# It's Playing vs VLC media player

The clearest difference is monetization model: VLC media player at free against It's Playing's free with in-app purchases. VLC media player also leads on ratings volume (6K vs 68) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). It's Playing's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.7). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. It's Playing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and VLC media player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

It's Playing holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VLC media player has 6K ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of It's Playing's written reviews are positive against 52% of VLC media player's.

It's Playing ships an update every 2 months, VLC media player fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | It's Playing | VLC media player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/its-playing/id442839861/reviews)** | [3.7 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vlc-media-player/id650377962/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 68 | **6K** |
| Positive reviews | **55.6% of reviews** | 51.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#21** |
| Size | 33 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Addition, Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/299197261) | [VideoLAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/599606329) |

## What reviewers say

### It's Playing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/its-playing/id442839861)

Stream videos directly from cloud storage or local network devices without conversions. Enjoy high-performance playback, subtitle search, and advanced playback controls. Supports a wide range of audio and video formats for a seamless entertainment experience.

**Highlights:** Direct cloud and local network streaming, High-performance 1080p playback, Direct subtitle search and download, Support for MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, VOB, RMVB, One-click access to Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Background playback and earbud controls, Frame by frame video navigation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Plays a wide range of video formats
- 🚀 Smooth playback even for high-quality files
- 📁 Convenient file management and organization
- 🔊 Useful audio controls (volume boost, pitch adjustment)
- 🎨 Customizable video settings (brightness, contrast, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and playback issues
- 🔇 Lack of support for some audio codecs (AC3, DTS)
- 🔍 Difficulty browsing long file names
- 🔌 Performance issues on older devices
- 🔒 Unreliable network connectivity and file sharing

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when playing certain video files
- Playback freezes or stutters on high-bitrate content
- Issues with audio/video sync and codec compatibility

**Requested features**

- Add support for Chromecast and AirPlay
- Implement a queue/playlist feature
- Improve file management with better folder support
- Provide better integration with cloud storage services


### VLC media player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vlc-media-player/id650377962)

**Currently charting:** #21 Top Free · Photo & Video (US App Store)

Play virtually any video or audio file directly without conversion. Stream media from cloud services, network servers, or the web. Offers advanced subtitle support and playback controls.

**Highlights:** Plays all video and audio formats, No file conversion needed, Cloud and network streaming, Advanced subtitle support, Playback speed control, Chromecast rendering

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Micro Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Huge Tip | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Plays everything
- 👍 Great for offline media
- 🔒 No ads or subscriptions
- 🚀 Convenient file transfer
- 👍 Customizable playback

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 👎 Confusing UI/UX
- 🐛 Unreliable network streaming
- 👎 Lacks basic features

**Reported bugs**

- Playback issues with certain codecs
- Crashes when accessing network shares
- Inconsistent shuffle/repeat behavior
- Subtitle sync problems
- Deleted files not freeing up storage

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Improved playlist management
- Folder-based organization
- Lyrics support
- Chromecast integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is It's Playing free?

It's Playing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is VLC media player free?

VLC media player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, It's Playing or VLC media player?

It's Playing is rated higher. It's Playing averages 4.0 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while VLC media player averages 3.7 from 6K ratings.

### Do It's Playing or VLC media player have ads?

Neither It's Playing nor VLC media player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, It's Playing or VLC media player?

It's Playing ships an update every 2 months, and VLC media player fortnightly. Most recently, It's Playing was updated on October 25, 2026 and VLC media player on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*