Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MPC-HC VS foobar2000

Compare MPC-HC VS foobar2000 and see what are their differences

MPC-HC logo MPC-HC

MPC-HC, the free, open source media player for Windows. DownloadsNote. Supported Operating Systems: Windows® XP SP3 .

foobar2000 logo foobar2000

An advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform.
  • MPC-HC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-13
  • foobar2000 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13

MPC-HC features and specs

  • Lightweight
    MPC-HC is a lightweight application, meaning it uses minimal system resources, making it ideal for low-end systems.
  • Wide Format Support
    The player supports a wide array of audio and video codecs, eliminating the need for additional codec packs.
  • Customizable
    MPC-HC offers a high degree of customization, including the ability to change skins, set up hotkeys, and tweak a variety of settings.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, MPC-HC is free to use and allows for community contributions and transparency.
  • Active Development
    The player has an active community maintaining and updating it, ensuring compatibility with the latest media formats.

Possible disadvantages of MPC-HC

  • Outdated GUI
    The graphical user interface is somewhat outdated compared to modern media players, which can affect user experience.
  • Lack of Official Support
    Since it's an open-source project, official support is limited, and users may need to rely on community forums for help.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    MPC-HC lacks some of the more advanced features found in other media players, such as integrated streaming services or extensive library management options.
  • Windows Only
    MPC-HC is primarily designed for Windows, limiting its usability for Mac and Linux users without using compatibility layers or workarounds.

foobar2000 features and specs

  • High Customizability
    Foobar2000 allows for extensive customization through themes, plugins, and advanced settings, enabling users to tailor the interface and functionality to their specific needs.
  • Wide Format Support
    The player supports a broad range of audio formats including MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, WAV, and many others, ensuring compatibility with most audio files.
  • Lightweight and Efficient
    Foobar2000 is designed to be lightweight and efficient, consuming minimal system resources, which makes it a good choice for users with less powerful hardware.
  • Advanced Features
    The player includes advanced features such as gapless playback, ReplayGain, and customizable keyboard shortcuts, catering to power users and audiophiles.
  • Active Development and Community
    Foobar2000 has a strong, active development team and community, providing regular updates and a wealth of user-created plugins and themes.

Possible disadvantages of foobar2000

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find the interface and extensive customization options overwhelming, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Basic Default Interface
    The default interface is quite plain and may not be visually appealing to users seeking a more modern or advanced look without additional customization.
  • Limited Native Features
    While highly customizable through plugins, the out-of-the-box functionality may be limited compared to some other media players, requiring users to invest time in finding and installing plugins.
  • Windows-Centric
    Foobar2000 is primarily designed for Windows, with macOS and mobile versions lacking some of the advanced features available on the Windows platform.
  • No Built-in Streaming Services
    Unlike some modern media players, Foobar2000 does not natively support popular streaming services, which might be a drawback for users looking to integrate streaming within their media player.

Analysis of MPC-HC

Overall verdict

  • MPC-HC is generally considered a good media player for users seeking a lightweight and reliable option. Its ability to handle multiple codecs without additional installations and its ease of use make it a favorite among many users. However, active development has slowed, and there may be more modern alternatives with advanced features, such as VLC or PotPlayer.

Why this product is good

  • MPC-HC (Media Player Classic - Home Cinema) is a lightweight, open-source media player that is highly compatible with a wide range of video and audio formats. It is known for its simplicity and small footprint, making it suitable for both older hardware and modern systems. The player offers a customizable user interface and robust playback features, such as support for subtitles, audio and video filters, and the ability to handle high-definition content. Its open-source nature allows for community-driven improvements and updates.

Recommended for

    MPC-HC is recommended for users who prefer a clean, minimalist media player that performs efficiently on older systems or for those who appreciate open-source software with basic, yet comprehensive playback capabilities. It is ideal for anyone looking for a straightforward media player without unnecessary bloat.

Analysis of foobar2000

Overall verdict

  • Yes, foobar2000 is a good media player.

Why this product is good

  • foobar2000 is highly regarded for its lightweight and customizable nature. It supports a wide range of audio formats and offers advanced tagging capabilities. Its open component architecture allows for extensive customization and functionality extensions, making it a favorite among audiophiles and users who value performance and flexibility.

