Free open-source media player supporting most audio and video formats.
VLC has opened every obscure video and audio file I've thrown at it without needing a single extra codec. It's free, open-source, and has never tried to upsell me anything. The only reason it's not five stars is that the interface looks a bit dated compared to modern players.
Universal format support, completely free
Dated-looking interface
I've used VLC for years across Windows, Mac, and Android and it just works on all of them. Subtitle handling, playback speed control, and streaming from a URL are all built in. My one small gripe is that some of the advanced settings are buried in menus that aren't very intuitive.
In a world of bloated apps, VLC is a breath of fresh air: lightweight, no ads, and no account required. It handles 4K files smoothly and the converter feature has saved me more than once. It would be perfect if the mobile app's gesture controls were a little more polished.
VLC has a RevWala Trust Score of 63/100 (Average), based on 5 customer reviews with an average rating of 4.0 out of 5. Reviews are mixed — read recent ones before deciding.
VLC is rated 4.0 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on RevWala, with a "Average" Trust Score.
VLC has 5 reviews on RevWala, including 3 verified reviews.
Cross-platform, packed with features
Advanced settings are hard to find
VLC remains my go-to for everything from podcasts to movies. The fact that an open-source project handles formats commercial players choke on is impressive. I dock one star only because audio normalisation sometimes needs manual tweaking to get levels consistent across different files.
Handles formats others can't, dependable
Audio normalisation needs manual tuning
No ads, handles 4K smoothly
Mobile gestures could be smoother
VLC does what it promises with zero fuss and no hidden costs, which is rare these days. I use it for local files and the occasional network stream and it's rock solid. The skin and customisation options are great too. Knocking off one star simply because startup feels a touch slow on my old PC.
Powerful, free, no hidden costs
Slightly slow startup on older hardware
