VLC Remote vs Outplayer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
Outplayer
A video player designed for iOS that prioritizes speed and simplicity. Enjoy seamless playback of various video formats with advanced features like 4K HDR and spatial audio. Easily manage your media with intuitive controls and file integration.
- 4K HDR playback with instant seeking
- Spatial audio with head tracking
- Picture in Picture support
- Customizable subtitle styling
- Play any video format (MKV, MP4, etc.)
- Integration with Files app for external drives
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A video player for iOS built around speed, simplicity, and getting out of your way. Outplayer is carefully designed to feel seamless, so you can just focus on what you’re watching. And it's backed by strong, reliable performance to play anything well. • 4K HDR playback with instant, real-time seeking • Spatial audio with head tracking and immersive surround sound • Picture in Picture, seamless for all videos • Fluid gestures and responsive controls • Customizable subtitle styling and dual language support • Quick and easy navigation for chapters and playlists • Integration with Files app to support SMB and external hard drives • Play any video format, worry-free (including MKV, MP4, and more) For free users, Outplayer has no playback restrictions and no ads. A one-time purchase, Outplayer Advanced, is available for a range of additional configuration options.
Screenshots
Verdict
VLC Remote and Outplayer both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Outplayer's written reviews are positive against 67% of VLC Remote's. VLC Remote's advantage is iOS requirement (12.1 vs 17.0). 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
Both are free to download. VLC Remote sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year and Outplayer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for VLC Remote against 4.6 for Outplayer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 594 and 502 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of VLC Remote's written reviews are positive against 86% of Outplayer's.
VLC Remote ships an update monthly, Outplayer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VLC Remote | Outplayer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (594 ratings) — better | 4.6 (502 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 66.5% of reviews | 86.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 594 — better | 502 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 40 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hobbyist Software Limited | Stephen Salerno |
Customer experience
VLC Remote
Outplayer
User reviews
VLC Remote
From 594 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Outplayer
From 502 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth playback
- 👍 Intuitive and clean UI
- 🚀 Supports wide range of video formats
- 🚀 Excellent codec support
- 🚀 Hardware decoding
Room to improve
- 🐛 Audio glitches
- 🐛 Brightness/contrast issues
- 🐛 Restore purchases bug
- 🔋 Causes device heating
- 👎 Lacks external subtitle support
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
Outplayer
Reported bugs
5 issues- Restore purchases bug
- Audio glitches
- Brightness/contrast issues
- Causes device heating
- Incompatibility with older devices
Requested features
15 requests- Add next/previous episode buttons
- Implement Trakt integration
- Add WebDAV support
- Implement variable speed playback
- Add video/folder sorting options
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- Implement Dolby Vision HDR support
- Implement Atmos audio support
- Add AirPlay/casting support
- Add subtitle delay sync option
- Implement in-app subtitle downloader
- Add video metadata scraping
- Implement folder icons
- Add double-tap to skip gestures
- Implement shuffle playback
- Add in-app URL browser
In-app purchases
VLC Remote
- Full Control - Annual7 Days trial$4.991 Year
Outplayer
- Outplayer Advanced$7.99









