Open Source VLC Media Player Alternatives

The best open source alternative to VLC Media Player is MPC-HC. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to VLC Media Player and loads of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to VLC Media Player are MPV, SMPlayer, Kodi and IINA.

VLC Media Player alternatives are mainly Audio Players but may also be Media 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.

VLC Media Player alternatives page was last updated

VLC Media Player

7254

Free • Open Source
Media Player

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as...

More about VLC Media Player

MPC-HC
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Windows
PortableApps.com
129 MPC-HC alternatives
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 is the most popular Windows alternative to VLC Media Player.
- - MPC-HC is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to VLC Media Player.
Suggest and vote on features
MPC-HC Features
1. LightweightMPC-HC consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Ad-freeMPC-HC doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Dark ModeMPC-HC supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
4. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in MPC-HC without registration.
5. Works OfflineMPC-HC can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
6. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of MPC-HC.
7. Support for 4KMPC-HC supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
8. Privacy focusedMPC-HC is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
9. PortableMPC-HC can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Stream audio
Webcam recording
Comments about MPC-HC as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Almost everyone thinks MPC-HC is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Paul Karpo
Very light-weight. With super easy interface and without any bugs.
Top positive comment•
12

Guest
Performance is superior to VLC.
Top positive comment•
10

Diuma
Very good application alternative for VLC! Was using it long time before the VLC Player itself
Positive comment•
0

Root Boot
Overall 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.
Positive comment•
-1

Guest
In 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.
Positive comment•
4

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5 of 19 comments
MPV
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
BSD
Xfce
91 MPV alternatives
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 is the most popular Android, Mac & Linux alternative to VLC Media Player.
Suggest and vote on features
MPV Features
1. LightweightMPV consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Command line interfaceMPV either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
3. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsMPV can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
4. Ad-freeMPV doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
5. Dark ModeMPV supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. Music LooperMPV supports a grid of musical loops and phrases that you can trigger and manipulate in real time.
7. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in MPV without registration.
8. Hardware AcceleratedMPV can use the GPU and CPU to speed up rendering, conversion, and overall performance.
9. Works OfflineMPV can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
Minimalistic
Integrated Codecs
Low resource footprint
FOSS
Lua scripting
HDR source support
Configurable
Video playback
Drag and Drop
GNU/linux-libre
Comments about MPV as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Almost everyone thinks MPV is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Shuunen
finally seeking in a video is smooth <3
Top positive comment•
2

Guest
Development is active and can be found on many of the same platforms as VLC.
Top positive comment•
11

Salvador
It does not have similar interface.
Top negative comment•
-1

Fireryyo
Because mpv is lightweight,customizable,doesn't suck and FOSS
Positive comment•
0

André Willik Valenti
Very 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).
Comment•
0

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5 of 22 comments
SMPlayer
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
mpv
PortableApps.com
Haiku
MPlayer
115 SMPlayer alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
SMPlayer Features
1. LightweightSMPlayer consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Ad-freeSMPlayer doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Works OfflineSMPlayer can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
4. PortableSMPlayer can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
5. Chromecast SupportCast your content to a Chromecast connected device with SMPlayer.
Customizable
Support for subtitles
Multiplatform
Skin customization
Youtube support
Integrated Codecs
Built-in subtitle search
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Multiple languages
HDR source support
Comments about SMPlayer as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Almost everyone thinks SMPlayer is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Armin
It has beautiful skins and is suitable for weak systems.
Top positive comment•
2

Guest
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.
Top positive comment•
3

André Willik Valenti
Highly configurable, but lacks stability, at least on Windows. Freezes sometimes, even after switching between back-end players.
Top negative comment•
-2

Mayank-Arora
I 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.
Positive comment•
0

Dany Dube
Remember 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.
Positive comment•
2

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Kodi
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Center
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
BSD
iPad
Flathub
Flatpak
Raspberry Pi
Fire TV
69 Kodi alternatives
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 is the most popular iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to VLC Media Player.
Suggest and vote on features
Kodi Features
1. Ad-freeKodi doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
2. PortableKodi can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. AirPlay SupportKodi can stream or share content to your Mac, Apple TV, or compatible smart TV.
4. Support for 4KKodi supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
5. Dark ModeKodi supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. Works OfflineKodi can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
7. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsKodi can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
Media Streaming
TV Shows meta data support
Video library
Media library
Automatic subtitles download
Built-in Media Downloader
Support for subtitles
Music Library
Support for DLNA
Built-in Media converter
Comments about Kodi as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Most users think Kodi is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
Guest
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
Top positive comment•
5

Guest
Can also play many formats, and can organize video libraries, playing over UPnP, FTP, and many other protocols
Top positive comment•
-3

Lester Covax
Kodi is a media server first and foremost. It's like comparing Google Docs to Microsoft Office.
Top negative comment•
3

Guest
Kodi is a fullscreen media library manager, a whole home theater frontend. Slower for the purpose, with more complex navigation.
Negative comment•
5

Guest
Kodi, formerly XBMC, is a software media center.
Negative comment•
18
IINA
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Mac
mpv
26 IINA alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
IINA Features
1. LightweightIINA consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Picture in PictureIINA allows you to put a video, web page or app in a floating window (always on top of other windows).
3. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in IINA without registration.
4. Support for 4KIINA supports watching, rendering or exporting 4K content (also know as UHD or Ultra HD).
5. Dark ModeIINA supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
Clean design
Support for subtitles
Automatic subtitles download
Touchbar integration
Play web video
Built-in themes
Automatic conversion to multiple formats
Media Streaming
Comments about IINA as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Almost everyone thinks IINA is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Hans
The best alternative for macOS users who like a small, fast and minimalistic (yet very functional!) media player.
Top positive comment•
4

Paul
Great alternative to VLC if you're on macOS. It's lightweight, the UI is very clean, and has even more functionalities than VLC.
Top positive comment•
5

nicolaspatate
IINA is the best modern player out there
Positive comment•
2

Guest
Lean (simple), mean (versatile) player, void of the bad audio-video-sub sync as in VLC of late (i.e. at least for me).
Positive comment•
1

Guest
Great integration with Mac touchbar & gestures, PiP, and looks like a native app instead of something cobbled together.
Positive comment•
1

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5 of 7 comments
MPC-BE
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Audio Player
Windows
104 MPC-BE alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
MPC-BE Features
1. Dark ModeMPC-BE supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
2. LightweightMPC-BE consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
3. PortableMPC-BE can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
4. Works OfflineMPC-BE can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. Ad-freeMPC-BE doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Thumbnails
Customizable
Integrated Youtube support
Comments about MPC-BE as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Almost everyone thinks MPC-BE is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
Guest
thumbnail view, available on MS store
Positive comment•
-1

rapheal dowry
I haven't tried it until now but will try it soon and will update the reviews too.

thanks!
Positive comment•
-2
Media Player Classic
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Media Player
Windows
125 Media Player Classic alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
Media Player Classic Features
Support for subtitles
Discontinued
The 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

Comments about Media Player Classic as a Alternative to VLC Media Player
Most users think Media Player Classic is a great VLC Media Player alternative.
Guest
It doesn't feature an online streamer...
Negative comment•
4