Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VLC Media Player VS Winamp

Compare VLC Media Player VS Winamp and see what are their differences

VLC Media Player logo VLC Media Player

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

Winamp logo Winamp

Winamp is a media player that allows users to play multiple-file formats, arrange media in a varied file-management system, and play unique media with AAC encoding.
  • VLC Media Player Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-13
  • Winamp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

VLC Media Player features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    VLC Media Player is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, providing a consistent experience across different devices.
  • Wide Format Support
    VLC supports virtually all audio and video file formats, making it a versatile media player for various types of content.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, VLC is free to use and its source code is accessible, allowing for community-driven modifications and improvements.
  • No Ads or Spyware
    VLC Media Player is free of advertisements, spyware, and user tracking, offering a clean and private user experience.
  • Customizable Interface
    Users can customize the interface with skins and add functionality through plugins and extensions, enhancing the user experience.
  • Streaming Support
    VLC can stream content over networks and manage internet radio streams, making it ideal for both local and remote media playback.
  • Frequent Updates
    The development team regularly updates VLC, ensuring it remains secure, stable, and compatible with the latest media formats.

Possible disadvantages of VLC Media Player

  • Resource Intensive
    VLC can be resource-intensive, which may cause performance issues on older or less powerful devices.
  • Complex Interface
    The extensive range of features and settings can be overwhelming for new or less tech-savvy users, making it difficult to navigate.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Like any software, VLC is not immune to bugs, which can sometimes result in crashes or unexpected behavior during playback.
  • Limited Library Management
    VLC's media library functionality is relatively basic compared to dedicated media management software, which may be a downside for users with large media collections.
  • Suboptimal Subtitle Support
    While VLC supports subtitles, the functionality can sometimes be glitchy, with occasional issues in displaying or syncing subtitles accurately.
  • Advanced Features Can Be Hidden
    Some advanced features are not immediately obvious and may require digging into the settings or using command-line options, which can be a barrier for less experienced users.

Winamp features and specs

  • Customizability
    Winamp offers a high level of skinning and plugin options, allowing users to customize the interface and functionality to their liking.
  • Lightweight
    Winamp is a lightweight media player that does not require much system resources, allowing it to run smoothly on older hardware.
  • Wide Format Support
    Winamp supports a vast range of audio and video formats, making it a versatile media player for various types of media files.
  • Online Services Integration
    Winamp integrates with various online services, including internet radio stations and podcasts, enhancing its utility for streaming content.
  • Active Community
    Winamp has a dedicated community of users who create skins, plugins, and offer support, adding value to the player.

Possible disadvantages of Winamp

  • Aging Interface
    Some users find the interface to be outdated compared to more modern media players, which could be a drawback for those favoring sleeker designs.
  • Limited Updates
    Winamp has had periods of stagnation in development, leading to fewer updates and new features compared to its competitors.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There can be compatibility issues with newer operating systems or hardware, which may require additional troubleshooting.
  • Complexity
    The high degree of customizability can make Winamp somewhat complex to use for newcomers who might find it overwhelming setting up skins and plugins.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Integration with Radionomy Group services has raised privacy concerns among users who are cautious about data collection and third-party services.

Analysis of VLC Media Player

Overall verdict

  • Yes, VLC Media Player is widely considered to be a good media player.

Why this product is good

  • VLC Media Player is praised for its versatility, open-source nature, cross-platform support, and ability to play a wide variety of media formats without needing additional codecs. It also offers features like streaming, conversion, and extensive subtitle support.

Recommended for

  • Users who need a reliable and versatile media player.
  • Anyone looking to play non-standard or less common media formats.
  • People who prefer open-source software or want a player that is consistently updated.
  • Users who require cross-platform compatibility between Windows, macOS, and Linux.

VLC Media Player videos

VLC Media Player Review!

More videos:

  • Tutorial - VLC Media Player Android Review and Tutorial - Cool Features of VLC

Winamp videos

Winamp is back 5.8

More videos:

  • Review - Winamp is BACK- Winamp 5.8 is available for download

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VLC Media Player and Winamp)
Audio Player
65 65%
35% 35
Media Player
67 67%
33% 33
Music Player
53 53%
47% 47
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 VLC Media Player and Winamp

VLC Media Player Reviews

  1. Muhammad Yaseen
    Playing Videos

    This is very useful application for me. Now i can watch videos of any format on my laptop with vlc player. It solved my all problems of video formats and play problem.


Best VLC Alternative Media Players
Users might seek alternatives to VLC Media Player due to preferences for a different user interface, additional features not available in the program, performance issues like lagging or compatibility problems, or specialized needs such as specific codec support. While VLC offers robust functionality and broad compatibility, exploring other media players can address personal...
9 Best VLC Alternatives to Play Media in Any Format
In today's fast-paced world, media players have become an essential part of our lives. VLC Media Player has always been a popular choice, but it seems that the video player exhibits more problems as time goes on. A quick search of user reviews proves that it has fallen behind competitors in terms of advanced features, and newer updates of VLC are fraught with bugs, glitches,...
10 Best VLC Media Player Alternatives in 2024 (Free)
Some years before VLC Media Player provided a lot of useful and satisfying features to the users as one of the best Media Players but as the use of Media Players increased many more alternatives to VLC Media Player developed that became its competitors. These not only serve similar features as VLC Media Player but also provide more useful features and various file formats...
Top 5 GOM Player Alternatives for Windows
You can spot VLC Media Player on the first position of almost every media-player-based list. It’s been one of the standards for playing wide variety of media formats — including audio and video. Being an open-source program, you are completely free to use VLC. As far as playing media in Windows is concerned, VLC Media Player comes with the best-in-class support. You will...
Source: xtendedview.com
Top 5 Alternatives of VLC for iPad
VLC player is one of the famous media players that is commonly used across multiple operating systems, including iPadOS. It's an open-source and easy-to-use media player that shows compatibility with every mainstream video and audio format. IPad users can use the file synchronization feature to stream videos saved in cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, iCloud Drive,...

Winamp Reviews

10 Best Winamp Alternatives for Windows 10
However, Winamp is a little bit outdated, and several excellent music player programs have superseded it. What’s worst is that the developers of Winamp were in no mood to push updates. So, if you are also tired of using Winamp, then it’s time to check out the best Winamp alternatives.
Source: techviral.net
12 best free MPC-HC Alternatives in 2020
Winamp has been one of the longest-running media players. I have been using the Winamp since 2004 without having a single issue. With Winamp, it is really easy to import, create and browse your playlist. You can Winamp as a media browser to switch from one playlist to another, without having to change the screen, which is really convenient.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VLC Media Player seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. 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.

VLC Media Player mentions (3)

  • The 10 tools I install on every new Mac I get
    VLC - plays everything, has excellent keyboard shortcuts and can in a pinch even record screens for you (free). - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Why Open Source Software VLC's official website has been blocked for over 5 months now?
    Try accessing it without the 'www' subdomain (https://videolan.org/vlc/). Source: almost 3 years ago
  • AV1 no working
    I think I recommend you to use VLC Media Player without AV1 extension, it just decode. Source: almost 4 years ago

Winamp mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Winamp yet. Tracking of Winamp recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VLC Media Player and Winamp, you can also consider the following products

AIMP - AIMP : Free Audio Player : Официальный сайт программы

foobar2000 - An advanced freeware audio player for the Windows platform.

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

Clementine - Clementine is a cross-platform free and open source music player and library organizer based on...

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.

Windows Media Player - Get information about Windows Media Player and other Windows Media technologies.