VLC Media Player Alternatives
Often described as the Swiss army knife of video players, VLC is well regarded in the video playback community as a program that'll open practically any audio/video format you can throw at it. From obscure video files to radio stream links and everything in between, VLC can almost assuredly play them back. On top of being open source and available on every major platform, there's a reason it tops as many search results and recommendation articles as it does.
Though VLC is one of the most well known and versatile video players available, those looking for the most efficient or robust players have plenty of viable alternatives to choose from. Whether it's players that focus on low footprint like Media Player Classic and its forks, or players with more customization and variety like KMPlayer, be sure to look at alternatives and explore what would most match your use case for video and audio playback.
VLC Media Player alternatives are mainly Media Players but may also be Audio Players or Internet Radio Services. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of VLC Media Player.- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- iPad
- AppImageHub
- Apple Watch
- Snapcraft
- Google Chrome
- Apple TV
- Flathub
- PortableApps.com
- F-Droid
- Kindle Fire
- Haiku
- Homebrew
- Chocolatey
- Android TV
MPC-HC
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Audio Player
128 alternatives to MPC-HC- Windows
- PortableApps.com
MPC-HC's biggest advantage is arguably just how lightweight it is. Not only is it small in terms of hard drive space, but its CPU and overall system resource use is incredibly small compared to other video players, VLC included.
MPC-HC Features
MPC-HC vs VLC Media Player opinions
RootBootOverall it just a better video player. Include basic feature such as click to pause/play, play the next file in folder, after playback task. MPC-HC also render (.ass) subtitle substantially better than any open source alternatives out there and can read .mkv better. Not to mention how light weight MPC is.
-1BIr4Run everything (with "K-lite mega codec pack" is perfect).
13DiumaVery good application alternative for VLC! Was using it long time before the VLC Player itself
0In my opinion MPC-HC is the definition of perfect for normal usage. It almost does every thing one can expect from a media player. Considering its performance, its size on the hard-disk as well as its CPU consumption is unbelievably low. Besides one have: Full control of playing screen size by default or cursor-dragging options Full control of video, audio, and playlist Full control of all after-play options
Thank to all people who develop the program.
3Performance is superior to VLC.
10PotPlayer
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Proprietary
- Media Player
- Audio Player
115 alternatives to PotPlayer- Windows
PotPlayer is a modular video player that also works with most video file formats by default. Many of our users also find that it starts up faster and performs better than VLC, while also including small quality of life features that can be useful in specific contexts (such as support for two subtitle tracks on the same video file in order to help learn a new language).
PotPlayer Features
BundlewareSeveral antivirus detect a potentially unwanted application (adware) PUA.FusionCore in the file F.dll dropped by the installer of PotPlayer in the Temp folder. Once that file is blocked by the antivirus, the program is installed with no problems and ads.
PotPlayer vs VLC Media Player opinions
Looks better! more customizable, easier to use and support add two subtitle files at the same time (useful for the people who learn other language while watching)
9Mayank-AroraPotPlayer manages the folders and sub-folders sensibly. Import the list you want to play and it's simple to use. It remembers the 2x speed in next video (unlike VLC).
0SethMitchellI used it and found it very lightweight. Good alternative to VLC
0Apollo07It starts up faster than VLC and just works smoother for me overall
0exactly what i was looking for.
2MPV
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Audio Player
89 alternatives to MPV- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- BSD
- Xfce
MPV is an MPlayer-based video player that is available on all major desktop operating systems. Linux users in particular cite MPV as one of the best alternatives to VLC. Its interface is extremely minimal, though with that comes extraordinary stability.
MPV Features
MPV vs VLC Media Player opinions
Shuunenfinally seeking in a video is smooth <3
2JohnFastmanThere was a time when VLC was justifiably considered the best open-source cross-platform movie player. MPV has closed the gap substantially and is likely to work out-of-the-box in a minority of cases where VLC gets stuck. Excellent software. Open souce (trustworthy) and free, of course.
11salvadormoraleslenIt does not have similar interface.
0FireryyoBecause mpv is lightweight,customizable,doesn't suck and FOSS
-1awvalentiVery minimal, indeed, and very fast. Has many keyboard shortcuts and displays album art for songs. I decided not to use it because I need global hotkeys (play/pause, next, previous) to work, and they didn't (at least on Windows).
0SMPlayer
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Audio Player
113 alternatives to SMPlayer- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- mpv
- PortableApps.com
- Haiku
- MPlayer
- Mac
Like MPV, SMPlayer is based off of MPlayer, but unlike MPV, it's more focused on accessibility with its user interface. Out of the box, users cite SMPlayer as having the versatility and stability of MPV with the ease of use of players like VLC. It also supports add-ons such as a YouTube search.
SMPlayer Features
SMPlayer vs VLC Media Player opinions
It is the best mpv frontend in my opinion. having such powerful media player engine such as mpv + a user friendly ui. built-in subtitle search engine makes you like a lot easier too.
3armynIt has beautiful skins and is suitable for weak systems.
2awvalentiHighly configurable, but lacks stability, at least on Windows. Freezes sometimes, even after switching between back-end players.
