Softwr

Entertainment · head to head

BritBox vs mpv

BritBox logo

BritBox

Entertainment

British television and entertainment

From
$6.99/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: BritBox britBox offered a free 7-day trial, then billed at $6.99/month or $69.99/year (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2022); 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: BritBox covers British content, mpv covers Command line control.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BritBox and mpv actually diverge.

Attributes where BritBox and mpv differ
AttributeBritBoxmpv
Starting price$6.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, RokuMac, Windows, Linux
Founded2017Unknown

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 BritBox

  • British content
  • Dramas
  • Comedies
  • Documentaries
  • Exclusive content
  • Smart TVs
  • Streaming devices
  • Account security

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.

BritBox

  • British content streamingnot mpv
  • Drama watchingnot mpv

mpv

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

Where each one falls short

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

BritBox

  • BritBox offered a free 7-day trial, then billed at $6.99/month or $69.99/year (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2022)

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

BritBox

$6.99/month
  • Standard$6.99/month
    • HD
    • 1 device
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Full HD
    • 4 devices

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 BritBox if

  • You need british content.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku.
  • You also want dramas.
BritBox 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 BritBox or mpv better?
Neither clearly leads. BritBox starts at $6.99/month and mpv at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BritBox or mpv?
mpv has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6.99/month for BritBox and Free for mpv.
Does BritBox or mpv run on more platforms?
BritBox runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku. 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. BritBox starts at $6.99/month.
What is BritBox best used for?
BritBox is most often used for british content streaming, drama watching. Of those, british content streaming and drama watching are not what mpv is typically brought in for.
What can BritBox do that mpv cannot?
BritBox covers British content, Dramas, Comedies, Documentaries. 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.

Share

Related pages

More on BritBox

More on mpv

Keep looking

Other head to heads