayed.

Features Overview

• Offer VR and 360° video playback.
• Have an extensive subtitle database.
• Play damaged and corrupted videos

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with GOM Player?

Step 1. Insert your DVD to DVD drive.

Step 2. Download and install the DVD player on Windows 10/11. Be careful while installing GOM, because it recommends additional software – Avast Free Antivirus and RAV Endpoint-protection. If you don’t need them, click Decline.

Step 3. Open GOM Player, right click on the playback window, select Open, and then select the DVD you just inserted.

8. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is another good DVD player compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and earlier operating systems in 32 bit and 64 bit. It will let you watch DVDs, CD, VCD, and most common media file types in high quality without additional codecs. You can also play Blu-ray discs with it. More than that, the newer versions support high resolutions such as 4K, 8K, 60FPS, and UHD on high-end PCs with smooth playback and high quality.

Features Overview

• Support 3G2, 3GP, AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV, MPEG, MP3, MP4, OGM, RM, TS, WEBM, and WMV, etc.
• Support subtitles in SMI, ASS, SRT, PSB, S2K, SUB, TXT and LRC formats.

How to play a DVD on Windows 10/11 with KMPlayer?

Step 1. Insert your DVD to your PC's DVD drive.

Step 2. Download and install KMPlayer.

Step 3. Open KMPlayer, right click on a blank space in the window, and then select Open DVD.

9. PotPlayer

PotPlayer is a good alternative as a free Windows 11/10 DVD player. It supports video, audio, DVDs, and Blu-rays, among other formats. In fact, you can add the OpenCodec plugin to let it play whatever codecs you need. The best part is it applies hardware acceleration using DXVA, CUDA, QuickSync to offer the best playback and minimum CPU usage. It comes with audio equalizer. It allows you to adjust your video's brightness, contrast, saturation, and color. It provides the options to change the font and position of the subtitles, sync video and audio, adjust the playback speed, create playlist, and so on.

PotPlayer has resolved an issue that previously prevented the title screen from displaying during DVD playback on Windows 11/10. This ensures a more complete and immersive DVD viewing experience. The player has improved the speed at which subtitles are displayed, reducing lag and enhancing the viewing experience, especially for users with fast-paced content.

Features Overview

• Full 3D glasses support with various output formats – Side by Side, Top and Bottom, Page Flipping.
• Text subtitles (SMI & SRT), DVD (Vobsub) and Blu-ray subtitles, ASS/SSA animation and SMI Ruby tags, etc. are supported.

How to play a DVD on Windows 10/11 with PotPlayer?

Step 1. Put your DVD into your PC's DVD drive.

Step 2. Download and install PotPlayer. PotPlayer offers two versions to download, 32bit and 64bit. Check your system type and choose the right version.

Step 3. Open PotPlayer, right click on the playback window, select Open -> Open DVD. Then PotPlayer will show Opening… It may take a while. Don't be too quick to close it.

10. PowerDVD

If you really care about the experience of DVD playback on Windows 10/11, try PowerDVD. This player comes with many advanced features. For example, it offers free option to not only play Blu-ray & DVD, but also support audio, MKV, H.264, 3D, 4K, VR 360˚ content, YouTube or Vimeo, and videos in most formats and codecs. PowerDVD is updated with Ultra HD 4K, HDR & now 8K as well as audio in Dolby and DTS, so you can enjoy the superior video and audio quality. But it's hard to pay for a media player with the lowest price of $59.99.

Features Overview

• True full screen for Blu-ray disc playback
• TrueTheater HDR & GPU support for HDR video playback
• It will switch between different region codes

How to play a DVD on Windows 10/11 with PowerDVD?

Step 1. Put your DVD into your PC's DVD drive.

Step 2. Download and install PowerDVD.

Step 3. Open PowerDVD and you will see PC Mode and TV Mode. Choose PC Mode -> Movie Discs to select the DVD disc.

11. Leawo Blu-ray Player

Leawo Blu-ray Player is a versatile media player that supports not only Blu-ray discs but also DVD discs, DVD folders, DVD ISO files, IFO files, and other formats. It offers a high-quality and customizable playback experience. One of its standout features is its support for a wide range of advanced audio decoding technologies like Dolby, DTS, AAC, TrueHD, and DTS-HD, which deliver exceptional audio quality and fidelity. The player also provides detailed navigation and full playback control, allowing users to adjust subtitles, audio tracks, and videos during playback.

Leawo Blu-ray Player is a popular choice for those who are looking for a reliable and feature-rich free DVD player for Windows 10/11. However, the inclusion of ads in the free version may be a drawback for some users.

Features Overview

• Play Blu-ray discs, Blu-ray folders and Blu-ray ISO files.
• Play videos in MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, and other files up to 1080p.
• Play audios, such as MP3, AAC, AC3, and M4A.

What users say: "Nice interface. Plays all regions and region-free discs. Light-weight and consume little resources."

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with Leawo Blu-ray Player

Step 1. Download and install Leawo Blu-ray Player on your Windows 10/11 computer.

Step 2. Insert the DVD you want to play in your computer's DVD drive.

Step 3. Open Leawo Blu-ray Player and then click your DVD to play.

