Is fuboTV or VLC better?

Neither clearly leads. fuboTV starts at $73.99/month and VLC at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, fuboTV or VLC?

VLC has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $73.99/month for fuboTV and Free for VLC.

Does fuboTV or VLC run on more platforms?

fuboTV runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TVs. VLC runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.

Can I use VLC for free?

Yes. VLC has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. fuboTV starts at $73.99/month.

What is fuboTV best used for?

fuboTV is most often used for a household that wants cable-equivalent sports coverage, including regional sports networks, without a cable contract, a soccer fan wanting the broad international match coverage fubotv built its identity on, a family replacing cable that specifically needs local abc, fox, cbs and nbc affiliates plus general entertainment channels, a cord-cutter who wants a sports-only skinny package rather than the full entertainment bundle. Of those, a household that wants cable-equivalent sports coverage, including regional sports networks, without a cable contract and a soccer fan wanting the broad international match coverage fubotv built its identity on are not what VLC is typically brought in for.

What can fuboTV do that VLC cannot?

fuboTV covers Regional sports networks, Cloud DVR, Local broadcast affiliates, Multiple simultaneous streams. VLC covers Media playback, Codec support, Streaming, Conversion.

Entertainment · head to head

fuboTV vs VLC

fuboTV

Entertainment

Sports-first live TV streaming bundle with regional sports networks and a cloud DVR

From: $73.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

VLC

Entertainment

The free and open source media player

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only VLC has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: fuboTV regional sports networks are priced as an add-on beyond the base plan, so the real monthly cost for a fan following a local team is meaningfully higher than the advertised entry price.; VLC vLC is completely free open source software with no paid tier, ads, or vendor support contract
They diverge on capability: fuboTV covers Regional sports networks, VLC covers Media playback.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which fuboTV and VLC actually diverge.

Attributes where fuboTV and VLC differ
Attribute	fuboTV	VLC
Starting price	$73.99/month	Free
Pricing model	Per household per month, tiered plans	free
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TVs	Windows, Mac, Linux, Ios, Android, Web
Founded	Unknown	1998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in fuboTV

Regional sports networks
Cloud DVR
Local broadcast affiliates
Multiple simultaneous streams
Sports-only skinny package
4K and multiview

Only in VLC

Media playback
Codec support
Streaming
Conversion
Plugins
Network streaming
DVD playback
Open source

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

fuboTV

A household that wants cable-equivalent sports coverage, including regional sports networks, without a cable contractnot VLC
A soccer fan wanting the broad international match coverage fuboTV built its identity onnot VLC
A family replacing cable that specifically needs local ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC affiliates plus general entertainment channelsnot VLC
A cord-cutter who wants a sports-only skinny package rather than the full entertainment bundlenot VLC

VLC

Media playbacknot fuboTV
Video conversionnot fuboTV

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

fuboTV

Regional sports networks are priced as an add-on beyond the base plan, so the real monthly cost for a fan following a local team is meaningfully higher than the advertised entry price.
It is the most expensive of the mainstream live TV bundles at the entry tier, and Philo costs a fraction of the price for anyone who does not need sports.
Cloud DVR storage has limits on the base plan, and keeping recordings longer or expanding storage costs extra.
Channel lineups and RSN availability vary significantly by zip code, so the exact price and channel list a household gets is not fully knowable until they check their specific address.
Price increases have been frequent historically, so the entry price at signup is not a reliable guide to what a subscriber pays a year or two later.

VLC

VLC is completely free open source software with no paid tier, ads, or vendor support contract

Pricing, plan by plan

fuboTV

$73.99/month

Pro$73.99/month
- 150+ channels
- Local ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC in most markets
- Cloud DVR included
Elite$83.99/month
- More channels than Pro
- Additional sports and entertainment networks
Deluxe$103.99/month
- Widest channel count
- Premium networks included

VLC

Free

FreeFree
- All codecs
- No ads
- Open source

Which should you pick?

Choose fuboTV if

You need regional sports networks.
You work on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TVs.
You also want cloud dvr.

fuboTV review

Choose VLC if

You need media playback.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Windows, Mac, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
You also want codec support.

VLC review

Questions people ask

Is fuboTV or VLC better?: Neither clearly leads. fuboTV starts at $73.99/month and VLC at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, fuboTV or VLC?: VLC has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $73.99/month for fuboTV and Free for VLC.
Does fuboTV or VLC run on more platforms?: fuboTV runs on Web, iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Smart TVs. VLC runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use VLC for free?: Yes. VLC has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. fuboTV starts at $73.99/month.
What is fuboTV best used for?: fuboTV is most often used for a household that wants cable-equivalent sports coverage, including regional sports networks, without a cable contract, a soccer fan wanting the broad international match coverage fubotv built its identity on, a family replacing cable that specifically needs local abc, fox, cbs and nbc affiliates plus general entertainment channels, a cord-cutter who wants a sports-only skinny package rather than the full entertainment bundle. Of those, a household that wants cable-equivalent sports coverage, including regional sports networks, without a cable contract and a soccer fan wanting the broad international match coverage fubotv built its identity on are not what VLC is typically brought in for.
What can fuboTV do that VLC cannot?: fuboTV covers Regional sports networks, Cloud DVR, Local broadcast affiliates, Multiple simultaneous streams. VLC covers Media playback, Codec support, Streaming, Conversion.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

fuboTV: Does fuboTV include local channels?

Yes, ABC, Fox, CBS and NBC affiliates are included in most supported markets, though coverage varies by zip code.

VLC: Is VLC media player free to use?

Yes. VLC is completely free and open source software with no subscription or licensing fees.

Source

fuboTV: Are regional sports networks included in the base price?

No, RSNs are a separate add-on priced by market, typically a few dollars to around $17 more per month.

VLC: Can VLC be used commercially?

Yes. VLC explicitly states there is no spyware, no ads, and no user tracking. As open-source software under permissive licenses, commercial use is permitted within each license's specific terms.

Source

fuboTV: Is there a cheaper sports-only option?

Yes, fuboTV sells a lower-cost sports-focused skinny package alongside its full entertainment bundle.

VLC: Does VLC include all features across all platforms without additional purchase?

Yes. All playback features, codecs, cross-platform compatibility, and customization options are included with no additional purchases required for full functionality on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Source

fuboTV vs VLC

fuboTV

VLC

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in fuboTV

Only in VLC

What people use each for

fuboTV

VLC

Where each one falls short

fuboTV

VLC

Pricing, plan by plan

fuboTV

VLC

Which should you pick?

Choose fuboTV if

Choose VLC if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on fuboTV

More on VLC

Keep looking

Other head to heads