Haruna as a Linux alternative to MPC-HC

Updated November 2, 2026

Our verdict

Haruna can replace MPC‑HC for users who need a lightweight, customizable Linux media player that also handles online streams. It covers most local video and audio formats, supports subtitles and external audio, and offers a rich set of keyboard and mouse shortcuts. Users who rely heavily on YouTube playlists or want quick chapter navigation will find Haruna useful. Those who need advanced codec support or a very small footprint may prefer a more minimal player.

Feature parity75%

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Price: Free
Latest version: 1.9.0 (October 30, 2026)
Rating: —

Install Haruna Website ↗

What works the same

Both are open‑source media players with low resource usage
Both support a wide range of common video and audio formats
Both allow subtitle tracks and external audio streams
Both offer customizable keyboard shortcuts
Both can be installed from standard Linux repositories or Flatpak

What is different

Haruna includes built‑in YouTube playback via youtube‑dl; MPC‑HC does not
Haruna provides auto‑skip of chapters containing specific words; MPC‑HC lacks this feature
Haruna has mouse‑over playlist toggle and overlay; MPC‑HC has a static playlist panel
Haruna supports quick jump to next chapter with middle‑click; MPC‑HC does not
MPC‑HC is Windows‑only, Haruna is native Linux; MPC‑HC cannot be installed on Linux without a compatibility layer

Opening your MPC-HC files

MPC‑HC does not use a proprietary project file format; it simply plays files directly. Haruna opens the same media files without conversion, so any video or audio file playable by MPC‑HC will open in Haruna. Exporting settings or playlists from MPC‑HC to Haruna is not supported, but you can manually recreate playlists in Haruna’s interface.

Switching from MPC-HC to Haruna, step by step

1. Install Haruna via your distro’s package manager or Flathub.
2. Open your media files in Haruna; verify subtitles and external audio work.
3. Recreate any MPC‑HC playlists in Haruna’s playlist editor.
4. Adjust keyboard shortcuts in Haruna’s settings to match your MPC‑HC preferences.
5. Disable any unwanted YouTube‑dl features if you only need local playback.

Key features of Haruna

Plays local and online videos, including YouTube via youtube‑dl
Supports YouTube playlists and auto‑skips chapters containing specific words
Mouse‑over playlist toggle and overlay on video
Configurable shortcuts and mouse buttons
Quick jump to next chapter with middle‑click on progress bar
Open source, GPL‑3.0‑or‑later license
Available as Flatpak, Arch, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE, Ubuntu

How to install Haruna on Linux

Flatpak (Flathub)flatpak install flathub org.kde.haruna

Ubuntu / Mintsudo apt install haruna

Debiansudo apt install haruna

Fedorasudo dnf install haruna

Arch / Manjarosudo pacman -S haruna

openSUSEsudo zypper install haruna

Frequently asked questions

Does Haruna support the same codecs as MPC‑HC?

Yes, Haruna relies on the same underlying libraries (FFmpeg, GStreamer) that MPC‑HC uses, so it can play the same formats, including MP4, MKV, AVI, and many audio codecs.

Can I use Haruna to play YouTube videos?

Yes, Haruna integrates youtube‑dl to stream YouTube videos and playlists directly, a feature not present in MPC‑HC.

What if I want a more minimal player than Haruna?

If you need an even lighter footprint, consider a terminal‑based player like mpv or a minimal GUI like VLC with minimal plugins; Haruna is heavier than MPC‑HC but still lightweight compared to full‑featured players.