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Entertainment · head to head

Adobe After Effects vs mpv

Adobe After Effects logo

Adobe After Effects

Entertainment

Visual effects and motion graphics software

From
$22.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
mpv logo

mpv

Entertainment

Free open source command line video player with no graphical interface, built for scripting and precision

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only mpv has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe After Effects the Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.; mpv there is no graphical interface at all by default, so a typical non-technical user will find it unusable without significant setup.
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, mpv covers Command line control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe After Effects and mpv actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe After Effects and mpv differ
AttributeAdobe After Effectsmpv
Starting price$22.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, MacosMac, Windows, Linux
Founded1990Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics
  • Visual effects
  • 2D and 3D compositing
  • Animation tools
  • Keying and rotoscoping
  • Color correction
  • Text animation
  • Particle systems

Only in mpv

  • Command line control
  • Lua and JavaScript scripting
  • Plain text configuration
  • Cross-platform
  • Minimal on-screen overlay
  • Embeddable engine

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe After Effects

  • Motion graphics creationnot mpv
  • Visual effects compositingnot mpv
  • Title sequencesnot mpv
  • Commercial advertisingnot mpv
  • Social media contentnot mpv

mpv

  • A developer who wants to script or automate media playback rather than click through a graphical appnot Adobe After Effects
  • A Linux user who wants a lightweight player without the overhead of a full desktop application shellnot Adobe After Effects
  • Someone embedding video playback into another tool or workflow rather than using it as a standalone appnot Adobe After Effects
  • A power user who prefers editing a text config file over navigating a settings panelnot Adobe After Effects

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe After Effects

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Adobe's After Effects page on 1 January 2022 priced the standalone app at US$20.99 per month, with the full Creative Cloud All Apps bundle at US$52.99 per month; current prices may differ.

mpv

  • There is no graphical interface at all by default, so a typical non-technical user will find it unusable without significant setup.
  • It has no library browser, artwork fetching or organised media collection view, unlike IINA or Infuse.
  • There is no Apple TV, iOS or Android version, so it cannot be used for a living room or mobile streaming setup.
  • Configuration is entirely file and flag based, so getting a specific behaviour set up correctly has a real learning curve compared with a settings panel.
  • Because it is a general-purpose engine rather than a consumer product, there is no dedicated support channel beyond community forums and documentation.

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe After Effects

$22.99/month
  • After Effects Single App$22.99/month
    • Motion graphics and VFX
    • 3D design space
    • Data-driven animation

mpv

Free
  • mpvFree
    • Free and open source under GPL or LGPL depending on build
    • No account, subscription or paid tier
    • Cross-platform, same engine on every OS

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe After Effects if

  • You need motion graphics.
  • You work on Windows, Macos.
  • You also want visual effects.
Adobe After Effects review

Choose mpv if

  • You need command line control.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac, Windows, Linux.
  • You also want lua and javascript scripting.
mpv review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe After Effects or mpv better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month and mpv at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe After Effects or mpv?
mpv has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $22.99/month for Adobe After Effects and Free for mpv.
Does Adobe After Effects or mpv run on more platforms?
Adobe After Effects runs on Windows, Macos. mpv runs on Mac, Windows, Linux.
Can I use mpv for free?
Yes. mpv has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe After Effects starts at $22.99/month.
What is Adobe After Effects best used for?
Adobe After Effects is most often used for motion graphics creation, visual effects compositing, title sequences, commercial advertising. Of those, motion graphics creation and visual effects compositing are not what mpv is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe After Effects do that mpv cannot?
Adobe After Effects covers Motion graphics, Visual effects, 2D and 3D compositing, Animation tools. mpv covers Command line control, Lua and JavaScript scripting, Plain text configuration, Cross-platform.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

mpv: Is mpv free?

Yes, entirely, and it is open source with no paid tier of any kind.

mpv: Does mpv have a GUI?

Not by default. It shows the video and a minimal overlay, but there are no menus, library or settings panel; IINA is the graphical Mac interface built on the same engine.

mpv: Can mpv play from network shares or cloud storage?

It can play many stream types via command line arguments, but it has no built in browsable network or cloud library the way Infuse does.

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Related pages

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