Free HTML video players compared: Fluid Player vs. Video.js

Welcome to the second edition of our video player comparison series. In the first one, we measured Fluid Player against JW Player. This time we compare Fluid Player with Video.js: two popular HTML5 video players that are open source and completely free to use.

A lot has changed since we first wrote this comparison. In October 2026, Video.js released a new version, a complete rewrite that is very different from the Video.js many developers know. So we have compared the latest versions of both players: Fluid Player 3.61 and Video.js 10.

Feature comparison

Both players stream modern formats, work on every screen size and support subtitles. The big difference is video monetization: Fluid Player shows video ads from the moment it is on your page, while Video.js has no ad support at all. That makes Fluid Player the open source player built for monetization. Fluid Player also comes with more ready-to-use features, such as VR, theater mode and suggested videos, and a visual Player Builder to set it all up without writing code.

Fluid Player: open source and ready for video ads

Fluid Player is a lightweight HTML5 video player built for publishers who want to show and monetize video. It is free and open source under the MIT license, with its code public on GitHub (opens in a new tab), and of the two players compared here, it is the only one with video ads built in. Load it from our own CDN or install it with npm, and place as many players as you need on the same page.

Ready to use, easy to make your own

Fluid Player looks good with its default settings, so you can start publishing videos without writing much code or installing extra packages. A working player takes a few lines:

<script src="https://cdn.fluidplayer.com/v3/current/fluidplayer.min.js"></script>

<video id="my-video">
  <source src="my-video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>

<script>
  fluidPlayer('my-video');
</script>

When you want it to match your brand, simple settings let you change the color of the controls, add your logo and a poster image, choose which buttons to show, add timeline thumbnail previews, enable theater mode or the mini player, customize the keyboard controls and much more. The Player Builder on our homepage lets you try every setting on a live player, then copy the code.

Built-in VAST and VPAID support

VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) is the standard from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) (opens in a new tab) that ad servers and video players use to talk to each other. With VAST, any ad network can serve ads to any compatible player in the same format. Not every player supports it, yet it is essential to monetize video.

Fluid Player supports VAST out of the box, including:

• several ads per video: pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll;
• linear (video) ads, with a skip button and a call to action;
• non-linear ads: image banners (GIF, JPEG or PNG) shown over the video;
• VAST wrappers and ad pods (several ads played in a row);
• fallback ad tags, tried when the first one returns no ad;
• VPAID 2.0 ads (linear and non-linear), switched on with one option.

Start monetizing your video content now

Fluid Player works with any ad network, ad exchange or video ad server that delivers VAST. Add the ad tag from your provider, and ads play as soon as the player is on your page:

fluidPlayer('my-video', {
  vastOptions: {
    adList: [
      { roll: 'preRoll', vastTag: 'https://example.com/your-vast-tag.xml' }
    ]
  }
});

On top of in-stream video ads, you can show a VAST banner over the video while it plays, or your own HTML banner when the viewer pauses the video. Everything can be adjusted: ad text, call-to-action text, mid-roll timing, banner position and how long a banner stays on screen.

Streaming, VR and more

Fluid Player plays MP4 and WebM files, HLS and DASH streams (including live streams, with a quality menu for HLS) and 360° videos in VR. Subtitles use the standard WebVTT format, and at the end of a video you can show suggested videos to keep viewers watching. Fluid Player also remembers each viewer’s volume, speed, quality and theater mode for their next visit, with no extra code.

Documentation and support from the team

Every option is explained in the Fluid Player documentation (opens in a new tab), with guides for React, Vue, Angular and WordPress. Have a question or found a problem? Open an issue on GitHub (opens in a new tab): the Fluid Player team reads and answers them, and fixes land in regular releases.

Video.js: a framework to build your own player

Video.js (opens in a new tab) is one of the best-known open source video players. Its new version is a complete rewrite, now led by Mux, that brings together ideas from several players (Plyr, Vidstack and Media Chrome).

What Video.js does well

• Built from components: the player is made of separate pieces that developers combine and style as they like.
• Made for modern frameworks: React components, and web components for plain HTML, Vue or Svelte.
• Editable skins: you can copy a skin’s code into your project and change anything in it.
• More video sources: besides HLS and DASH, it can play YouTube and Vimeo videos.
• Casting and languages: AirPlay and Chromecast (with an extension), and a fully translatable interface.

What Video.js doesn’t do

Because the new version starts from scratch, a lot is missing. The Video.js team lists the gaps in its migration guide (opens in a new tab):

• No video ads: no VAST, no VPAID and no ad plugin. Ads are only on the roadmap for a later release.
• No plugins: the new version has no plugin system, so the plugins written for earlier versions no longer work.
• No VR or 360° video, no theater mode and no suggested videos.

In other words, if you want to earn revenue from your videos, Video.js can’t do it today.

Community support

Video.js support comes from its community: you can ask questions on its Discord server or in GitHub Discussions, and report problems on GitHub.

Conclusion: which player should you choose?

Choose Fluid Player if you want an open source player to publish and monetize video. VAST and VPAID ads, in-video banners, streaming, VR and theater mode are all built in. You set them up with a few options or visually in the Player Builder, it loads from our own CDN, and our team answers your questions on GitHub.

Choose Video.js if you are a developer building a custom player inside a React or other modern app, and you don’t need video ads.

For publishers who want an open source player that looks good and earns revenue from day one, Fluid Player is the clear choice. Try it in the Player Builder and see your player take shape in a few clicks.