I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz lately about IINA being the ultimate media player for Mac users. I’m really drawn to how it looks – it seems to actually fit the macOS aesthetic rather than looking like a port from another era – but does it actually perform as well as it looks?
IINA Review
IINA is a native macOS media player built on the mpv engine. It focuses on combining wide codec support with a UI that follows Apple’s design language. Many Mac users compare it to VLC, mainly because both handle a broad range of formats, but the experience is different.
Here’s how it holds up in real-world use.
Interface & Design
IINA leans heavily into macOS conventions.
You get Dark Mode, Picture-in-Picture, trackpad gestures, a clean sidebar for playlists and chapters, and proper fullscreen behavior. It looks and behaves like a Mac app rather than a cross-platform port.
What works well:
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Clean layout with minimal clutter
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Logical settings structure
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Smooth animations and transitions
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System media key support
What doesn’t:
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Advanced settings expose mpv-level terminology that may confuse casual users
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Some UI behaviors depend on correctly configured shortcuts
Design-wise, it’s modern and consistent. The experience generally feels polished.
Core Features
IINA covers most playback needs.
Users often mention:
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Strong subtitle handling
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Reliable resume playback
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Solid HDR support on compatible displays
Where expectations should be realistic:
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It doesn’t include a built-in media library system
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Advanced customization sometimes requires deeper configuration
Feature coverage is strong for local playback. It’s not designed as a media management hub.
Format Support
Because IINA uses mpv and FFmpeg internally, format compatibility is broad.
It handles:
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MP4, MKV, MOV, AVI
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H.264 and H.265 (HEVC)
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4K video
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Common audio formats including FLAC and AAC
Most users report that it plays nearly anything without additional codecs. Compatibility is rarely the limiting factor.
Color handling can vary slightly depending on display setup, but format support itself is rarely questioned.
Issues
One recurring issue reported by users involves media control buttons not responding properly.
This includes:
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Play / Pause not triggering
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Seek controls behaving inconsistently
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System media keys not syncing correctly
In many cases, the problem is tied to shortcut configuration or duplicate key bindings in settings. Adjusting preferences can resolve it. Still, the issue creates friction — especially when basic playback controls don’t behave reliably out of the box.
For a media player, control responsiveness is fundamental. When it fails, even intermittently, it affects everyday usability more than advanced feature gaps would.
Alternatives Worth Considering
If media control reliability or workflow consistency becomes frustrating, alternatives exist.
Elmedia Player takes a slightly different approach. It’s commercially developed and includes built-in URL playback and optional Pro features. Some users prefer it because more controls are exposed clearly in the interface, and it integrates streaming features more directly.
VLC media player remains a cross-platform option known for broad compatibility and stability. Its macOS interface feels less native compared to IINA, but many users value its predictable behavior and mature development cycle.
Neither replaces IINA outright. They simply emphasize different strengths — stability focus in VLC, streaming and commercial support in Elmedia, native design alignment in IINA.
Final Verdict
What works well 
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Native macOS interface
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Strong subtitle and HDR support
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Broad format compatibility
Where it falls short 
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Media control buttons may not respond properly for some users
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Higher resource usage on older hardware
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No built-in media library system
IINA is a capable macOS media player with thoughtful design and wide format support. It performs well for many users, especially those who value a native Mac experience.
However, control responsiveness issues and resource demands are real considerations. Choosing it comes down to whether its macOS-focused design outweighs those trade-offs in your workflow.
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I use IINA on an M2 Pro MBP and an older Intel MBP, so here is a more blunt, day to day take that complements what @mikeappsreviewer wrote.
Is IINA good on Mac
Yes, if your main use is local files and you like a Mac style UI. It feels native, works fine with trackpad, PiP, Spaces, etc. It is not only “prettier”. For things like quick anime episodes, movie files, random downloads, it does the job better than VLC for me.
Day to day use vs “prettier”
For daily use IINA beats VLC on my Apple Silicon machine because:
• UI is faster to read and less cluttered.
• Subtitles and track switching are quicker to access.
• Picture in Picture and gestures feel closer to QuickTime.
Where it is worse in day to day use:
• Media keys and shortcuts are flaky sometimes, even after fixing conflicts.
• Updates come slower, so small annoyances stick around longer.
• No library view, so if you want artwork and seasons and all that, it feels bare.
If you want a “file centric” player, it is practical. If you want a “media center”, it is not.
4K HDR handling
On my M2 Pro with an HDR monitor:
• 4K HEVC HDR10 files look accurate enough for watching.
• No huge color washout, tone mapping is acceptable for normal viewing.
• Playback is smooth at 24/30/60 fps with hardware decoding on.
On my old Intel MBP:
• 4K HDR HEVC works but stutters more often than the same file in VLC.
• Fans go to max quickly.
• HDR is dependent on macOS color settings, easy to get weird contrast.
If you have Apple Silicon and an HDR screen, IINA is fine for 4K HDR movies. On Intel, VLC feels more predictable for heavy files.
