video.js vs plyr
HTML5 Video Players
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HTML5 Video Players

HTML5 Video Players are JavaScript libraries that provide customizable and feature-rich interfaces for playing video content in web applications. These players enhance the native HTML5 video element by offering additional functionalities such as custom controls, playlists, captions, and support for various video formats. They are designed to be responsive, accessible, and easy to integrate into websites, providing a better user experience for video playback across different devices and browsers. Plyr is a simple, lightweight, and accessible HTML5 media player that supports video, audio, and YouTube/Vimeo embeds. It offers a clean and customizable interface with features like captions, fullscreen mode, and API control. Video.js is a powerful and flexible open-source HTML5 video player framework that supports a wide range of video formats and provides extensive customization options. It features a modular architecture, supports plugins, and offers built-in accessibility features, making it suitable for both simple and complex video playback needs.

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video.js771,03939,37218 MB6314 months agoApache-2.0
plyr216,97529,3955.32 MB9214 months agoMIT
Feature Comparison: video.js vs plyr

Size and Performance

  • video.js:

    Video.js is larger than Plyr due to its extensive feature set and plugin architecture. While it may have a bigger impact on load times, its performance is optimized for handling high-quality video playback, making it suitable for more complex applications.

  • plyr:

    Plyr is a lightweight media player with a minimal footprint, making it ideal for performance-sensitive applications. Its simplicity and efficiency ensure fast loading times and smooth playback, even on mobile devices.

Customization

  • video.js:

    Video.js is highly customizable, with a robust API and support for custom skins, plugins, and components. Its modular architecture allows developers to extend functionality easily, making it ideal for projects that require deep customization.

  • plyr:

    Plyr offers straightforward customization options, including CSS styling and JavaScript API controls. Its clean design allows for easy modifications, and it supports custom themes and icons, making it flexible for most projects.

Accessibility

  • video.js:

    Video.js also emphasizes accessibility, offering features like keyboard controls, screen reader compatibility, and support for ARIA attributes. It is compliant with accessibility standards, making it suitable for a wide range of users.

  • plyr:

    Plyr is designed with accessibility in mind, providing keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and customizable captions. Its focus on inclusive design makes it a great choice for projects that prioritize accessibility.

Plugin Ecosystem

  • video.js:

    Video.js boasts a large and active plugin ecosystem, with many community-contributed plugins available for various functionalities, including analytics, advertising, and advanced playback features. This makes it highly extensible and adaptable to different use cases.

  • plyr:

    Plyr has a growing ecosystem of plugins and integrations, but it is not as extensive as Video.js. It supports third-party plugins and allows for easy integration with tools like YouTube and Vimeo.

Code Example

  • video.js:

    Simple video player with Video.js

    <link href="https://vjs.zencdn.net/7.15.4/video-js.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<script src="https://vjs.zencdn.net/7.15.4/video.min.js"></script>
<video id="my-video" class="video-js" controls preload="auto" width="640" height="264">
  <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
<script>
  const player = videojs('my-video');
</script>
  • plyr:

    Simple video player with Plyr

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.plyr.io/3.6.8/plyr.css" />
<script src="https://cdn.plyr.io/3.6.8/plyr.polyfilled.js"></script>
<video controls id="player">
  <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
<script>
  const player = new Plyr('#player');
</script>
How to Choose: video.js vs plyr
  • video.js:

    Choose Video.js if you need a highly customizable and feature-rich video player that supports a wide range of formats and plugins. It is suitable for larger projects that require advanced features, extensive customization, and support for live streaming.

  • plyr:

    Choose Plyr if you need a lightweight, easy-to-use media player with a modern design and good accessibility features. It is ideal for projects that require quick integration and customization without a steep learning curve.

Similar Npm Packages to video.js

video.js is a popular open-source HTML5 video player framework that allows developers to create custom video players for web applications. It provides a robust set of features, including support for various video formats, playback controls, and a customizable interface. With a strong focus on accessibility and cross-browser compatibility, video.js is widely used for embedding video content in websites and applications. Its extensive plugin ecosystem also allows developers to extend functionality easily, making it a versatile choice for video playback.

One notable alternative to video.js is plyr. Plyr is a simple, lightweight, and customizable media player that supports video, audio, and even YouTube and Vimeo content. It offers a clean and modern interface, making it easy to integrate into web applications. Plyr focuses on providing a minimalistic experience while still offering essential features like playback controls, captions, and full-screen support. If you are looking for a straightforward and elegant solution for media playback without the overhead of a more complex framework, Plyr is an excellent choice.

For a detailed comparison of these two packages, check out the link: Comparing plyr vs video.js.

Similar Npm Packages to plyr

plyr is a flexible and customizable media player for web applications. It supports various media formats, including video, audio, and even embedded content from platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. Plyr offers a simple API and a clean user interface, making it easy for developers to integrate media playback into their applications. Its lightweight nature and extensive customization options make it a popular choice for developers looking to enhance their media experiences.

