Comparison

VLC Remote vs zFuse

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

Head to head
About

VLC Remote

Control your VLC Media Player on Mac or PC from your iPhone or iPad. Manage playback, volume, subtitles, and more, all from your couch. Offers a free version with ads and limited features, with an upgrade option for full functionality.

Highlights
  • Remote control for VLC Media Player
  • Play, pause, stop, and navigate media
  • Control volume and aspect ratio
  • Manage subtitles and audio tracks
  • View cover art and playlist
  • Today widget for quick access
Features
Read full description

VLC Remote® lets you remotely control your VLC Media Player on your Mac or PC. For iPhone iPad! Awarded Gizmodo's “Essential iPhone App” three years running. Awarded T3's “Best iPhone Apps”. The free version is identical to the paid version except for two things: 1) The free version shows adverts. 2) The free version won't let you browse to open files from the remote. You'll have to get up of your sofa and do that manually until you upgrade! “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 your 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 • Subscription Information • VLC Remote is supported through an auto-renewing subscription which you can choose to purchase within the app. • The subscription is called 'VLC Remote Annual Subscription' • It is an annual subscription. It lets you use all commands including browsing for an unlimited number of devices. • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase • Terms of use are available at https://HobbyistSoftware.com/terms • Privacy policy is available at https://HobbyistSoftware.com/privacy

About

zFuse

Play any video format and encoding directly from your device or network storage without conversion. Enjoy advanced subtitle effects, gesture controls, and file management features. Supports media servers, TV casting, and privacy protection.

Highlights
  • Plays all video formats and encodings
  • Supports ASS/SSA/SUP effect subtitles
  • Network playback from PC/NAS
  • Gesture controls for playback and settings
  • Folder encryption for privacy
  • File download and decompression
  • TV casting and media server support
Features
Read full description

- zFuse can play all video formats and encodings, allowing you to play video files on your mobile device without the need to convert to MP4. - zFuse supports ASS/SSA/SUP effect subtitles, enabling you to experience full subtitle effects just like on your PC/Mac. - zFuse features powerful networking technologies that allow you to play media from your PC or NAS directly, without occupying any space on your limited device storage and without needing to download anything. - zFuse also allows you to easily download files or directories directly from your PC or NAS, making it the perfect companion for your trips. - zFuse supports a variety of gestures - simply move your fingers to adjust playback position, font size, volume, and brightness. - zFuse carefully protects your privacy with folder encryption, so you no longer need to worry about privacy issues. - zFuse's detailed features include: * SMB/CIFS playback and discovery (easily play media files from your PC). * Download media files or directories from SAMBA/DLNA/WebDAV/FTP directly. * UPnP/DLNA playback and discovery. * Emby and Jellyfin media server support. * AirPlay playback. * Picture-in-Picture mode support. * iPad split-screen multitasking support. * Hardware acceleration. * HDR Tone Mapping support on non-HDR displays. * Subtitle effects support. * 0.5x-3.0x playback speed control. * 0.5x-5.0x screen zoom. * Media preview while seeking. * Built-in audio enhancement. * Multi-soundtrack selection. * Embedded/external subtitle track selection. * Subtitle synchronization. * Audio synchronization. * External subtitle font selection support. * Playlist file preview before playback. * Blu-ray directory playback. * Real-time playlist management and editing. * Screen mirroring. * File Management: - Delete, move, rename, create folders. - Wi-Fi file transfer support without USB cable connection. - Streaming media playlist creation support. - File decompression support: 7z, zip, rar, tar, bz, bz2, etc. * Gesture Controls: - Horizontal drag: adjust playback position. - Vertical drag on left side: adjust volume. - Vertical drag on right side: adjust brightness. - Pinch to zoom: adjust screen size. - Double-tap: play/pause. - Two-finger double-tap: change video aspect ratio. * External Keyboard Support: - Space: pause/play. - Left Arrow: backward seek. - Right Arrow: forward seek. - Esc: exit playback. - S: change playback speed. - B: play previous. - N: play next. - Z: change screen scale. * Supported Video Formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, FLV, RMVB, ASF, OGV, Blu-ray ISO and more. * Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE and more. * Supported Subtitle Formats: SRT, SSA, ASS, SUP, VTT. * Supported Image Formats: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, HEIC and more. * Supported eBook Formats: EPUB, TXT, PDF. * Code Editor Supported Languages: JSON, HTML, XML, C/C++, Lua, Java, Objective-C, Swift, Python, JavaScript. * Supported Document Formats: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, RTF, CSV.

Screenshots

VLC Remote4 screens
zFuse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: VLC Remote at none against zFuse's shown. VLC Remote also leads on iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.1). zFuse's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 66%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. VLC Remote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year and zFuse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for VLC Remote against 4.7 for zFuse. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 599 and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of VLC Remote's written reviews are positive against 80% of zFuse's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLC Remote ships an update monthly, zFuse every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
VLC Remote versus zFuse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLC RemotezFuse
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (599 ratings) — better4.7 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews66.3% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5991.2K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.1 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB156 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHobbyist Software Limiteds-joys Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

VLC Remote

All ratings599 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews653 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral6.9%
Negative26.8%

zFuse

All ratings1,194 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews480 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral5.0%
Negative14.6%

User reviews

VLC Remote

From 599 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to set up
  • 👍 Convenient remote control
  • 💡 Ability to browse files and playlists
  • 🚀 Responsive controls
  • 👍 Useful for watching movies from the couch

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent disconnections and crashes
  • 👎 Confusing or outdated interface
  • 🔒 Potential security concerns with required software installation
  • 👎 Limited functionality in free version
  • 💰 Expensive subscription for full version

zFuse

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and smooth playback
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 💡 Supports a wide range of video formats
  • 🚀 Excellent video decoding and hardware acceleration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 Lacking advanced video settings (color, contrast, etc.)
  • 🔍 Limited subtitle support
  • 🔍 Inconsistent network file sharing performance
  • 🔍 Cluttered UI with too many ads in some versions

Bugs and requests

VLC Remote

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Search function not working
  • Playlist not updating correctly
  • Frequent crashes or freezes
  • Incompatibility with newer OS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Chromecast support
  • System volume control
  • Headset mode
  • Ability to respond to dialog boxes on the local machine

zFuse

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Playback issues with certain video codecs
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between files
  • Inability to remember last playback position
  • Compatibility problems on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add picture-in-picture mode
  • Implement a more robust subtitle management system
  • Provide more video customization options
  • Improve network file sharing stability and speed
  • Optimize UI for better user experience

In-app purchases

1 purchases

VLC Remote

Subscriptions1
  • Full Control - Annual7 Days trial$4.991 Year
1 purchases

zFuse

One-time1
  • Remove ads$9.99

Questions

Is VLC Remote free?
VLC Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is zFuse free?
zFuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VLC Remote or zFuse?
VLC Remote is rated higher. VLC Remote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 599 ratings, while zFuse averages 4.7 from 1.2K ratings.
Do VLC Remote or zFuse have ads?
zFuse shows ads; VLC Remote does not.
Which is updated more often, VLC Remote or zFuse?
VLC Remote ships an update monthly, and zFuse every 4 weeks. Most recently, VLC Remote was updated on October 29, 2026 and zFuse on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons