Top 6 Best Alternatives to VLC Media Player for Smooth Video Playback

VLC media is a free, open-source, sophisticated cross-platform multimedia player that is welcomed by video or movie lovers. On top of being free, some features like various formats support, ad-free interface, online video streaming, etc. make it an advanced multimedia player. However, sometimes you may feel annoying about its complicated design, the sudden crushes, the problems on playing big size files, etc., and therefore want to find a VLC alternative player that works better or can fulfill your needs in some certain ways.

If you search on the internet, you can find a ton of media players that can act as the alternative of VLC. But what are the best alternatives of VLC? Here we have taken several factors like supported media formats, the simplicity of user interface, etc. into consideration, and made a list of top 6 best alternatives to VLC media player download for Windows and Mac. Now read on for more details.

Brief Introduction of VLC

VLC Media Player is a versatile, open-source multimedia player that supports a wide range of audio and video formats without needing extra codecs. It works seamlessly across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, making it a go-to choice for media playback.

Features

• Handles nearly all common file formats like MP4, MKV, AVI, FLAC, and MP3.
• Available on multiple operating systems for consistent playback.
• Enjoy an uninterrupted experience with no ads.
• Stream content directly from the internet or local networks.
• Personalize the interface with skins and extensions.
• Adjust speed, sync subtitles, and use filters for a tailored experience.
• Efficient and easy on system resources, suitable for all devices.

Top 6 Best Alternatives to VLC Media Player

1. PlayerFab Ultra HD Player

PlayerFab Ultra HD Player is a versatile media player supporting DVDs, Blu-rays, 4K UHD discs, and various formats. It features region-free playback, HDR visuals, GPU hardware decoding, and lossless audio (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X). With seamless 3D playback and a smart media library for organized collections, it delivers exceptional performance for all your viewing needs.

Features

• Region-Free Playback: Play DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Blu-rays from any region effortlessly.
• Flexible Modes: Choose full navigation menus or jump directly to the main feature with Simple Mode.
• Versatile Media Support: Seamlessly play physical discs, ISO files, folders, and 3D formats.
• Enhanced Video & Audio: Enjoy 4K HDR (HDR10, Dolby Vision) visuals and lossless audio (Dolby Atmos, DTS:X).
• Universal Format Compatibility: Supports all major video/audio formats like MP4, MKV, FLAC, and more.
• Media Library Management: Auto-download metadata, organize files with a poster wall, and backup discs as ISO files.
• Optimized Performance: GPU hardware decoding ensures smooth playback even for high-resolution videos.

2. KMPlayer

KMPlayer is another alternative of VLC player. It is a lightweight and versatile video player that can cover various kinds of container format and can be used on multiple platforms.

Features

• The simple, skinable and beautiful interface.
• Available in over 36 languages.
• Support a wide range of videos and audios like MP4, AVI, FLV, MKV, MP3, AAC and more.
• Play back 3D, 4K and UHD movies.
• Advanced options for you to control over DVD selection, movie menus, playback speed, brightness/contrast and more.
• Available on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.

Note: When you install KMPlayer on your device, please remember to deselect the additional software.

3. GOM Player

GOM Player is a capable and full-fledged VLC alternative that comes from GOM Lab and comes with features for basic movie watching and advanced tools for advanced users.

Features

• Handle a lot of video formats like AVI, MKV, FLV, MOV, etc. and even support 360-degree VR video.
• Remote controls with an app on your Android and iOS portable devices.
• Include a codec search tool which helps you track down the necessary codec for the video that 4. GOM Player cannot play by default.
• Other advanced options for user to extract MP3 audio from video, add video effects, control playback speed and more.
• Available for Windows OS.

Note: Same with KMPlayer, GOM Player is free but carries some bundled software. So be careful to uncheck the programs you don't want when install it on your devices.

4. PotPlayer

PotPlayer is a versatile multimedia player for Windows, developed by South Korea’s Kakao. It supports a wide range of media formats, 3D glasses, and subtitles (SMI, SRT, DVD, Blu-ray, ASS, SSA). With optimized performance through DXVA, CUDA, and QuickSync, it delivers high-quality playback with minimal resource use.

Features

•  Clear and minimalist user interface.
• Play back tons of file formats like MKV, MP4, AVI, FLV, MPEG, DVD, VCD, SVCD, Blu-ray, etc.
• Support various 3D output formats including Side by Side, Top and Bottom, Page Flipping, etc.
• Use DXVA, CUDA, QuickSync but with the minimum resource.
• Support various subtitle formats, including text subtitles, DVD and Blu-ray subtitles, ASS/SSA animation and SMI Ruby tags, etc.
• Support OpenCodec, so you can easily add any codecs you want.

5. SMPlayer

SMPlayer is a completely free and flexible VLC media player alternative that can play all common media formats such as MOV, AVI, MP4, DIVX, MPEG and more with no codecs installed.

Features

• Play all video/audio formats like AVI, MKV, OGM, DVD, VCD, MP3 and more without installing codec packs.
• Search YouTube videos and play YouTube videos.
• Search and download subtitles from opensubtitles.org.
• Include advanced features such as video/audio filters, adjustment of audio and subtitles delay, change playback speed, and more.
• Support over 30 languages.
• Can be used on Windows and Linux systems.

6. RealPlayer

First released in 1995, RealPlayer now has been a classic media player. It is also a versatile VLC media player alternative that contains some extra features that other players don’t have.

Features

• Support a great many of video formats, including RealAudio and RealVideo formats, MP3, MPEG, WMV, FLV and more.
• Download web videos, including videos from YouTube, on your computer.
• Convert videos to the most common video formats or MP3 audio files.
• Burn CDs and DVDs.
• Stream videos and pictures to TVs with large screens.
• Come with a library for you to manage your files and allow you to store files in the cloud.

Conclusion

To sum up, VLC media player is a universal player to play almost all media formats. But if you encounter some problems when using VLC or want to play videos in a way that VLC doesn't support, you can try the VLC media player alternatives we recommended above. They are similar in some ways, but also different with each other in many ways. Just choose according to your needs.