Comparison

VLC Remote Pro! vs Onyx Magic

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

VLC Remote Pro!

Control your VLC Media Player on your Mac or PC from your mobile device. Easily manage playback, volume, subtitles, and more, all from your couch. Offers a polished and professional user experience for enhanced media enjoyment.

Highlights
  • Remote control for VLC Media Player
  • Full playback and DVD controls
  • Volume, track, and subtitle management
  • Graphical equalizer and cover art display
  • Playlist viewing and playback
  • Today widget for quick access
Features
Read full description

VLC Remote® lets you remotely control your VLC Media Player on your Mac or PC. Awarded Gizmodo's “Essential iPhone App” three years running. Awarded T3's “Best iPhone Apps”. “The new VLC Remote app is simply stunning! It works a treat and it feels professional and powerful. Love it.” - Adam, London “The update for the iPhone version is *amazing* - it looks so polished - not that I had any complaints before.” - Rich • Features • — Easily control VLC from your sofa! — Today widget for even faster access to controls — Works with VLC on your Mac, PC or Linux machine — Automatically scans your local network for VLC players — Universal app fully supported for iPhone and iPad — Stop, Play and Pause — Full DVD controls — Control volume, position, next track and previous track — Turn fullscreen on and off — Use the graphical equaliser — See your cover art — Control subtitles, aspect ratio, audio track and delays — Use the picker control for fine control of volume and position — View the playlist and play files from it — Free setup helper quickly configures VLC for use with the remote VLC is a great, free and popular media player that can handle almost any file format. VLC Remote® lets you sit back enjoy your movies and music while you control things from your easy chair. It is a joy to use - no more reaching for the mouse when you want to pause your show, select the next episode, or play some different music. • Reviews • “Needless to say, we loved this app for everything it’s got.” -AppsTouch.com “Basically, if you use VLC and have an iPhone you will soon find that this is an essential app to enhance your home movie experience.” - T3.com “5/5 Simply put if you have an iPhone or iPod touch and use VLC on your computer then you need this app.” -AppCrunch “As far as I'm concerned, this is a necessary download! ... Works great, setup was super easy and I use this every day. MUST HAVE!!!” -US Reviewer • System Requirements • - Supports VLC on Windows, Mac and Linux - Free setup helper quickly configures VLC for use with the remote - Supports VLC 2.0 and above - Supports Windows, Vista, Windows 7 and Window 8 - Supports Mac OS 10.7 and above. • Response to feedback • -If you do have any problems connecting to VLC, then please just check the help instructions in the app. Feel free to drop me an email (my personal mail is in the app) if you need help. Enjoy! • Languages • VLC Remote is currently translated to 22 languages. If you are willing to translate it to your language, or would like to improve the translations, please head over to http://translate.HobbyistSoftware.com

About

Onyx Magic

This utility uses AI to remotely alter captured photos in real-time. It allows for seamless modifications to images moments after they are taken, directly on a spectator's device. Create impossible effects like changing playing cards, revealing hidden messages, or altering clock times within photos.

Highlights
  • Real-time AI photo modification
  • Remote image alteration
  • Spectator's camera integration
  • Physical photo printing (Onyx Print)
  • Third-party app integrations
  • Variable delayed input
Read full description

