Comparison

VLC Remote vs Outplayer

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

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

VLC Remote4 screens
Outplayer3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

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 Outplayer 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 4.6 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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLC Remote ships an update monthly, Outplayer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
VLC Remote versus Outplayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLC RemoteOutplayer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (594 ratings) — better4.6 (502 ratings)
Positive reviews66.5% of reviews86.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings594 — better502
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHobbyist Software LimitedStephen Salerno

Customer experience

VLC Remote

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

Outplayer

All ratings502 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews325 reviews
Positive86.5%
Neutral6.2%
Negative7.4%

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

Outplayer

From 502 App Store ratings

What 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
Show 10 more
  • 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

1 purchases

VLC Remote

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

Outplayer

One-time1
  • Outplayer Advanced$7.99

Questions

Is VLC Remote free?
VLC Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Outplayer free?
Outplayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VLC Remote or Outplayer?
VLC Remote is rated higher. VLC Remote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 594 ratings, while Outplayer averages 4.6 from 502 ratings.
Do VLC Remote or Outplayer have ads?
Neither VLC Remote nor Outplayer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VLC Remote or Outplayer?
VLC Remote ships an update monthly, and Outplayer every 3 weeks. Most recently, VLC Remote was updated on October 15, 2026 and Outplayer on October 13, 2026.

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