If you are looking for Flash Player alternatives for your Windows, you’ve come to the right place. Did you know Adobe Flash Player was discontinued in December 2020? Yes, you heard that right. The golden era of the most widely used flash plugin phased out. As Adobe Flash Player has retired, here are the best flash player alternatives that can serve as an ideal replacement.
Looking for some Flash Player alternatives that can do the job for you? Well, you’ve come to the right place. As Adobe Flash Player has retired, here are the 9 best flash player alternatives that can serve as an ideal replacement.
What is a Flash Player?
A flash player is a special kind of computer software intended for running multimedia content, graphics-rich applications, user interfaces, games, animations, and more. Flash Player is a flexible, cross-platform software that can be used on any device or platform for streaming audio and video.
No matter which web browser you use, whether Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or Opera, at some point in time or other, you may require a flash player plugin for streaming audio or videos. A wide variety of flash player plugins is available online. In this post, we have listed the best flash player alternatives that you can use instead of Adobe Flash Player.
Also read: How to Unblock Adobe Flash Player
8 Best Flash Player Alternatives
1. Lightspark
Lightspark is a free, open-source flash player and browser plugin that you can use on Windows and Linux platforms. It is also supported on popular web browsers, including Google Chrome and Firefox. The flash browser plugin Lightspark is written in C/C++ format. It can serve as a decent alternative for Adobe Flash Player and can be used for running a variety of flash APIs on your device without any streaming interruptions. Lightspark is also compatible with H.264 flash videos on YouTube. The latest version of Lightspark 0.8.3 was released last year in July 2020.
Pros
- Free & open source.
- Allows code editing.
Cons
- Some users reported slow speed.
Verdict – Good flash player with support for various SWF files to be played on your device.
2. Gnash
Gnash is a GNU movie flash player plugin that can be used for running audio, video, ActionScript, and other multimedia applications. The Gnash flash player is available in two different versions, one as a standalone desktop app and the other in the form of a browser plugin. Gnash is a part of the GNU open-source project and is located under FSF (Free Software Foundation), a non-profit worldwide mission. The last update of the Gnash flash player was released back in 2012 and since then there have been no major updates or bug fixes in the source code.
Pros
- Free to use.
- Open source extension.
Cons
- Some ActionScript are not supported.
Verdict – Standalone media player for your desktop and browsers.
3. Ruffle
Ruffle comes next on our list of best flash player alternatives. Ruffle is not exactly a flash player but more of a flash player emulator that is developed based on Rust programming language. You can use the Ruffle flash plugin across platforms including Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is also compatible with popular web browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and others. Although, here’s one catch. Ruffle does not support SWF files containing ActionScript 3. Well, barring this particular fact, Ruffle can be used as a great alternative as it also addresses the security issues of Flash Players.
Pros
- Secure Flash Player Emulator.
- Regularly updated.
Cons
- Some websites do not support Ruffle.
Verdict – Flash Player alternative in the shape of an emulator to work on multiple platforms.
Also read: How To Uninstall Adobe Flash Player Completely From Mac
4. CheerpX for Flash
ChreerpX for Flash is an advanced flash player emulator that you can use for running almost any flash application seamlessly on any web browser or platform. It is powered by WebAssembly and is fully compatible with ActionScript 3, ActionScript 2, Flex, Spark, and most Flash-based APIs. You can also use the CheerpX for Flash player for running external B2B and B2C applications without having to install any additional software components.
Pros
- API compatibility.
- Works with most browsers.
Cons
- Will not support everything.
Verdict – Good for modern browsers with an integration to the HTML5 library without plugins.
5. BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint
Developed by the BlueMaxima, Flashpoint was launched in the year 2018, and it can be used across several frameworks, platforms, animations, and standards. Flashpoint is an open-source project that is compatible with almost any kind of web-based media. The Flashpoint plugin combines the power of Apache, a built-in launcher, and the Flashpoint Secure Player that offers a user-friendly interface. You can use BlueMaxima’s Flashpoint for playing any online media content efficiently without facing any interruptions.
Pros
- API compatibility.
- Works with most browsers.
Cons
- Will not support everything.
Verdict – Works with several games and animations on 35 different platforms.
6. Supernova Player
Next on our list of best flash player alternatives comes the Supernova Player. The Supernova Player is a standalone application that you can use for running SWF files on almost any browser or platform. From playing graphics-rich games to watching high-resolution videos, Supernova Player can take your streaming experience to a whole new level.
Pros
- A stand alone flash player.
- Play SMF files on the internet.
Cons
- Compatibility issues with browsers.
Verdict – Best extension for Chromium-based web browser to play online games.
Also read: How To Enable Flash Player On Chrome, Firefox, And Edge?
7. Lunaspace
Lunascape is another of the Flash player alternatives for Windows which can be used in the web browser. Using this you do not require an additional flash player to run the flash content on the web. It is an easy to use web browser and has been downloaded over 20 million times on Windows. It is also available on iPad, iPhone, Android and recently released beta version for macOS.
Pros
- Available as a dedicated app.
- Plays flash videos online.
Cons
- Needs for features.
Verdict – Additional features such as ad-blocking and privacy protection keep you safe while browsing.
Also read: Steps To Download Embedded Flash Files Via Browser
8. Flashfox Browser App
The Flashfox browser app can be used on Windows as well as Mac for running flash multimedia content seamlessly. It also comes packed with an additional set of features that include recent tabs, synced tabs, bookmarks, history, and more. Flashplayer is a web browser app that includes Flash player support so that you don’t have to install any other additional plugin for viewing flash-based content.
Pros
- Android browsing app.
- Runs flash content smoothly.
Cons
- Lots of advertisements.
Verdict – Free web browser with a flash player to stream videos on Android devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the best alternative to Adobe Flash Player?
As Adobe Flash Player was discontinued on 31st December 2020, you can use any of the above-mentioned flash plugin tools as an alternative. This post lists down the 9 best flash player alternatives that are available for free on the web.
Q2. Why is Flash being phased out?
Adobe has officially announced that no further updates will be rolled out for the Adobe Flash Player plugin. The two main reasons that have caught the attention about why hasFlash phased out are, security issues and other is Flash being not so mobile-friendly.
Also read: How To Troubleshoot Flash Video Not Working On Mac
Q3. Is HTML5 better than flash?
Yes, for sure! HTML 5 is light-weighted, fast, and runs efficiently on any device. It is well compatible with any modern-day media or interactive content. Also, another reason why developers are migrating towards HTML5 rather than Flash is due to the fact the Flash cannot fit in the mobile demands.
Q4. What will replace Flash in 2022?
Adobe Flash Player retired in the year 2020, so what do you think will replace Flash in 2022? Well, a myriad of free, open-source projects are available on the web that can be used instead of Adobe Flash Player. You can pick any of the above-mentioned Flash player alternatives that will allow you to view multimedia interactive content on any platform, including web browsers, your PC, or your laptop.
Conclusion
This wraps up our guide listing the 9 best flash player alternatives. As Adobe Flash Player is no longer available, you can pick any of the above-mentioned flash plugins to enjoy streaming graphical content on any device without experiencing any hindrances. Follow us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.