The number of Windows, Macbook, Android, and iPhone media players alternatives available to download nowadays is overwhelming, but one of the media players that is common among all kinds of users is VLC.
VLC (VideoLAN Client) media player is one of the most extensively used media players for watching video content, audio and also some of the most interesting Raspberry Pi projects. VLC got popularity in a range of unique operating users because of multiple reasons like Freeware, no ads, simple and clean UI. But as the advantages of VLC are popular, so are the disadvantages. Before moving on to the VLC Media Player Alternatives for Windows, Macbook, Android, and iPhones, see if you are also facing some of the most common issues of VLC given below.
VLC (VideoLAN Client) media player is one of the most extensively used media players for watching video content, audio and also some of the most interesting Raspberry Pi projects. VLC got popularity in a range of unique operating users because of multiple reasons like Freeware, no ads, simple and clean UI. But as the advantages of VLC are popular, so are the disadvantages. Before moving on to the VLC Media Player Alternatives for Windows, Macbook, Android, and iPhones, see if you are also facing some of the most common issues of VLC given below.
The most common VLC media player issues faced by tons of users and shared on the community forums are-
- VLC Media Player is lagging/Shuttering
- Scrambled Video Playback
- VLC Media Player keeps Crashing and so on.
Even I have faced multiple problems for VLC and thought of finding alternatives. So, I have curated the list of best Alternatives of VLC for Windows, Macbook, Android, and iPhones.
So here is the list of top alternatives that you can use right away for your audio and video needs.
13 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives For Windows-
1. 5K Player
Starting with the list, the first alternative that comes into mind is 5k Player.
This software program is an all-in-one media participant who is ready to take care of everything you need. 5k Player is absolutely free of charge and also offers several features that come under the category of premium features in other players.
5k Player supports almost all the formats you can think of like MKV, 1080p, MP4, AVI, WMV and FLV. The audio codecs supported by 5k media player are MP3, AAC, and APE. All the feature pack 5k media player takes only ~39 megabytes of your storage space which is a lot lesser than compared to other media players.
You can use 5k Media Player with Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 latest versions without any issues. This player also serves as a universal online video downloader. It is said to support more than 300 third-party websites. A handful of examples include (but are certainly not limited to) YouTube, Dailymotion, Yahoo!, Vimeo, Vevo, Metacafe ,etc.
2. ACG Player
The second player that comes into this list is ACG Player, with it’s simple and minimalistic design, ACG has impressed our team a lot.
It is the most intuitive and streamlined Windows 10 media player we have tested so far. In our experiment with ACG, we loved everything that it has to offer. There is a decent number of skins that is available for us which lets us to customize it based on our personality. It also offers art effects and screensavers.
ACG media player supports only Windows 10, which is a disappointment for Windows 7 and 8 users(Wait, is anyone still using Windows 7 and 8 ^_^).
3. Windows Media Player
Say hello to the grandfather of multimedia player. Windows Media Player has been around forever. Started it 1991 this project was a superhit before VLC took the crown. But there have been tons of changes and minor tweaks in this player since then and that has made it a very good alternative of VLC.
The latest version is Windows Media Player 12, our team has been using WMP for a long time but to only play audio but since the release of this version we have made it our default video player. It has a clean interface that is super easy to work with.
Those who have used Windows Media Player in the past had to download an external file to run mkv files, this issue is fixed in the latest release. Windows Media Player now supports almost all the formats you can think of be it MKV, 1080p, MP4, AVI, WMV, ASF, WMA, FLV or FLAC.
4. KM Player
KM Player is one of my all time favourites. It is the most versatile player of all. There are tons of features that KM Player offers including- Slow Motion Playback, YouTube download support, capture audio and video in many formats and tons of customization using skins and other tools.
KM Player supports all the heavy media formats like BluRay, UHD and 60 fps.
KM Player supports all the Windows Versions including XP as well as Vista.
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5. MPV
MPV is another completely free and open source media player which is awesome to use.
MPV has an active community of developers behind it who are always trying to improve it. MPV offers an extremely good quality video output using GPU rendering.
MPV supports all the major video and audio formats like mp4, wav, avi ,etc
6. KODI (Formerly XMBC Player)
KODI(formerly XMBC Player) is an open source media player released in 2002. XMBC offers a number of customization option to help users feel like home.
KODI main offering is their plugin library which makes it a must have media player.
KODI is lightweight out of the box and requires to use plugins for online streaming services like Spotify, Groove shark etc.
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7. Winamp
Winamp like VLC is a user favorite and that makes it a worthy contender in this list. Winamp is freeware just like VLC and supports all the possible media formats thanks to the massive codec library it is built upon. Winamp allows you to listen to radio on the go and is currently working on podcasts section.
Winamp is available to download for all Windows Versions.
8. UMPlayer
UMPlayer is media player built on top of MPlayer. The best thing about UMPlayer is that it is very light on the system resources and supports all the formats. Thanks to the 200 codecs that it is developed with, UMPlayer is super efficient.UM Player also offers excellent customization options. The best thing about UMPlayer is that it downloads subtitles automatically from opensubtitles.org which comes very hand in several situations.