After you launching Leawo Blu-ray Player, you may see a warning popping up and saying "No Jave Runtime Environment detected. (The BD-J menu will not play without JRE 6 or later.) Would you like to download and install JRE?" You can simply click "No" if you just want to play DVDs.

12. BlazeDVD Free

BlazeDVD Free is another free DVD player for Windows 10/11 that offers users the ability to play DVD discs, folders, and ISO files. The software boasts a smooth playback experience with a superior audio effect, thanks to its ability to adjust various preferences, including an equalizer. It is an excellent choice for users who seek a wonderful audio-visual experience.

The software offers a wide range of playback controls, including play/pause, full-screen, fast-forward/fast-backward, volume control, next/last chapter, select subtitle, video setting, audio setting, main menu button, playlist, add bookmark, and more.

One of the most notable features of BlazeDVD Free is its ability to add bookmarks, allowing users to record the exact frame or time where they stopped watching the DVD player. The software remembers the location and resumes playing from that spot the next time they open the DVD player, saving users the trouble of having to fast-forward or rewind to find the spot where they left off.

BlazeDVD Free also offers a parental control feature, allowing parents to restrict specific movie levels or choose to set a password. This is an advanced feature that provides peace of mind to parents who want to ensure that their children only watch age-appropriate content.

Features Overview

• Play CD, VCD, SVCD, video, and audio files.
• Play pictures as slideshow.

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with BlazeDVD Free

Step 1. Download and install BlazeDVD Free on your Windows 11/10 computer.

Step 2. Insert the DVD you want to play in your computer's DVD drive.

Step 3. Open BlazeDVD Free. Then you'll see a dialogue asking you to register BlazeDVD. Simply click "Cancel" at the bottom. Then, the Video Window will show up.

Step 4. Click on the "Open" button and select your DVD drive from the list of available devices. Then, the DVD will begin to play automatically.

13. AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player

AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player not only handles Blu-ray discs and content on your Windows 11/10 PC but also gracefully tackles DVD discs, DVD folders, and DVD ISO image files. It's got you covered for playing DVDs and Blu-rays from various regions, and it supports an array of disc formats, including DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, DVD-DL, BD-5, BD-9, BD-25, BD-50, BD-R, BD-XL, and BD-RE, among others.

This Blu-ray and DVD player puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to playback, allowing you to fine-tune your viewing experience. You can tweak playback progress, choose your preferred audio track and channel, and adjust video settings such as hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and gamma.

However, it's essential to note that this isn't a completely free Blu-ray and DVD player for Windows 11/10. The free trial version does come with some limitations: it plays Blu-ray discs with a watermark and allows you to play Blu-ray discs, ISO files, or folders for only 30 days.

Features Overview

• Play a wide range of video formats, including MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, MKV, M2TS, MTS, VOB, RMVB, WebM, FLV, 3GP, M4V, MXF, DV, and XviD.
• Support various audio formats like MP3, AAC, M4A, WMA, OGG, AIFF, MKA, OGG, AU, M4R, M4A, and even lossless options like FLAC, WAV, and ALAC.

What users say: "It is an easy-to-use media player. It is free and the audio/video quality is excellent. Almost all of the video formats are supported."

How to play DVD on Windows 10/11 with AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player

Step 1. First, download and install AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player on your Windows 10 computer.

Step 2. Insert the DVD you'd like to play into your computer's DVD drive.

Step 3. Launch AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player and click the "Open Disc" button to select your DVD for playback.

Enjoy your DVD viewing experience with AnyMP4 Blu-ray Player!

Part 2. FAQs about DVD Playback on Windows 10/11

Q5. How to make a DVD play automatically on Windows 10/11?

To play DVD automatically on Windows 10/11, you should adjust the AutoPlay settings. Now let me show you how to do this.

1. Move your mouse to the search bar on the taskbar and then type "DVD". Now, you should see "Play CDs or other media auomatically" option. Just click on it.

2. On the AutoPlay window, scroll down to "DVDs", click the drop-down menu of "DVD movie", and then choose which DVD player you want to use to play DVD automatically when a DVD is inserted. For example, if you want to use 5KPlayer, you should choose "Play DVD movie (5KPlayer)". If you want to use VLC, you should select "Play DVD movie (VideoLAN VLC media player)".

3. Click the Save button at the bottom to save your settings. Now insert a DVD into your computer's DVD drive, and then the selected DVD player will begin playing it in no time.  

Final Words

So above are our picks for the top 13 best DVD player for Windows 10/11 and our answers for the frequetly asked questions about DVD playback on Windows 10. Among these players, 5KPlayer and VLC are the most recommended programs. They are 100% free, clean, and powerful. Both homemade and commercial DVDs can be played on Windows 10/11 without issues. And, they have many bonus features. Other options are also great. Hope you can find a desired DVD player and get a good experience with Windows 10 and 11. Lastly, don't forget to share your choice or this article with your friends!

References

1. "Microsoft kills off Windows Media Center", The Verge
2. "The Windows DVD Player app is available for free for eligible Windows 10 upgrades", Microsoft
3. "VLC Win32 App makes an Entry into Windows 11's Microsoft Store", Techdows
4. "Frequently Asked Questions - VideoLAN", VideoLAN