Onyx is a revolutionary utility that allows you to modify a captured image in real-time using variable input data. Using cutting edge AI, Onyx lets you remotely create seamless alterations to photos moments after they've been taken - all with your spectator's camera. For example: — Make a playing card appear in your spectator's wallet. — Morph your spectator's shadow to look like their thought of animal. — Take a photo of your spectator holding a signed card. They name *any* other card. The signed card in the photo transforms to match their thought. — Supplement your Gypsy Queen routine with Onyx: zoom in on a photo of your spectator holding the Queen of Hearts for the reveal. — Reveal a thought-of word, name, or initials hidden naturally in the light reflections of a spectator's eye. — Change the time on a photo of a clock. — Remove your spectator's wristwatch in a photo, making it sbeem that it was removed earlier. ...and more! If you can describe it, Onyx can likely create it. Onyx is particularly great for revealing something ephemeral. Photograph a shadow, clouds, a TV screen or more, and Onyx will realistically insert their free choice. * Variable Delayed Input Inspired by the popular variable trigger system featured in DFB X, Onyx pauses and automatically waits for input, letting you remotely modify a photo *after* it's been taken. * Cutting Edge Technology Take a photo, then have your spectator make a free choice. Onyx's advanced technology seamlessly transforms the photo remotely. * Create Unlimited Effects Change signed playing cards, reveal initials and names, or modify writing. Reveal *anything you can imagine* within a genuine photo you just took. * Your Integrations. Their Camera The effect happens entirely with the spectator's camera. With Onyx's powerful integrations, your phone never needs to leave your pocket. * Invisible, Advanced Technology As only the spectator's device is in play, Onyx remains hidden and inconspicuous. * Third Party Integrations Use your favourite magic apps' input methods, including: — Earworm's covert typing Web Search & Notes input — Native voice input — Native clock swipe input — WebFX's Wrist Gestures — WikiTest — PeekSmith — Bridge ...and any compatible third-party app. # Introducing: Onyx Print Onyx Print brings Onyx’s digital effect into the real world. # Produce Physical Photographs Instead of revealing information only on a screen, Onyx Print can generate and automatically print images on a pocket printer, allowing you to produce a real photograph from your wallet, pocket, or envelope for a powerful ending. # Dynamic Prompting Onyx Print uses the same dynamic prompting and covert input system that powers Onyx. Use any of Onyx’s input methods, and Onyx Print will automatically generate and print an image to match. # Use Your Own Photos You can even modify existing photos. For example: have Onyx Print set up with a photo of yourself and have a spectator name any place in the world. Onyx Print will then create and automatically print a realistic photo of you in that exact location, ready to reveal. # Works With Other Apps Onyx Print can even monitor your photo library and automatically print images saved by other apps. When an app saves a photo, Onyx Print can print it. Onyx Print is an in-app purchase within Onyx, and currently supports the Instax mini Link+, with plans for additional printers in the future. Onyx is a tool specifically designed for entertainment purposes. It uses purchaseable in-app credits or a funded OpenRouter account for best-in-class automatic edits. Onyx supports: Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Chinese simplified and traditional, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese

Screenshots

VLC Remote Pro!4 screens
Onyx Magic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: VLC Remote Pro! at $19.99 against Onyx Magic's $64.99. VLC Remote Pro! also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (777 vs 13). Onyx Magic's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 85%). On rating, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

VLC Remote Pro! costs $19.99 and Onyx Magic $64.99 up front. Onyx Magic sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. VLC Remote Pro! asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Onyx Magic holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VLC Remote Pro! has 777 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of VLC Remote Pro!'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Onyx Magic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLC Remote Pro! ships an update every 2 months, Onyx Magic fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
VLC Remote Pro! versus Onyx Magic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLC Remote Pro!Onyx Magic
Price$19.99 — better$64.99
Rating4.8 (777 ratings)5.0 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings777 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.1 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHobbyist Software LimitedMarc Kerstein

Customer experience

VLC Remote Pro!

All ratings778 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews379 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.0%

Onyx Magic

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

VLC Remote Pro!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Fails to detect VLC on some computers
  • Loses saved remotes after updates
  • Slow response times when browsing large media libraries

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for more media player features
  • Improve file browsing and playlist management
  • Implement wireless audio streaming
  • Add Apple Watch support

Onyx Magic

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

VLC Remote Pro!

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Onyx Magic

One-time2
  • 100 Onyx Credits$19.99
  • Onyx Print$49.99

Questions

Is VLC Remote Pro! free?
VLC Remote Pro! costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Onyx Magic free?
Onyx Magic costs $64.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, VLC Remote Pro! or Onyx Magic?
Onyx Magic is rated higher. VLC Remote Pro! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 777 ratings, while Onyx Magic averages 5.0 from 13 ratings.
Do VLC Remote Pro! or Onyx Magic have ads?
Neither VLC Remote Pro! nor Onyx Magic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VLC Remote Pro! or Onyx Magic?
VLC Remote Pro! ships an update every 2 months, and Onyx Magic fortnightly. Most recently, VLC Remote Pro! was updated on October 22, 2026 and Onyx Magic on October 22, 2026.

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