mpv vs VLC Media Player

Compare features, pricing, and capabilities to find which solution is best for your needs.

mpv icon

mpv

mpv is a free and open-source command-line media player derived from MPlayer and mplayer2. It boasts a minimalist user interface and powerful scripting capabilities, offering excellent video and audio playback with low resource consumption.

Open Source
Platforms: Mac OS X Windows Linux BSD Xfce
Screenshots:
VS
VLC Media Player icon

VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. Known for its robust format support and stability, VLC is a favorite for playing virtually any media file without the need for external codecs. by VideoLAN

Open Source
Platforms: Mac OS X Windows Linux Android iPhone Chrome OS Windows RT Android Tablet BSD Windows Phone iPad Apple Watch Apple TV PortableApps.com Kindle Fire Haiku Solaris Xfce
Screenshots:

Comparison Summary

mpv and VLC Media Player are both powerful solutions in their space. mpv offers mpv is a free and open-source command-line media player derived from mplayer and mplayer2. it boasts a minimalist user interface and powerful scripting capabilities, offering excellent video and audio playback with low resource consumption., while VLC Media Player provides vlc media player is a free and open-source cross-platform multimedia player that plays most multimedia files as well as dvds, audio cds, vcds, and various streaming protocols. known for its robust format support and stability, vlc is a favorite for playing virtually any media file without the need for external codecs.. Compare their features and pricing to find the best match for your needs.

Pros & Cons Comparison

mpv

mpv

Analysis & Comparison

Advantages

Extremely lightweight and performant
Excellent video and audio quality
Highly customizable through configuration and scripting
Integrated codecs support a wide range of formats
Minimalist UI is non-intrusive

Limitations

Initial learning curve for configuration can be steep for beginners
Default lack of a traditional graphical interface may be off-putting for some
VLC Media Player

VLC Media Player

Analysis & Comparison

Advantages

Supports nearly every audio and video format without external codecs.
Free and open-source with no ads or bundled software.
Available on a wide range of operating systems and devices.
Lightweight and efficient, even on older hardware.
Includes built-in media conversion capabilities.
Excellent subtitle support with automatic download.

Limitations

Some advanced settings can be complex for beginners.
The default UI might appear basic to some users (though customizable).
Limited features for managing large media libraries compared to dedicated media server software.

Compare with Others

Explore more comparisons and alternatives

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare
Advertisement

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare

Compare features and reviews between these alternatives.

Compare