9. DivX
Most people know DivX as a powerful media converter but it also is an amazing media player with a sleek design. You can convert and run almost any format in DivX. It also provides plenty of advanced control over your content.
Although not all the features are available for free but the free version still is an excellent choice.
10. BS Player
BS Player is a free media player that has been around for a while and has improved significantly over time.
BSPlayer supports most of the modern day formats except Bluray. It is a great light weight option but it doesn’t enhances the sound quality of video.
Like DivX this also has a paid version which offers additional features.
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11. GOM Player
GOM Media player is another wonderful alternative to VLC. With a sleek and stylish design GOM offers support to all kinds of media formats with its list of inbuilt codecs.
GOM offers an option to control media from iPhone or Android devices, which a cherry on the cake to power users.
12. SM Player
SM Player is another good alternative to VLC, for the most part it works like any other media player but there is one feature that sets SMPlayer to be worthy of your time.
User can select markers where they want and can repeat that part over and over again or set a marker for start point from where the media will automatically start playing without any fuss. SM Players comes in both 32 and 64 bit option to choose from.
13. Pot Player
Pot player offers a smooth and seamless viewing experience. It supports all the popular media formats including support for 3D, one can easily watch 3D movies on your 3D TV or laptop using Pot player.
These were the best alternatives we had for VLC on Windows, if you think we have missed something then add it in the comment box and we will add them in the next edition.
Till then let us check some of the best alternatives of VLC on Android devices.
6 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives For Android-
1. MX Player- Best VLC Media Player Alternatives for Android
I’m sure most of you would have left this page if this wasn’t the first on our list.
MX Player is the best media player for Android devices without a shadow of a doubt. It offers complete customization coupled with a sleek and intuitive design. The only annoying this about MX Player is ads, but it has a paid version that can help if you want. MX Player has also started creating their own web series and some of them are really good.
2. BS Player- Smoothest VLC Media Player Alternatives for Android
BS Player is not only good for Windows but also offers a great experience with Android devices too.
It lets you watch videos of all formats with an enhanced audio experience.
BS Player has a very smooth UI which makes it very nice to use.
3. GPlayer- Retro Style VLC Media Player Alternatives for Android
GPlayer is the best full-featured floating window video player, the only criticism is that of the UI, the UI of GPlayer is nothing like modern day player but the performance is top-notch.
Those who prefer a good UI over anything should not go for this but if you prefer performance then this one is for you.
4. Dice Player
Dice Player is another strong alternative for VLC, it supports AVI,MOV,MKV,FLV,AVI,3GP,3G2,ASF,WMV,MP4,M4V,TS,MTP,M2TS, etc.
6. KM Player
KM Player is a great media player for Android devices too. KM Player for Android is light weight and comes with tons of codec under the hood to run whatever you throw at it.
KM Player offers an elegant yet simple design to impress all kinds of users, it also lets you download subtitles automatically.
6. Video Player All Format by UPlayer
Designed by UPlayer team this media player is a great fit for all kinds of users, be it regular or power users. This has something for everyone.
UPlayer supports all kinds of formats, thanks to its heavy codec library. This app offers excellent set of features like a dynamic equalizer to tune your media as per your needs.
3 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives For MacBooks
1. Apple TV
Apple TV is by far the best choice to play media on our beloved Mac Books. Apple TV offers the best in industry things be it sound quality or video quality, Apple TV takes care of them all.
If you are a Mac user then you should try Apple TV. It offers support to online streaming and millions of other features. It has a minimalist and sleek design which wins the hearts.
2. Movist
With its beautiful and clean interface, Movist is another alternative for VLC on Macbooks. It lets users watch subtitles in two languages simultaneously. Movist has a Pro version that has several other features like watching internet videos on Movist, just press the toolbar on your Safari browser and enjoy.
3. KODI
Kodi provides access to streaming media content, including videos and music, and it offers a way to store and watch that content around the home. Better yet, it works across just about every major operating system and across hundreds of devices.
Kodi comes with its own user interface and works with both local and network storage services you’re already using.
3 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives For iPhones
1. CnX Player
Although we mentioned CnX iPhone section but it is good for all the three platforms, for Windows it is coupled with Intel HW+ which gives an amazing performance. It is a great fit for ios too. It supports all the major media formats and plays 4K content with ease.
2. MCPlayer HD Pro
The default player in ios is good but it is not as good as on wants it to be. MCPlayer is a very good alternative to this.It is a wireless HD player and streamer which lets you access content and play them in your home network with ease.
3. PlayerXtreme Media Player
PlayerXtreme Media Player is a free media player. It supports all the media formats and runs them with ease. You can watch online movies and shows using this player easily.
Users have complained about the ads on this app but other than that everything runs smooth as butter.
That is all for today, I hope you have enjoyed the article and found it useful. We would really appreciate your comments and feedback for the same.
If you feel any media player missed the list, tell us in the comment box, we will make sure it shows in the next edition.
Till then, stay tuned!
