Best 6 ISO Players for Seamless ISO File Playback

Patrick 30/06/2025

Blu-ray Player

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Introduction: It is taken as an amazing method to make ISO copies for your Blu-ray discs and DVDs. As ISO files take up less storage space, it is incredibly convenient to be stored. You can simply keep ISO files on your hard drive as a backup of all the data and structural information on the disc, or burn ISOs to discs whenever you need them. Besides, you can also play ISO files with particular ISO players if you prefer. There are some incredible Blu-ray ISO player options available for seamless ISO file playback, and the best 6 options are collected in this post for your reference.

Also Read: Convert ISO to MP4 | Convert MP4 to ISO

Part 1: What is ISO Image File & Why is it the Perfect Way to Store DVD/Blu-ray Discs

An ISO file, also named an ISO image, refers to an archive file that identically copy all the content of an optical disc like a Blu-ray or DVD disc. As the ISO file can duplicate the original disc structure, including the file system, menus, chapters, etc., and everything stored on a DVD or Blu-ray disc, it is often used for an ideal backup of a disc. Later, you can burn the ISO image to a new disc that’s in turn a complete copy of the original. 

What’s more, ISO images can be mounted as virtual discs on both Windows and macOS. In this case, the content can be easily accessed without needing to insert a physical DVD or Blu-ray disc into the drive. ISO images clone DVD/Blu-ray discs with no quality loss or data loss at all.
A physical disc may be damaged by scratches, which may result in losing access to the content of the disc. It is necessary to have such an ISO digital backup.

Part 2: Best 6 ISO Players for Smooth Playback

An ISO image cannot be directly opened by common-used media players like Windows Media Player or QuickTime player, though it is one of the most common file types of disc images. In order to watch ISO files smoothly, you can resort to the best ISO players. There are 6 hand-picked ISO players that are best for playing ISO files with excellent streaming experience and no buffering.

Leawo Blu-ray Player

Supported OS: Windows 7 or later and MacOS X 10.13 or later

Price: Free

Delivering an extraordinary watching experience with quality-lossless video images, Leawo Blu-ray Player is one of the best ISO file players for immersing enjoyment. Leawo Blu-ray Player serves as a completely free media player that integrates with all media playback solutions you need. It is compatible with all regular media file types including UHD/DVD/Blu-ray discs, folders, ISO images, as well as all regular media files. It can play 4K videos in MKV, MP4 and TS formats, 1080P videos and 720P videos in all common video formats like AVI, 3GP, MP4, MKV, and many more. At the same time, the player is also a region-free disc player that plays DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray discs, folders and ISO images for absolutely free, whether they are commercial or homemade.

PROS

• Read and play ISO image files simply and directly for free.
• Support almost all media file types including video, audio, Blu-ray, DVDs, etc.
• Feature quality-lossless video images for even 4K video.
• Deliver high-quality stereo audio enjoyment with the support of Dolby, DTS, etc.
• Play Blu-ray/DVD discs without region restriction.

CONS

• Full features supported with a premium.

VLC Media Player

Supported OS: Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, iOS and Android

Price: Free

VLC is another best Blu-ray ISO player that plays ISO files entirely free. As a matter of fact, VLC is a popular and open-source media player that is compatible with most multimedia files, ISO files, DVD discs and various streaming protocols. Besides, it offers a wide range of advanced features as well, including transcoding video files to another format, synchronizing subtitles, customizing playback settings, etc.

PROS

• An open-source and completely free ISO player.
• Plays files in multimedia formats as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols.
• Runs on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS.

CONS

• Poor video quality.
• Complicated operation for users.
• Outdated UI and occasional performance issues.

SMPlayer

Supported OS: Windows, Linux and Mac OS.

Price: Free

SMPlayer is a free media player that supports a wide range of file types, including DVDs and ISO files. Moreover, thanks to a large number of codecs built-in, there is no external codecs are needed when playing any video or audio format with SMPlayer. It is also a versatile tool that can not only play YouTube videos but also download subtitles.

PROS

• Free and open-source ISO player.
• Available in several dozen languages.
• Resume the playback of the file you stopped last time.
• Able to search and download subtitles.

CONS

• An extra software installation is required.
• Overwhelming preference settings for new users.
• No support for the latest Windows 11.

VSO Media Player

Supported OS: Windows

Price: Free

VSO Media Player is another free and simple media player that can play ISO files and folders. Besides, the player is compatible with DVD, Blu-ray and AVCHD and a number of video and audio formats. With an easy-to-use interface, VSO Media Player allows you to directly drag and drop ISO files for playback.

PROS

• Lightweight and completely free ISO player.
• Universal support of most video and audio formats.
• Read Blu-ray and DVDs.

CONS

• Don’t read CDs.
• It is outdated.

Kodi

Supported OS: Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, iOS and TV OS

Price: Free

As a versatile and open-source media player, Kodi is one of the best ISO file players that are available for multiple operating systems. It is an effective application for playing and viewing most video and audio files, including DVD discs, ISO files, and folders. Furthermore, the player allows you to stream multimedia from local storage and the internet, like YouTube and other streaming platforms.

PROS

• Lightweight and free.
• A wide selection of add-ons.

CONS

• Some features need to be paid for.
• Not easy to control.

KMPlayer

Supported OS: Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS

Price: Free and premium

KMPlayer is another good option to play ISO files. As a popular and cross-platform media player available for common operating systems, KMPlayer plays almost all video and audio of different formats, including IMG images, ISO images and more. In addition, the player offers a lot of advanced features to edit and customize videos.

PROS

• Offer a free service to play local videos and ISO files.
• Allows users to stream online videos.
• A clear interface and various features.

CONS

• Advanced features are available for premium users.

Part 3: How to Play ISO Files with Leawo Blu-ray Player

There are 6 best ISO file players recommended. If you are going to play ISO files free and smoothly without any hassle, you can try Leawo Blu-ray Player first. Leawo Blu-ray Player is an excellent Blu-ray ISO player that is free and easy to use. It’s legal and safe to use, with no spyware or malware. The simple guide will help you to open ISO files with this ISO player.

Step 1. Download and install Leawo Blu-ray Player

Go to the official site first, and then download and install the ISO file player for free. It just takes a few seconds.

• Leawo Free Blu-ray Player

  – Deliver quality-lossless video images at 720p/1080p/1080i/4K in H.264/H.265, MP4, MKV, MOV, etc. formats.
  – Support various audio decoding technologies like Dolby, DTS, AAC, TrueHD, DTS-HD, etc.
  – Personalize settings like selecting subtitles and audio tracks freely.
  – Support fluent and smooth media decoding and playback.

  DownloadDownload

Step 2. Add source ISO files

Run Leawo Blu-ray Player to enter the main interface. You can click “Open file” to browse and load

The source ISO file you want to play. If you would like to play DVD or Blu-ray discs, just insert the disc into the drive and choose “Play Disc” to start playing.

Step 3. Play ISO files

Once loaded, the media player will start to play ISO files with no buffering. Additionally, it provides advanced settings for playback. You can right click the screen to optionally change settings for Subtitles, Videos and Audios to get a favorite viewing experience.

Conclusion

The best 6 ISO players referred above allow you to play your ISO movie files easily and smoothly. To distinguish which one may suit you best, the article collects their strengths and weakness. You can choose your favorite ISO file player to enjoy your media files with good performance.