VLCvs
Overcast
Overcast: The best podcast app for iPhone
VLC
The free and open source media player
As of 30 August 2026, VLC is free to use. VLC is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, and various streaming. Softwr lists it under Entertainment. VLC is made by VideoLAN Organization, launched in 1998, available on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS.
Overview
What VLC does
VLC is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, and various streaming protocols.
What people use it for
- Media playback
- Video conversion
Related searches
The honest half
Where it falls short
Concrete and checkable, so you can decide whether any of them matter to you. This is the half of a review a vendor will not write about VLC.
- VLC is completely free open source software with no paid tier, ads, or vendor support contract
Cross-shopped
What people choose instead of VLC
Each pairing was judged by two reviewers asking whether a buyer would genuinely weigh the two against each other. The ones that failed were deleted rather than published.
- VLCvsCastbox
Castbox: Podcast & radio app for everyone
- VLCvsApple TV+
Apple TV+: Original stories from the most creative minds
- VLCvsCastro
Castro: Podcast app with episode inbox
Pricing
What VLC costs
Taken from the vendor's own pricing page. Prices move, so check before you buy.
Free
Free
- All codecs
- No ads
- Open source
Capabilities
Features
Media playback
Codec support
Streaming
Conversion
Plugins
Network streaming
Integration with Network streaming
DVD playback
Integration with DVD playback
Open source
Open source security feature
Regular updates
Regular updates security feature
No tracking
No tracking security feature
Windows support
Available on windows
Mac support
Available on mac
Answered, with sources
Questions people ask
Each answer names the page it came from, so you can check it rather than take our word for it.
Is VLC media player free to use?
Yes. VLC is completely free and open source software with no subscription or licensing fees.
SourceCan 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.
SourceDoes 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.
SourceBehind it
Who makes VLC
- Company
- VideoLAN Organization
- Based in
- Paris, France
Keep looking
Where to go from VLC
- VLC alternativesEvery product people weigh against it
- VLC pricingPlans, floors and what the tiers exclude
- VLC badgesWhich rules it meets, and the figure behind each
- All Entertainment softwareThe full category
- Best Entertainment softwareThe shortlist, and how it was cut
Best Entertainment software for
Compare VLC with
- Castbox
- Apple TV+
- Overcast
- Castro
- mpv
- IINA
- Infuse
- Kodi
- Jellyfin
- TikTok
- Dailymotion
- Unreal Engine
- ESPN+
- HBO Max
- IMDb TV (Freevee)
- Paramount+
- Peacock
- Plex
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Softwr does not host reviews and shows no star rating for VLC, because a rating we did not collect is not ours to publish. What is here is the pricing and platform detail from the vendor’s own pages, limitations we could state concretely, and alternatives a reviewer confirmed people weigh against it. Tell us if any of it is wrong.
More on VLC
VLC alternatives
What people switch to, and what they give up
VLC pricing
Every tier, and where the cost actually lands
Compare VLC
Put it head to head with anything we hold
VLC badge
Its rating, and an embed for your own site
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