Comparison

VLC Remote vs Fast Player

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

Fast Player

This app plays nearly all audio and video formats, including M3U8 playlists and streaming videos. It offers advanced playback controls, custom subtitle support, and multiple file transfer methods. Secure your media with password protection and enjoy casting to your TV.

Highlights
  • Plays all audio/video formats
  • M3U8 playlist and IPTV support
  • Custom subtitle downloads
  • Multiple file transfer options
  • Cloud drive integration
  • Casting to TV (Chromecast, AirPlay)
  • Archive file support
  • Password protection for privacy
Features
Read full description

Fast player, Supports decoding and playback of almost all audio and video formats. Supports parsing and playing M3U8 playlists, and supports playing streaming videos under IPv6 networks. [Supported Formats] Video Formats: mp4,avi,mkv,rmvb,flv,wmv,wav,3gp,mov,swf,mpeg,mpg,vob,m4v,rm,m2ts,asf,webm,asf,mpg,dat,ts,asx,mp3,f4v,ogv,divx,dv,gxf,m2p,mpeg1,mpeg2,mpeg4,mts,mxf,ogm,qt,wm...almost all movie file formats. Video decoder:H.264(AVC),H.265(HEVC),MPEG-2,MPEG-4,VP8,VP9,THEORA,XVID,DIVX, FLV, WMV1, WMV2... Audio Formats: mp3, wma, wav, dts, aac, amr, flac, ape, cue, amr, m4a, aiff, caff, ape, ogg vorbis,, lossless music...almost all audio file formats. [Key features] - Long press to play at double speed, swipe left to go backward, swipe right to go forward, double-click to pause/play - Custom subtitles: Support downloading subtitles and displaying custom subtitle files. - Parse and open m3u and m3u8 files, support playing IPTV playlists. - Multiple transfer methods: 1. USB transfer (iTunes file sharing) 2. Wi-Fi transfer 3. File servers: SMB/FTP/NFS/SFTP ... - Transfer files via cloud drives: Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud. - Supports casting to TV: UPnP/DLNA, AirPlay, Chromecast, screen mirroring. - Support opening archive files: zip, rar, 7z... - File management: support document sorting, Support searching files. - Privacy protection: Password lock, encrypt and protect your videos, safe and secure. [In-App Purchase] Professional version for Lifetime: -One-time purchase, valid forever, can be resumed at any time. Professional version for one year: - Annual auto-renewable subscription, automatic renewal upon expiration. - After the purchase of the subscription item is confirmed, the subscription fee will be credited to your iTunes account. The subscription will automatically renew unless the automatic renewal feature is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current time period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before 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. Privacy Policy:https://huamei-d3650.web.app/privacypolicy.html Terms of Use:https://huamei-d3650.web.app/terms.html contact us: xihuamei_contact@163.com

Screenshots

VLC Remote4 screens
Fast Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: VLC Remote at none against Fast Player's shown. VLC Remote also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 15.0). Fast Player's advantage is ratings volume (5K vs 594). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 Fast Player sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VLC Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fast Player has 5K ratings behind it against 594, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of VLC Remote's written reviews are positive against 68% of Fast Player's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLC Remote ships an update monthly, Fast Player every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
VLC Remote versus Fast Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLC RemoteFast Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (594 ratings) — better4.5 (5K ratings)
Positive reviews66.5% of reviews67.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5945K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB161 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHobbyist Software Limited章健 杨

Customer experience

VLC Remote

All ratings594 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews648 reviews
Positive66.5%
Neutral6.9%
Negative26.5%

Fast Player

All ratings5,012 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews713 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral8.1%
Negative24.0%

User reviews

VLC Remote

From 594 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

Fast Player

From 5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and user-friendly
  • 👍 Versatile and plays various file formats
  • 💡 Useful for transferring and managing media files
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 📢 Intrusive ads in free version
  • 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and sharing

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

Fast Player

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Videos not playing correctly or only showing audio
  • App failing to remember playback position
  • Issues with file format compatibility
  • Unexpected app crashes and freezes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add shuffle and repeat options
  • Implement picture-in-picture mode
  • Improve playlist management and file ordering
  • Provide better Bluetooth/AirPlay support

In-app purchases

1 purchases

VLC Remote

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

Fast Player

Subscriptions1
  • Annual professional version$3.991 Year
One-time4
  • Compress / unzip the file$0.99
  • Remove Ads$0.99
  • Passcode Lock$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Professional Version$5.99

Questions

Is VLC Remote free?
VLC Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Fast Player free?
Fast Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VLC Remote or Fast Player?
VLC Remote is rated higher. VLC Remote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 594 ratings, while Fast Player averages 4.5 from 5K ratings.
Do VLC Remote or Fast Player have ads?
Fast Player shows ads; VLC Remote does not.
Which is updated more often, VLC Remote or Fast Player?
VLC Remote ships an update monthly, and Fast Player every 3 weeks. Most recently, VLC Remote was updated on October 19, 2026 and Fast Player on October 18, 2026.

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