RealPlayer

Active

Country: United States (US)
Founded: 1995
Developer: RealNetworks
Pricing: Freemium
Open source: No
Platforms: Windows, iOS, Android, Roku, Chromecast

Indexes

Video Players

Overview

RealPlayer is a media player application that supports playback, downloading, and organizing of audio and video files. It includes tools for downloading videos from websites, syncing media across devices via RealPlayer Cloud, and casting to TVs. Targeted at users needing a versatile player with download and cloud features, it stands out with its long history since 1995 and cross-device media management.

Key Features

Video Downloader - Downloads videos from websites directly to PC or mobile devices.
Cloud Sync - Syncs media libraries between phone, PC, and cloud storage.
Offline Playback - Allows playback of downloaded videos without internet connection.
Casting Support - Casts videos to Chromecast or AirPlay-enabled screens.
Media Organizer - Organizes videos by people, locations, or tags using metadata.
Format Conversion - Converts downloaded audio and video files to different formats.
CD/DVD Burning - Burns audio and video files to CDs and DVDs.
Live Streaming - Streams audio and video content from the internet.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	Free	Basic playback, limited downloads, and cloud storage.
Premium	In-app subscription	Unlimited PC downloads, 25GB cloud storage, off-device streaming.

Platforms & Requirements

Available on Windows for PC, iOS and Android for mobile, and Roku/Chromecast for TV casting. Mobile apps require iOS 12+ or Android 7.0+; Windows version needs Windows 10+. No native Linux or macOS support.

Integrations & Ecosystem

RealPlayer Cloud
Chromecast
AirPlay
Roku
Facebook (for photo/video patterns)
Twitter (for user profiling)

Alternatives

App	Difference
VLC Media Player	Fully free and open-source with broader format support but lacks built-in downloader or cloud sync.
VLC for Android/iOS	No ads or subscriptions, focuses on playback without downloading features.
PotPlayer	Windows-only with advanced customization but no mobile or cloud integration.
MX Player	Mobile-focused with hardware acceleration, lacks PC version and web downloading.

Reputation

RealPlayer has a long-standing presence but faces significant criticism for spyware-like behavior, including tracking media consumption, geolocation, device fingerprints, and potential facial recognition via media patterns for advertising profiles. Users report privacy concerns from data shared with developers and third parties like Facebook. While functional for media management, its reputation is tarnished by these invasive practices, deterring privacy-conscious users.

Sources (9)