While Plyr is a robust solution, there are several alternatives available that cater to different needs:

  • hls.js is a JavaScript library that enables the playback of HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) video streams in browsers that do not natively support it. It is particularly useful for live streaming applications and provides features like adaptive bitrate streaming. If your project requires handling HLS streams specifically, hls.js is an excellent choice for ensuring compatibility across various browsers.
  • plyr-react is a React wrapper for the Plyr library, allowing developers to use Plyr seamlessly within React applications. It provides all the features of Plyr while adhering to React's component-based architecture. If you are building a React application and want to leverage Plyr's capabilities, plyr-react is the way to go.
  • react-player is another React component that provides a simple interface for playing various media types, including YouTube, Vimeo, and HTML5 video. It is highly customizable and supports a wide range of media sources, making it a versatile option for React developers looking to integrate media playback into their applications.
  • video.js is a popular open-source HTML5 video player that offers a wide range of features, including support for various video formats, plugins, and skins. It is highly extensible and provides a robust API for developers who need more control over their video playback experience. If you require a comprehensive video player with extensive features, video.js is a solid choice.
  • videojs-record is a plugin for video.js that adds recording capabilities to the player. It allows users to record audio and video directly from their browsers, making it ideal for applications that require user-generated content. If your project needs to enable users to record their media, videojs-record is a great addition to your tech stack.

To compare these packages, check out the following link: Comparing hls.js vs plyr vs plyr-react vs react-player vs video.js vs videojs-record.

README for video.js

Video.js logo

Video.js - Web Video Player & Framework

NPM

Update: Big changes coming in Video.js 10, early 2026! Read the discussion.

Video.js is a full featured, open source video player for all web-based platforms.

Right out of the box, Video.js supports all common media formats used on the web including streaming formats like HLS and DASH. It works on desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and web-based Smart TVs. It can be further extended and customized by a robust ecosystem of plugins.

Video.js was started in May 2010 and since then:

  • Millions of websites have used VideoJS over time (source Builtwith)
  • Billions of end-users every month of just the CDN-hosted copy (source Fastly stats)
  • 900+ amazing contributors to the video.js core
  • Hundreds of plugins

Table of Contents

Quick Start

Thanks to the awesome folks over at Fastly, there's a free, CDN hosted version of Video.js that anyone can use. Add these tags to your document's <head>:

<link href="//vjs.zencdn.net/8.23.4/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="//vjs.zencdn.net/8.23.4/video.min.js"></script>

Alternatively, you can include Video.js by getting it from npm, downloading it from GitHub releases or by including it via unpkg or another JavaScript CDN, like CDNjs.

<!-- unpkg : use the latest version of Video.js -->
<link href="https://unpkg.com/video.js/dist/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://unpkg.com/video.js/dist/video.min.js"></script>

<!-- unpkg : use a specific version of Video.js (change the version numbers as necessary) -->
<link href="https://unpkg.com/video.js@8.23.4/dist/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://unpkg.com/video.js@8.23.4/dist/video.min.js"></script>

<!-- cdnjs : use a specific version of Video.js (change the version numbers as necessary) -->
<link href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/video.js/8.23.4/video-js.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/video.js/8.23.4/video.min.js"></script>

Next, using Video.js is as simple as creating a <video> element, but with an additional data-setup attribute. At a minimum, this attribute must have a value of '{}', but it can include any Video.js options - just make sure it contains valid JSON!

<video
    id="my-player"
    class="video-js"
    controls
    preload="auto"
    poster="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.png"
    data-setup='{}'>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.mp4" type="video/mp4"></source>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.webm" type="video/webm"></source>
  <source src="//vjs.zencdn.net/v/oceans.ogv" type="video/ogg"></source>
  <p class="vjs-no-js">
    To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a
    web browser that
    <a href="https://videojs.com/html5-video-support/" target="_blank">
      supports HTML5 video
    </a>
  </p>
</video>

When the page loads, Video.js will find this element and automatically setup a player in its place.

If you don't want to use automatic setup, you can leave off the data-setup attribute and initialize a <video> element manually using the videojs function:

var player = videojs('my-player');

The videojs function also accepts an options object and a callback to be invoked when the player is ready:

var options = {};

var player = videojs('my-player', options, function onPlayerReady() {
  videojs.log('Your player is ready!');

  // In this context, `this` is the player that was created by Video.js.
  this.play();

  // How about an event listener?
  this.on('ended', function() {
    videojs.log('Awww...over so soon?!');
  });
});

If you're ready to dive in, the Getting Started page and documentation are the best places to go for more information. If you get stuck, head over to our Slack!

Contributing

Video.js is a free and open source library, and we appreciate any help you're willing to give - whether it's fixing bugs, improving documentation, or suggesting new features. Check out the contributing guide for more!

Video.js uses BrowserStack for compatibility testing.

Code of Conduct

Please note that this project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By participating in this project you agree to abide by its terms.

License

Video.js is licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.

Video.js is a registered trademark of Brightcove, Inc.

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