Playback DVD/Blu-ray Discs, ISO files, and Ultra HD Video Files with High Quality.
Best VLC Media Player Alternatives for All Devices
Posted by Aira Lesly Escoto to DVD/Blu-ray Player Mar 12, 2025
VLC Media Player is widely regarded as one of the best media players due to its versatility. However, it may not be the most user-friendly option for beginners. If you're looking for VLC Media Player alternatives, you're in the right place. This article introduces eight of the best VLC alternatives, highlighting their key features and comparing them with VLC. Keep reading to learn more.
Guide List
The Best VLC Media Player Alternatives with High Quality PotPlayer - Lightweight VLC Alternative Player 5KPlayer – A Downloadable VLC Alternative for Online Videos Plex Media Player - Free Cross-platform VLC Alternative Player MPV - High-quality video rendering VLC alternative player MPC-HC - VLC Alternative Player Compatible with All Devices SMPlayer - Support YouTube Directly Playback VLC Alternative GOM Player - Open-Source VLC Alternative with Remote-Control FAQs about VLC Media Player| OS | Video Enhancing | Subtitle | Blu-ray Disc | 360-degree video playback | |
| VLC Media Player | Windows, Mac | × | √ | non-protected only | √ |
| 4Easysoft Blu-ray Player | Windows, Mac | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| Pot Player | Windows | × | √ | √ | √ |
| 5KPlayer | Windows, Mac | × | √ | √ | √ |
| Plex Media Player | Windows, Mac | × | √ | × | × |
| MPV | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, BSD | √ | √ | × | √ |
| MPC-HC | Windows | × | √ | non-protected only | × |
| SMPlayer | Windows, Linux | √ | √ | √ | √ |
| GOM Player | Windows | √ | √ | × | √ |
The Best VLC Media Player Alternatives with High Quality
4Easysoft Blu-ray Player ranks first among all eight VLC alternative players supporting over 600 media formats. This program can practically open any audio/video format you import, and you no longer need to convert between uncommon files to common ones like WAV to MP4; drag them into play. Besides, it organizes TV shows, movies, and TV series into playlists for immediate file viewing. It brings more detail and realism to Blu-ray and 4K video with high-resolution audio in Dolby Digital Surround, DTS, and 5.1 channels. In addition, you can adjust the volume and change tracks, audio devices, and channels for a better audiovisual experience!
Organize your video/audio track in a decent way, and offer lossless video and audio quality while playing.
Enable hardware acceleration to speed up opening files and play videos without buffers and lags.
Create a personal playlist to enjoy several playback modes and save the last watching process.
Play all video files in any format, including MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, etc. smoothly with AI technology.
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How to Use the Best VLC Media Player Alternative
Step 1Free download and install the Player on your computer. Then run the player and you will see two buttons: "Open File" and "Open Disc". You can play 4K movies, HD/SD video in MP4, etc.
Step 2Click the "Open File" button to play a video/movie stored on your computer. In the pop-up window, find the one you want to play with and click on it. Then, you can click the "Open" button to confirm your choice and watch videos through this VLC Media Player alternative.
Step 3Your video/movie will start playing afterward. You can control the video playback speed, go forward or backward, take a snapshot, and adjust the volume through the "Video Control" Panel under the video playing interface.
PotPlayer - Lightweight VLC Alternative Player
PotPlayer is a lightweight player for laptops. It offers configurable options and is accessible on Windows only. This alternative to VLC Media Player is also one of the greatest players on the market. You can find nice flexibility and functionality in this player. It starts up fast and performs better than VLC.
- Pros
- Precise control of video playback and support for bookmarks.
- Support multiple subtitle formats.
- Support for 3D and 360-degree video.
- Cons
- It may contain advertising or promotional content.
- Lots of features and cumbersome options.
- It does not support Blu-ray playing.
5KPlayer – A Downloadable VLC Alternative for Online Videos
5KPlayer is a free VLC alternative with versatile media file playback, fast video downloads, AirPlay streaming, etc. This powerful player also offers an intuitive user interface and plays your high-resolution videos without trouble, such as SD, HD, 1080p, and 4K videos. Besides watching movies or videos, you can also open your DVD files and listen to radio programs with the VLC alternative.