Battery use
Rough numbers from my M2 Pro, 50 percent brightness, WiFi on, using Activity Monitor and crude tests:
• 1080p H.264 in IINA: CPU about 8 to 15 percent, battery drain similar to VLC.
• 4K HEVC HDR in IINA: CPU about 15 to 25 percent, fans quiet, a bit more drain than playing a 1080p file in VLC but not a battery killer.
On Intel:
• Same 4K HEVC HDR in IINA: CPU 150 percent and more, fans loud, battery dropping fast.
• VLC with the same file uses slightly less CPU on Intel for me.
So on Apple Silicon, battery use is fine, roughly in the same range as VLC for 1080p and a bit higher for 4K HDR. On Intel laptops, expect IINA to feel heavier for 4K.
Where I disagree a bit with @mikeappsreviewer
They say IINA feels heavier than VLC on Intel for 1080p. On my 2015 MBP, 1080p H.264 is about the same in both, difference is small. Where IINA really loses is high bitrate 4K HEVC and weird encodes. For normal 1080p TV episodes, I would not bother switching to VLC only for performance.
When to pick something else
If you want:
• Stable media keys and zero config.
• A decent library UI.
• Strong network streaming.
Then I would look at Elmedia Player. The free version handles local playback well enough and the Pro upgrade adds streaming and more controls. The interface is more guided than IINA, less “mpv under the hood”. For people who hate tweaking configs and want URL / DLNA streaming to TVs, Elmedia Player is often easier.
Simple recommendation:
• New Mac, mostly local files, you care about UI: start with IINA.
• Older Intel Mac, lots of 4K HEVC: keep VLC installed as plan B.
• Want library feeling and easy streaming: test Elmedia Player next to IINA and see which one matches your habits.
If you try IINA, go into Preferences once, turn on hardware decoding, check key bindings, then leave it alone. After that it is solid enough for daily viewing.
Short version: on a modern Mac, IINA is more than “just prettier,” but it’s also more fragile than VLC and not as “sit down and forget it” as some people make it sound.
I agree with a lot of what @mikeappsreviewer and @jeff already wrote, but here’s where my experience diverges a bit:
Is it actually good for day‑to‑day use?
For me: yes, if your usage is mostly:
- Opening random MKVs / MP4s from disk
- Switching tracks / subs a lot
- Using PiP while doing other stuff
The UI really is faster to parse than VLC’s, and once your shortcuts are sane, basic playback is solid. It’s not just “prettier”; the macOS‑style controls and gestures actually save a few clicks every single time.
Where I disagree slightly: they both underplay how annoying the “mpv under the hood” thing can be if you’re picky. Once you start touching advanced prefs, it’s really easy to break something, then you’re digging through obscure options instead of watching your show. If you hate tinkering, that’s a real con.
4K HDR
- On Apple Silicon: 4K HDR10 is fine in IINA, visually close enough to “correct” for casual viewing. I don’t see a huge, consistent win over VLC in picture quality though. Sometimes IINA looks better, sometimes VLC does, often they’re basically identical once you stop pixel peeping.
- On Intel: I’ve had more stutter in IINA than in VLC for high‑bitrate 4K HEVC. Not unwatchable, but if the file is heavy and the Mac is older, VLC has been more predictable for me.
So: yes, it “handles” 4K HDR, but if your library is mostly big HEVC 4K rips and you’re on Intel, expect fan city and the occasional hitch. On M1/M2, it’s a non‑issue.
Battery life
On Apple Silicon:
- 1080p: IINA vs VLC battery usage is basically a wash in real life. If there’s a difference, it’s small enough that I don’t notice unless I’m literally watching Activity Monitor.
- 4K HDR: IINA feels slightly heavier than VLC in long sessions, but we’re talking “maybe 30–40 minutes less on a long binge,” not “your Mac dies in two episodes.”
On Intel, 4K HEVC in IINA really can chew battery very fast. Here I think @jeff is actually being a bit kind. Once the fans spin up and CPU sits high, your battery graph just nosedives. For 1080p though, I don’t see a big practical gap vs VLC.
Is it worth using vs alternatives?
- If you mostly watch local files on a recent Mac and like a native UI: IINA is a good default.
- If you want something that behaves the same everywhere and never care about “Mac‑ish” design: VLC is still the boring but safe choice.
- If you want easy streaming, DLNA / Chromecast, and a more guided interface without fiddling in config files, seriously look at Elmedia Player. It’s more “productized,” the streaming bits are cleaner, and you don’t feel like you’re fighting mpv knobs all the time.
Personally I run:
- IINA as my main local file player on Apple Silicon
- VLC as the fallback, especially on old Intel gear and weird encodes
- Elmedia Player when I’m sending stuff to TVs or need smoother network playback
So no, IINA isn’t just a pretty face, but it also isn’t the flawless “one player to rule them all” some people wish it was.