VLC
Plays almost any video or audio file, free
MaciPhoneiPad3.76K ratingsFree, open source
The verdict
If your movie collection is full of MKV files with several audio tracks, or sits on a home server, VLC plays it without converting anything, free and open source. On iPhone and iPad it streams from SMB, FTP, NFS, DLNA or Plex servers and pulls files from Dropbox, Google Drive and iCloud Drive. On the Mac, IINA is also free and feels more at home there.
Get it if
You have videos in odd formats or on a home server and want 1 free player that opens them all.
Skip it if
You only stream Netflix or YouTube, which never needs a separate player.
Screenshots 4
What it helps you do
- Play MKV and other odd video formats
- Stream movies from a home server
- Copy videos to your iPhone over Wi-Fi
- Load subtitle files for any video
What changed
Version 3.7.3
· stability improvements · fix expansion of playlists stored on the network
Added to The Useful Apps
Pick something else if
IINAPick it if you watch on a Mac and want a free player that looks and behaves like a Mac app.Free, open source
InfusePick this if your movies live on a NAS or Plex server and you watch on Apple TV or iPad.Free to start
CallsheetPick this if you pause shows to look up actors and want answers without ads or spoilers.From $1
VLC head to head
The details
- Runs on
- Mac, iPhone, iPad
- Requires
- iOS 9.0 or later
- Version
- 3.7.3
- Size
- 195 MB
- Made by
- VideoLAN
- Rating
- 3.7 from 6K ratings on the App Store
- Open source
- Code is public
- No account
- Works without signing up
Developer's websiteSpot a wrong price or fact?