-1Mayank-AroraI have stopped using VLC, since I came across SMPlayer. It works seamlessly on all my devices. I once made keyboard shortcuts, and saved it on cloud. Now, it is very easy to copy that file and have same settings and same shortcuts across all devices. For me, this is better than VLC media player and it is so easy to set aspect ratio, increase and decrease volume, manage video speeds and sync audio/subtitles.
0danydubeRemember the configuration of each file (audio track, subtitles,). Remember position in time Storing a subtitle from a video including support for automatically forced subtitles. Lightness of the program and high reactivity.
2MX Player
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Freemium • Proprietary
- Media Player
138 alternatives to MX Player- Android
- Android Tablet
Though MX Player only supports Android devices, it is often cited as one of the platform's best video players. Featuring extensive customization options, an Android-optimized design, and plenty of supported video formats, MX Player is worth checking out on your Android phone or tablet if you're looking for a simple, optimized video player.
MX Player Features
MX Player vs VLC Media Player opinions
Powerful, Support lots of formats. Easy to use
6salvadormoraleslenSome missing features but almost similar to VLC player
0HurDugggioReally does a good job of playing a video with maximized settings. Looks gorgeous.
4aalooksthFully customisable, very easy to use interface, modern design, very powerful
1MPC-BE
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Audio Player
104 alternatives to MPC-BE- Windows
MPC-BE is another fork of Media Player Classic (specifically of the Home Cinema fork) with a focus on bug fixes and for automatically mounting ISO images. It is actively updated and performs really well for video playback. Users do not recommend it for music playback, as it lacks support for playlist looping and includes odd behaviors for shuffling media playback.
MPC-BE Features
MPC-BE vs VLC Media Player opinions
thumbnail view, available on MS store
-1rapheal21I haven't tried it until now but will try it soon and will update the reviews too.
thanks!
-2Kodi
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Media Center
- Media Player
- Audio Player
69 alternatives to Kodi- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- iPad
- Raspberry Pi
- Fire TV
- Flathub
- Flatpak
Though Kodi can function as an alternative to VLC, its strengths lie in its robust cataloging of media and robust sorting and organization options for TV shows, movies, and music. Its media server capabilities are front and center, its playback functionality is nothing to sneeze at, and it can be used for that exact purpose.
Kodi Features
Kodi vs VLC Media Player opinions
Kody is more oriented to being a fullscreen video/music cataloguing application, but it has an internal video/audio/iptv playing system with very good decoding capabilities like VLC and can be windowed as well
5Can also play many formats, and can organize video libraries, playing over UPnP, FTP, and many other protocols
-3Kodi, formerly XBMC, is a software media center.
18LesterCovaxKodi is a media server first and foremost. It's like comparing Google Docs to Microsoft Office.
3Kodi is a fullscreen media library manager, a whole home theater frontend. Slower for the purpose, with more complex navigation.
5KMPlayer
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Proprietary
- Media Player
- Audio Player
149 alternatives to KMPlayer- Mac
- Windows
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
KMPlayer is often praised for its interface, which has been described as more functional and user-friendly than VLC or Media Player Classic Home Cinema. Its playlist manager is more akin to WinAmp's than it is to VLC or other video players, which makes it desirable for those with vast multimedia catalogs. It also includes very granular customization options.
KMPlayer Features
BundlewareBe careful during installation. https://alternativeto.net/discussions/applications/11718/be-careful-in-the-installation/
KMPlayer vs VLC Media Player opinions
james_huntBetter interface and more features. For instance, KMP can skip one frame backwards, which VLC can't
1IINA
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Audio Player
26 alternatives to IINA- Mac
- mpv
Though it's exclusive to macOS, IINA's users swear by it for being lightweight, efficient, and performative. Minor annoyances such as performance-based audio-video-subtitle desyncs that can be found on VLC are not a problem when using IINA. Additionally, its interface is neat clean, with clearly labelled settings. This ease of use combined with its excellent performance makes it an easy recommendation for macOS users looking for a media player.
IINA Features
IINA vs VLC Media Player opinions
POXGreat alternative to VLC if you're on macOS. It's lightweight, the UI is very clean, and has even more functionalities than VLC.
4nicolaspatateIINA is the best modern player out there
2Lean (simple), mean (versatile) player, void of the bad audio-video-sub sync as in VLC of late (i.e. at least for me).
1Great integration with Mac touchbar & gestures, PiP, and looks like a native app instead of something cobbled together.
1Best video player for macOS. Lightweight, clean user interface, many features...
2Media Player Classic
Do you think this is a good alternative?YesNo124 alternatives to Media Player Classic- Free • Open Source
- Media Player
- Windows
Though it's been discontinued and almost entirely superseded by successors like Media Player Classic Home Cinema, some users still swear by it as a sort of "old reliable" video player that can play most files people throw at it with no issue. However, it's been 10 years since its last release, so it's highly recommended to look at MPC-HC and other forks actively in development.
Media Player Classic Features
DiscontinuedThe project is no longer developed. The currently active fork is
MPC-HC . Latest version, 6.4.9.1, released in April 2011, can be still downloaded from FreeCodec.com
Media Player Classic vs VLC Media Player opinions
It doesn't feature an online streamer...
4