Comparison

VLC Streamer 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 Streamer

Stream your entire movie collection from your PC to your iPhone, iPod, or iPad without conversion. Enjoy your favorite films anywhere in your house with easy setup and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Stream movies from PC
  • No conversion needed
  • Browse local drives and network shares
  • Customizable gesture controls
  • Support for multiple resolutions
  • Live video streaming
Features
Read full description

Sit anywhere in your house and watch movies or TV shows on your iPhone, iPod or iPad. VLC Streamer streams movies from your computer to your iDevice. Winner *Best Entertainment App* Chip.de. You can watch anything from your movie collection. No need for complex conversion processes. No need to manually transfer programs to your device. “Can these guys do no wrong? Seriously, if only other app devs knew how to make apps as well as these guys, the world would be a better place. Or at least my device would be less buggy. I was just watching a Full HD copy of Avatar Extended Edition being streamed from my PC on my iPod Touch 2nd Generation and it looked and played amazingly.” - UK Reviewer “…it's as good as having the original VLC player on your iOS device…” - CallingAllGeeks.org “…Setup is a snap and literally takes 2 seconds. You can browse through all your movies from your device and click any one to start playing. It even works if you have the movies stored on a USB drive connected to the host computer.” -The Times of India “Took me seconds to setup to stream from a secondary drive in my home office. Going straight out to get a cable for my TV.” - USA Reviewer “….This sucker can stream off the pc and plays virtually anything you throw at it. Download it now!” - TaxiDriver at Blippy.com There are a huge number of movie formats, and VLC can convert most of them - but it can't convert everything. If you have any doubts, then please try the free version of this application first. • Features include • - Free helper app gets you streaming quickly and allows you to browse local drives, and Windows network shares - Stream over wifi directly from your computer - Customisable gesture controls - Support for multiple resolutions and streaming quality levels - Live streaming of video after a few seconds of processing (assumes a reasonably powered computer) • System Requirements • - VLC Streamer will not play DRM protected videos. Videos from the iTunes store do include DRM. - VLC Streamer is designed to work on your local network, and the free helper app has to run on your Mac or PC.    - Supports Windows, Vista, Windows 7 and Window 8 - Supports Mac OS 10.7 and above. • Response to feedback • -If you do have any problems streaming movies, 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. • Subscription Information • VLC Streamer is supported through an auto-renewing subscription which you can choose to purchase within the app. • The subscription is called 'VLC Streamer Annual Subscription ' • It is an annual subscription. It gets rid of the adverts and unlocks all functions, including downloading movies to your device • 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 Enjoy!

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 Streamer4 screens
Fast Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Fast Player at free with in-app purchases against VLC Streamer's subscription. Fast Player also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (68% vs 46%). VLC Streamer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, in-app purchases 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 Streamer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for VLC Streamer against 4.5 for Fast Player. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fast Player has 5K ratings behind it against 415, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of VLC Streamer's written reviews are positive against 68% of Fast Player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VLC Streamer ships an update every 3 months, Fast Player fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
VLC Streamer versus Fast Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVLC StreamerFast Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (415 ratings)4.5 (5K ratings)
Positive reviews45.7% of reviews67.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4155K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB161 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHobbyist Software Limited章健 杨

Customer experience

VLC Streamer

All ratings415 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral4.1%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews376 reviews
Positive45.7%
Neutral8.8%
Negative45.5%

Fast Player

All ratings4,989 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.4%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews713 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral8.1%
Negative24.0%

User reviews

VLC Streamer

From 415 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Smooth streaming
  • 💡 Useful for accessing media library
  • 👍 Great customer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🔋 High CPU usage on host computer
  • 🔒 Security concerns with open access to computer
  • 💸 Aggressive monetization with ads and subscription model

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 Streamer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to detect/connect to host computer
  • Inconsistent video quality and buffering issues
  • Conversion process causing overheating on host computer

Requested features

4 requests
  • Remote access from outside home network
  • Improved codec support, especially for MKV files
  • Resume playback from last position
  • Ability to manage/delete files from mobile device

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

4 purchases

VLC Streamer

Subscriptions4
  • VLC Streamer Monthly7 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • VLC Streamer Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • VLC Streamer Annual7 Days trial$2.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • VLC Streamer Annual7 Days trial$5.991 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 Streamer free?
VLC Streamer 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 Streamer or Fast Player?
VLC Streamer and Fast Player are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 415 and 5K ratings respectively.
Do VLC Streamer or Fast Player have ads?
Fast Player shows ads; VLC Streamer does not.
Which is updated more often, VLC Streamer or Fast Player?
VLC Streamer ships an update every 3 months, and Fast Player fortnightly. Most recently, VLC Streamer was updated on September 12, 2026 and Fast Player on September 25, 2026.

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