VLC media player vs Videwatch
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VLC media player
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.
- Plays all video and audio formats
- No file conversion needed
- Cloud and network streaming
- Advanced subtitle support
- Playback speed control
- Chromecast rendering
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VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player. It can play all your movies, shows and music in most formats directly without conversion. It allows file synchronization with Dropbox, GDrive, OneDrive, Box, iCloud Drive, iTunes, direct downloads and through Wi-Fi sharing as well as streaming from SMB, FTP, SFTP, NFS, UPnP/DLNA media servers and the web. VLC offers support for advanced subtitles including full SSA compatibility, multi-track audio, playback speed control and rendering through Chromecast. VLC is completely free and open source.
Videwatch
Play videos and audio directly on your Apple Watch, even offline. Organize your media with folders and resume playback from where you left off. Supports various file formats and cloud storage integrations.
- Play videos and audio on Apple Watch
- Offline playback support
- Organize media with folders
- Resume playback from last position
- Supports MP4, MOV, M4V, MP3, M4A, and more
- Add media from cloud storage and URLs
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Videwatch is a dedicated Apple Watch media player. ● Play videos & audio at high quality ● Play offline at any time ● Use the Apple Watch speaker or headphones ● Play all & shuffle options ● Resume playback from last position ● Organize with folders ● Now Playing app support ● Add podcasts & audiobooks ● Play directly from your watch faces ● Sort by recently played, name, duration, or when added ● Choose from four different display options ● Fast forward or rewind videos, by tapping the player progress bar Add media: ● From iPhone, iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, & more sources ● Using a url (YouTube not currently supported) ● From other apps, such as Photos and Mail Video supported: ● MP4, MOV, M4V For audio we recommend our dedicated audio app WatchAudio. Audio files supported: ● MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV, AIF, AIFF, AU, CAF, FLAC ● M4B (audiobooks non-protected)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: VLC media player at Free against Videwatch's $1.99. VLC media player also leads on ratings volume (5.8K vs 377) and chart position (#38 vs unranked). Videwatch's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On update cadence and ads 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
VLC media player is free to download; Videwatch costs $1.99 up front. VLC media player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Videwatch asks for nothing beyond the download.
Videwatch holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VLC media player has 5.8K ratings behind it against 377, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of VLC media player's written reviews are positive against 80% of Videwatch's.
VLC media player ships an update fortnightly, Videwatch every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.
| Parameter | VLC media player | Videwatch |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 3.7 (5.8K ratings) | 4.8 (377 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews | 80.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.8K — better | 377 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #38 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | VideoLAN | Atlum Limited |
Customer experience
VLC media player
Videwatch
User reviews
VLC media player
From 5.8K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Plays everything
- 👍 Great for offline media
- 🔒 No ads or subscriptions
- 🚀 Convenient file transfer
- 👍 Customizable playback
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 🔋 Drains battery
- 👎 Confusing UI/UX
- 🐛 Unreliable network streaming
- 👎 Lacks basic features
Videwatch
From 377 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Works well and worth the price
- 🚀 Great video player for Apple Watch
- 🎥 Allows watching videos on Apple Watch
- 💡 Convenient preview on phone
- 🎧 Supports audio playback through watch speakers
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Limited video controls (no scrubbing)
- 🔌 Slow video transfer speeds
- 🔍 No option to delete individual videos
Bugs and requests
VLC media player
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Improved playlist management
- Folder-based organization
- Lyrics support
- Chromecast integration
Videwatch
Reported bugs
3 issues- Compatibility issues with older Apple Watch models
- Video playback sometimes fails to start
- Occasional watch disconnection during video transfer
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to create and manage video playlists
- Implement auto-play for next video
- Allow video rotation to landscape mode
- Increase volume output from watch speakers
- Integrate with cloud storage services for video uploads
In-app purchases
VLC media player
- Micro Tip$0.99
- Small Tip$2.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
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- Large Tip$9.99
- Huge Tip$14.99
Videwatch
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is VLC media player free?
Is Videwatch free?
Which has better reviews, VLC media player or Videwatch?
Do VLC media player or Videwatch have ads?
Which is updated more often, VLC media player or Videwatch?
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