VLC Media Player Alternatives for Windows
There are many alternatives to VLC Media Player for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is MPC-HC, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to VLC Media Player and loads of them are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to VLC Media Player are MPV, PotPlayer, SMPlayer and Kodi.
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VLC Media Player alternatives are mainly Media Players, but if you're looking for Audio Players or Internet Radio Services you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android + Open Source. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to VLC Media Player.- Audio Player
- Free • Open Source
131 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.
102 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.
122 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).
121 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
- Snapcraft
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.
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
151 KMPlayer alternativesKMPlayer 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.
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
- South Korea
Platforms
- Windows
- Android
- iPhone
- Android Tablet
- iPad
KMPlayer Features
KMPlayer VS VLC Media Player
Comments about KMPlayer as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
James HuntBetter interface and more features. For instance, KMP can skip one frame backwards, which VLC can't
111 MPC-BE alternativesMPC-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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Russia
Platforms
- Windows
MPC-BE VS VLC Media Player
Comments about MPC-BE as an Alternative to VLC Media Player
thumbnail view, available on MS store
rapheal dowryI haven't tried it until now but will try it soon and will update the reviews too.
thanks!
Very light-weight. With super easy interface and without any bugs.