The Best VLC Media Player AlternativesTop Media & Audio Players like VLC Media Player
VLC Media Player is described as 'Cross-platform, free media player supports multimedia files, DVDs, streaming, offers hardware acceleration, 4K, lossless audio, and more' and is a leading Media Player in the video & movies category. There are more than 100 alternatives to VLC Media Player for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Android, Linux, Mac and Android Tablet apps. The best VLC Media Player alternative is MPC-HC, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like VLC Media Player are MPV, PotPlayer, SMPlayer and IINA.
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VLC Media Player alternatives are mainly Media Players but may also be Audio Players or Internet Radio Services. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of VLC Media Player.- Media Player
- Free • Open Source
133 MPC-HC alternativesMPC-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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Poland
EU
Platforms
- Windows
- PortableApps.com
MPC-HC VS VLC Media Player
Comments about MPC-HC as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Comment summary: MPC-HC is highly praised as a lightweight and superior alternative to VLC Media Player. Users commend its efficient performance, especially in handling subtitles and various formats like .mkv and HEVC, without the need for external codecs. Its interface is noted for being clean and user-friendly, although less customizable than VLC's. MPC-HC is appreciated for better streaming, compatibility with modern codecs, and seamless playback on less stable networks, making it the go-to choice over VLC for many users.Top Positive CommentMost Recent CommentveddevIts light-weight, included with the K-Lite codec pack... so awesome media player!
TPNAnyone can point me to the .exe download? How yall running this thing? I dont see a program to run.
103 MPV alternativesMPV 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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- BSD
- Xfce
MPV VS VLC Media Player
Comments about MPV as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Comment summary: MPV is frequently praised as a lightweight, customizable, and reliable alternative to VLC Media Player. Users note that it handles AV1 encoded videos and other formats more smoothly, overcomes playback stuttering issues, and offers better battery usage. Its minimalistic design with practical shortcuts is favored, though some users miss a conventional UI. Despite VLC's established reputation, MPV is recognized for its strong performance on multiple platforms.Top Positive CommentkfuaI tried to play a movie encoded to 1080p av1 but vlc was struggling on my device. I used this website to find an alternative MPV plays av1 encoded movies smoothly.
Most Recent CommentIn Linux, VLC sometime struggles playing MP4 videos & navigating within those MP4 videos. Celluloid (MPV frontend) works better in these regards.
0x6A7232VLC was having stuttering problems for whatever reason. Installed MPV and bam! Also love the UI, really well integrated for playing movies which is great.
123 PotPlayer alternativesPotPlayer 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).
License model
- Free Personal • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
South Korea
Platforms
- Windows
PotPlayer VS VLC Media Player
Comments about PotPlayer as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Comment summary: PotPlayer is highly praised for its light weight, speed, and smooth performance compared to VLC Media Player. Users appreciate its extensive customization options, superior user interface, and feature-rich capabilities. PotPlayer is also noted for its effective management of media files and convenience features like remembering playback settings. Some users find the settings complex but rewarding for experienced individuals, making it an excellent alternative for Windows users.Top Positive CommentLooks 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)
Most Recent CommentSeth MitchellI used it and found it very lightweight. Good alternative to VLC
Mayank-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).
123 SMPlayer alternativesLike 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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Spain- EU
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- mpv
- PortableApps.com
- Haiku
- MPlayer
SMPlayer VS VLC Media Player
Comments about SMPlayer as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Comment summary: Comments highlight SMPlayer's advantages over VLC Media Player, emphasizing ease of use, customization, and versatility. Users appreciate its ability to sync settings across devices, intuitive GUI, and handling of subtitles and incomplete files better than VLC. While generally viewed as superior, a concern over stability on Windows is noted. SMPlayer is praised for being resource-efficient, supporting diverse video files, and providing enhanced playback quality.Top Positive CommentArminIt has beautiful skins and is suitable for weak systems.
Most Recent CommentMayank-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.
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.
36 IINA alternativesThough 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 VS VLC Media Player
Comments about IINA as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Top Positive CommentPaulGreat alternative to VLC if you're on macOS. It's lightweight, the UI is very clean, and has even more functionalities than VLC.
Top Negative CommentLai Curagastill no RTSP support (for local webcam/small cctv)
Most Recent CommentnicolaspatateIINA is the best modern player out there
132 MX Player alternativesThough 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.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
- United States
Platforms
- Android
- Android Tablet
MX Player VS VLC Media Player
Comments about MX Player as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Most Recent CommentPowerful, Support lots of formats. Easy to use
SalvadorSome missing features but almost similar to VLC player
HurDugggioReally does a good job of playing a video with maximized settings. Looks gorgeous.
74 Kodi alternativesThough 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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- BSD
- iPad
- Flathub
- Flatpak
- Raspberry Pi
- Fire TV
Kodi VS VLC Media Player
Comments about Kodi as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
Top Positive CommentKody 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
Top Negative CommentLester CovaxKodi is a media server first and foremost. It's like comparing Google Docs to Microsoft Office.
Most Recent CommentToo Bloated. Not really meant for playing local video files
Very light-weight. With super easy interface and without any bugs.