# HD Player vs VLC media player

The clearest difference is rating: HD Player at 4.5 against VLC media player's 3.7. VLC media player's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HD Player sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and VLC media player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

HD Player holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VLC media player has 6K ratings behind it against 195, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of HD Player's written reviews are positive against 52% of VLC media player's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

HD Player ships an update every 2 months, VLC media player fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HD Player | VLC media player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (195 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hd-player/id483866500/reviews)** | [3.7 (6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vlc-media-player/id650377962/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 195 | **6K** |
| Positive reviews | 49.8% of reviews | **51.8% 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 | — | **#31** |
| Size | 48 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Khoa Tran Anh](https://appshunter.io/developer/407897660) | [VideoLAN](https://appshunter.io/developer/599606329) |

## What reviewers say

### HD Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hd-player/id483866500)

This app is a powerful video player designed to correctly display high-dynamic-range content like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It supports a wide range of codecs, hardware acceleration for smooth playback, and various file transfer methods. Manage your video library with playlists and passcode protection.

**Highlights:** Dolby Vision support, HDR10+ support, Hardware-accelerated decoding, Wide codec compatibility, iTunes & Wi-Fi file sharing, Playlist management, Passcode video protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full HD playback | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Plays Dolby Vision and HDR10 videos
- 🚀 Smooth playback on old devices
- 👍 Great for 4K and 10-bit video
- 👍 Supports subtitle encoding and importing over WiFi

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes after iOS 17 update
- 🐛 Can't remove subtitles
- 🔋 Ads interrupt video playback
- 💰 Paid version removed from App Store

**Reported bugs**

- Resume feature broken, audio stops when seeking
- Subtitles disappear during fast motion scenes
- Doesn't work on older iOS versions after updates

**Requested features**

- Add option to sort playlist by year, newest, or custom order
- Add editing option to customize movie cover and title


### VLC media player

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

**Currently charting:** #31 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 HD Player free?

HD Player 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, HD Player or VLC media player?

HD Player is rated higher. HD Player averages 4.5 out of 5 from 195 ratings, while VLC media player averages 3.7 from 6K ratings.

### Do HD Player or VLC media player have ads?

Neither HD Player nor VLC media player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HD Player or VLC media player?

HD Player ships an update every 2 months, and VLC media player fortnightly. Most recently, HD Player was updated on October 23, 2026 and VLC media player on November 1, 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.*