- Pros
- You can cast iPhone videos to a PC.
- Customized editing like subtitles, visual settings, and more.
- You can listen to radio programs
- Cons
- Continuous running in the background takes up more memory.
- The interface has more ads.
- Uninstallation is difficult.
Plex Media Player - Free Cross-platform VLC Alternative Player
Plex Media Player started as a free streaming website but later developed Plex Media Player - free software across platforms including phones, computers, and TVs. You can share the videos or movies you watch through this VLC alternative and stream free movies without struggle. With over 250 channels of Live TV available all the time, this VLC alternative can be your reliable player for all systems.
- Pros
- Provide a live DVR and TV.
- Handle almost any media you throw at it.
- Support all high-end Home Theater features.
- Cons
- There's a lot of advertising.
- There's no official interface
MPV - High-quality video rendering VLC alternative player
MPV is a free, open-source video player that is available on both Windows and Mac. Some Linux users consider This player the best alternative to VLC Media Player. Besides, MPV is based on MPlayer and mplayer2 but with improved streamlined CLI options. This VLC alternative player lets you use it as a movie library and facilitates easy integration into other applications.
- Pros
- Professional image quality options such as color management and pixel shader
- Support terminal and command operations, as well as writing scripts
- Cons
- Command options and other advanced settings can be difficult for novices.
MPC-HC - VLC Alternative Player Compatible with All Devices
MPC-HC is a mature media player on Windows that provides all functionality that most people need and contains the latest LAV filters. The large selection of extensions and plugins brings this player good fame as a high-quality alternative to VLC. Additionally, compared to VLC Media Player, you will obtain a more stable watching experience when skipping on the progress bar in the MPC-HC.
- Pros
- Preview videos on the seek bar.
- Support new codecs such as AOMedia AV1.
- Support many common video formats, such as Real Video and AVI.
- Cons
- There are no video editing type features.
- There are fewer features other than playback.
SMPlayer - Support YouTube Directly Playback VLC Alternative
SMPlayer is another free media player with built-in codecs and YouTube support. As one of the VLC alternatives, it differs from VLC in one respect, offering the unique ability to resume playback from the last interrupted position of any file. Apart from playing all audio and video formats, this VLC alternative also supports Chromecast and lets you stream TV content on your computer. It has advanced features like YouTube integration, playback speed control, and customizable skins.
- Pros
- Create thumbnails in seconds.
- Browse, search, and play YouTube videos.
- There are advanced video and audio filters
- Cons
- The user interface may be a bit outdated.
- Advanced playback features such as frame rate resolution are limited.
GOM Player - Open-Source VLC Alternative with Remote-Control
GOM Player is another open-source VLC alternative media player that supports playing all media files, and even if it encounters some unknown media format, it will find the right decoder and then unlock it for you. Meanwhile, using this excellent VLC alternative player enables you to access the largest subtitle database in the world, which means once you start playing a foreign movie, GOM Player will automatically search for a suitable subtitle and apply it for you.
- Pros
- Control your video remotely through the phone.
- Support various VR and 360-degree video formats.
- Cons
- The free version has ads.
- Bundled software may need to be installed to use it.
FAQs about VLC Media Player
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How to add subtitles to VLC Media Player?
First, you need to open a video in VLC. Then, click "Subtitles" above the display interface, and you will need to click "Add Subtitle File". Next, you can select a subtitle file from your computer and click "Open" to apply.
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Can I download the VLC Player on Linux?
Yes, you can. VLC DVD Player is available for various operating systems, including Linux. This player also supports other mobile platforms like Android, iOS, and iPadOS.
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How can I play ISO files via VLC Player?
Simply click “Media” above after launching the player on your computer. Then, you can click “Open Folder” to choose an ISO file to play. After you confirm your choice, it will start playing automatically. Besides, if you have a DVD drive, you can also watch the content of your DVD discs.
Conclusion
In summary, you have seen this article's eight VLC Media Player alternatives and their main features. Now, you have more choices for playing your video or movies other than the VLC only. If you want a stable player with many advanced useful features just like VLC but without a complex user interface, the 4Easysoft Blu-ray Player is strongly recommended. Hurry to have a try and experience its power!
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