Recommended for

  • Users who need a lightweight and efficient audio player
  • Audiophiles looking for advanced audio processing and output options
  • Individuals who enjoy customizing their software experience
  • Anyone requiring support for a wide variety of audio formats
  • Users interested in using plugins to extend functionality

MPC-HC videos

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More videos:

foobar2000 videos

Z Review - My Foobar2000 Setup Video

More videos:

  • Review - Foobar2000 - The Best Music Player

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MPC-HC and foobar2000)
Media Player
48 48%
52% 52
Audio Player
40 40%
60% 60
Music Player
24 24%
76% 76
Video Player
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MPC-HC and foobar2000

MPC-HC Reviews

Top 5 GOM Player Alternatives for Windows
Are you looking for a GOM Player alternative that is lightweight enough? Then, MPC-HC would be a superb choice for Windows PCs out there. When compared to VLC or GOM, the interface is so simple. Even then, it supports almost all the popular formats. In addition to this, we can include its minimal resource consumption and customizability. Just like the abovementioned ones,...
Source: xtendedview.com
The Best Top 5 Free Alternatives to Windows Media Player
Media Player Classic, as the name implies, this alternative to Windows Media Player is a tribute to the classic version of Windows Media Player 6.4. It is also an open source media player, supporting lots of video and audio formats, and can play Discs like VCD、SVCD、DVD, etc. Of course, as the successor of MPC, MPC-HC has more features. It can be used as DVB player and...
Best Top 10 Media Players
There is also the free and open-source MPC-HC available for use. It’s a Windows-only release at this time. Minimal system resources are required to run MPC-HC and are also 64-bit compatible. The use of external codecs is unnecessary, as it is compatible with every popular video format.
Source: pupuweb.com
20 BEST Video Player | Media Players for Windows 10 PC (2021)
MPC-HC (Media Player Classic- Home Cinema) is a light-weight, open-source media player. This tool supports all common video file formats that are available for playback. It does not contain any spyware, toolbar, or advertisement.
Source: www.guru99.com
15 Best Media Players For Mac and Windows (2021 Edition)
MPC-HC (Media Player Classic Home Cinema) is a light-weight, open source media player that supports almost all common audio and video file formats. It also acts as a TV tuner, but you need to have a TV card installed. You will be able to adjust the appearance of video as it’s playing.
Source: www.rankred.com

foobar2000 Reviews

10 Best Poweramp Alternatives for Android (FREE) 2023
Apart from that, Foobar2000 supports almost all of the music formats and codecs out there, which makes this app highly compatible.
Source: techonation.com
The best free music players 2021: organize, tag and enjoy your music collection
Rather than flashy skins, foobar2000 features a customizable modular interface that gives you the information you want in a format that's convenient for you. Modules include album art, search box, playlist manager and various visualizations, with optional tabs for easier navigation. Custom layouts can be saved as themes for future use, and you can experiment with different...
10 Best Winamp Alternatives for Windows 10
If you are searching for a lightweight and easy-to-use Winamp replacement for Windows 10, then foobar2000 might be the best pick for you. Guess what? foobar2000 supports a wide range of audio codecs like MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, etc. Apart from that, it was the user-interface that makes the app stand out from the crowd.
Source: techviral.net
Best Windows 10 Music Player Apps for PCs in 2019
While Foobar2000 was pushing forwards with a Windows Store app to complement its existing Win32 offering, that project seems to have stalled thanks to low user count. The "proper" app is still very much alive and kicking and is both powerful and customizable.
The best free music players for Windows PCs
Don’t let the basic interface fool you into thinking this isn’t worth your time. You can customize its look however you want, and play anything from MP3s and WMA to Musepack, Speex, and even rarer formats with the right plug-ins. There are also extensive tagging abilities and full support for keyboard shortcuts, which makes Foobar2000 a great piece of software for managing...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MPC-HC seems to be a lot more popular than foobar2000. While we know about 38 links to MPC-HC, we've tracked only 3 mentions of foobar2000. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

MPC-HC mentions (38)

View more

foobar2000 mentions (3)

  • For those who've recently switched from Windows to Mac, what's the one app you miss the most?
    Foobar2000. There is no macOS music player that comes close; QuodLibet almost hits the spot, but that's a very large "almost". Source: about 2 years ago
  • Girl with blow up costume really whips the llama's ass
    Putting WinAmp nostalgia aside, have you heard of https://foobar2000.org? Source: over 2 years ago
  • This man thought opening a TXT file is fine, he thought wrong
    I would 100% agree if it weren't for the existence of the music player foobar2000. Both share similar design goals. But foobar takes it a step further by making the entire UI completely user customizable with a simple built in editor. All without sacrificing speed, compactness, or usability. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MPC-HC and foobar2000, you can also consider the following products

VLC Media Player - VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework.

AIMP - AIMP : Free Audio Player : Официальный сайт программы

PotPlayer - Potplayer is a minimalist media player that has an extensive range of configurable options to...

KMPlayer - KMPlayer is a freeware and supporting 36 different languages with 300 million users globally. PCKMPlayer is a freeware and supporting 36 different . ConnectKMP Connect allows you to connect your.

MusicBee - While iTunes might be the benchmark music organizer and player app, MusicBee is a strong alternative that many prefer.

SMPlayer - SMPlayer is a free video and audio player for both Windows and Linux that allows you to play almost all media files without having to install additional codecs. Read more about SMPlayer.