Comparison

VLC Remote vs KMPlayer

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
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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

About

KMPlayer

A versatile media player that handles all high-resolution video, music, and subtitle formats. Offers advanced playback controls, color adjustments, and subtitle customization.

Highlights
  • Plays all video and music formats
  • Supports numerous subtitle formats
  • Bookmark playback sections
  • Adjust video color and playback speed
  • Stream videos via URL
  • Network and cloud storage support
Features
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▶ KMPlayer, Customer Lounge is here! ▶ Feedback, ideas, and events—all welcome. - Link: https://cobak.co/en/space/392 KMPlayer is a perfect media player that can play all forms of high resolution videos, music, and subtitle files. Along with the flawless playback, enjoy the rich features of the player including quick button, bookmark, subtitle settings, and play speed settings! ▶ KMPlayer ◀ · Bookmark: Add bookmark to the time points to playback any sections you wish to cherish · Control Color: Change brightness, light intensity, hue, saturation, and gamma information · Expand & Contract: Expand & contract the video screen being played · Section Repeat: Repeatedly play a section from point A to point B · Quick button: Quickly set the player options · Equalizer: Save separate equalizers for music & video · Subtitle Settings: Change color, size, and position of subtitles · URL Playing: Enter URL to play any videos on the web (streaming) · Network: Supports FTP, UPNP, SMB, WebDav · Cloud: Supports Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive [ Supported Formats ] Video and music: AVI, MP3, WAV, AAC, MOV, MP4, WMV, RMVB, FLAC, 3GP, M4V, MKV, TS, MPG, FLV Subtitle: DVD, DVB, SSA/ASS Subtitle Track, SubStation Alpha(.ssa/.ass) with full styling.SAMI(.smi) with ruby tag support, SubRip(.srt), MicroDVD(.sub/.txt), VobSub(.sub/.idx), SubViewer2.0(.sub), MPL2(.mpl/.txt), TMPlayer(.txt), Teletext, PJS(.pjs) , WebVTT(.vtt) Due to the policy, we do not support certain codecs. (DTS, EAC3, TrueHD, Divx .. ) ▶ Permission Information ◀ [ Required Permissions ] Storage space: Requesting permission to access photos, music, and videos stored in the device ▶ Message from the Developers ◀ KMPlayer’s development team are always open to your opinions to further improve the App. Feel free to request new features and please provide us with plentiful feedback. Email: support.ios@kmplayer.com

Screenshots

VLC Remote4 screens
KMPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: KMPlayer at none against VLC Remote's 1. KMPlayer also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (3.2K vs 594). VLC Remote's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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. KMPlayer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VLC Remote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: KMPlayer has 3.2K ratings behind it against 594, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 66% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLC Remote ships an update monthly, KMPlayer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
VLC Remote versus KMPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLC RemoteKMPlayer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (594 ratings) — better4.3 (3.2K ratings)
Positive reviews66.5% of reviews — better66.3% of reviews
Number of ratings5943.2K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.1 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHobbyist Software LimitedPANDORATV Co.,Ltd

Customer experience

VLC Remote

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

KMPlayer

All ratings3,244 ratings
Positive82.2%
Neutral5.2%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews492 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral10.6%
Negative23.2%

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

KMPlayer

From 3.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Well-designed interface
  • 🚀 Plays a variety of formats
  • 🚀 Excellent media player
  • 🚀 Best video player on iOS

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Video playback issues
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🐛 Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • 🐛 Subtitles not working
  • 🐛 Brightness issues

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

KMPlayer

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Video playback freezes
  • Audio desynchronization issues
  • Crashes when playing certain file types
  • Network share access problems
  • Brightness control malfunctions
Show 5 more
  • Subtitle font issues
  • Missing video files in library
  • Lockscreen controls not working
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Unreliable background playback

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add Picture-in-Picture support
  • Implement Chromecast/AirPlay integration
  • Improve subtitle handling and customization
  • Add more aspect ratio options
  • Implement a dark mode
Show 5 more
  • Add ability to rename files
  • Improve network file sharing
  • Add more codec support (e.g., MKV)
  • Implement a better file organization system
  • Add ability to save custom audio/video settings

In-app purchases

1 purchases

VLC Remote

Subscriptions1
  • Full Control - Annual7 Days trial$4.991 Year
None

KMPlayer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is VLC Remote free?
VLC Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is KMPlayer free?
KMPlayer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, VLC Remote or KMPlayer?
VLC Remote is rated higher. VLC Remote averages 4.7 out of 5 from 594 ratings, while KMPlayer averages 4.3 from 3.2K ratings.
Do VLC Remote or KMPlayer have ads?
Neither VLC Remote nor KMPlayer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VLC Remote or KMPlayer?
VLC Remote ships an update monthly, and KMPlayer every 9 days. Most recently, VLC Remote was updated on October 6, 2026 and KMPlayer on October 12, 2026.

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