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Entertainment · head to head

VLC vs WinDirStat

VLC logo

VLC

Entertainment

The free and open source media player

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WinDirStat logo

WinDirStat

Utilities

Windows disk usage analyser that shows where space went as a colour-coded treemap

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: VLC vLC is completely free open source software with no paid tier, ads, or vendor support contract; WinDirStat it walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • They diverge on capability: VLC covers Media playback, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which VLC and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where VLC and WinDirStat differ
AttributeVLCWinDirStat
Pricing modelfreeOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWindows, Mac, Linux, Ios, Android, WebWindows
CategoryEntertainmentUtilities
Founded1998Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 VLC

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

Only in WinDirStat

  • Treemap visualisation
  • Three linked views
  • Multithreaded scanning
  • Cleanup actions
  • Any filesystem
  • GPL licensed

What people use each for

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

VLC

  • Media playbacknot WinDirStat
  • Video conversionnot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

  • Finding what filled a Windows system drive when the usual suspects are not responsiblenot VLC
  • Auditing a shared or network drive where files are spread across thousands of foldersnot VLC
  • Environments where licence terms forbid personal-use-only freeware on company machinesnot VLC
  • Explaining disk usage visually to someone who will not read a list of folder sizesnot VLC

Where each one falls short

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

VLC

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

WinDirStat

  • It walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • The version most users have installed is the 2007 build, and because it was dormant for so long, search results and download mirrors still point at it.
  • It is Windows only, so a mixed estate needs a different tool for macOS and Linux machines.
  • There is no scheduling, reporting or export for fleet use, so it answers a question on one machine at a time rather than monitoring storage across an organisation.
  • Hard links, junctions and deduplicated volumes can be counted in ways that make the totals disagree with what Windows reports, which causes confusion on servers.

Pricing, plan by plan

VLC

Free
  • FreeFree
    • All codecs
    • No ads
    • Open source

WinDirStat

Free
  • WinDirStatFree
    • GPL licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No paid edition or feature gating

Which should you pick?

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

Choose WinDirStat if

  • You need treemap visualisation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want three linked views.
WinDirStat review

Questions people ask

Is VLC or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. VLC starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, VLC or WinDirStat?
VLC starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does VLC or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
VLC runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Ios, Android, Web. WinDirStat runs on Windows.
Can I use VLC for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is VLC best used for?
VLC is most often used for media playback, video conversion. Of those, media playback and video conversion are not what WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can VLC do that WinDirStat cannot?
VLC covers Media playback, Codec support, Streaming, Conversion. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

VLC: Is VLC media player free to use?

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

Source
WinDirStat: Is WinDirStat still maintained?

Yes. It was dormant from around 2007 until new maintainers resumed development and released the 2.x line with multithreaded scanning and current Windows support.

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
WinDirStat: Can I use it at work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no personal-use restriction, which is the practical advantage over free-for-personal-use alternatives in this category.

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
WinDirStat: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Different method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table directly; WinDirStat traverses directories, which is slower but works on any filesystem, including network shares.

WinDirStat: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. Separate projects exist with similar treemap interfaces, but WinDirStat itself is Windows only.

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