VLC media player vs AIMP

VLC media player9.4Visit AIMP9.2Visit

Higher score VLC media player #1 in Local Music Player Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit VideoLAN

vs

AIMP #2 in Local Music Player Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit AIMP

• VLC media player fits best

  People who want a versatile free player everywhere

• AIMP fits best

  Free playback with deep audio and cloud features

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Side by side

Feature	VLC media player 9.4/10 Visit ↗	AIMP 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.2
Ranking	#1 in Local Music Player Software	#2 in Local Music Player Software
Best for	People who want a versatile free player everywhere	Free playback with deep audio and cloud features
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, Linux, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Community
Integrations	10 integrations	8 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features VLC media player 1/3 · AIMP 0/3
Gapless playback	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Open source	✓ (best)	—
Equalizer	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Platforms	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Audio formats	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Library tools	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Plays common and specialized audio, video, and container formats. Supports network streams, shared drives, and NAS browsing. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.	Plays a broad range of audio formats and internet radio streams Combines library, smart playlists, tag editing and audio conversion Plays from network shares and WebDAV, with major cloud integrations
Cons	Its broad media toolkit may be more than a basic audio player needs. Some playback features depend on platform support. Community and documentation are the listed support channels.	Audio-focused: it cannot play video files Linux support is through Wine in stable desktop releases; native support is in beta No subtitle support or 4K playback
Our verdict	VLC media player is a free, open-source multimedia player from VideoLAN for people who want to play local audio and video alongside discs, devices, and network streams. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, making it a… Read the review →	AIMP is a free, playlist-based audio player for people who want more than basic file playback. It runs on Windows and Android, with stable desktop Linux use available through Wine and native Linux support in the AIMP 6 beta. Its scope is… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• VLC media player — where it wins

  • Plays common and specialized audio, video, and container formats.
  • Supports network streams, shared drives, and NAS browsing.
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

  Where it doesn't

  • Its broad media toolkit may be more than a basic audio player needs.
  • Some playback features depend on platform support.
  • Community and documentation are the listed support channels.

• AIMP — where it wins

  • Plays a broad range of audio formats and internet radio streams
  • Combines library, smart playlists, tag editing and audio conversion
  • Plays from network shares and WebDAV, with major cloud integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Audio-focused: it cannot play video files
  • Linux support is through Wine in stable desktop releases; native support is in beta
  • No subtitle support or 4K playback

• VLC media player9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, wide-format player for local audio and video across desktop and mobile.

  Visit VideoLANFull verdict →
• AIMP9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free audio player with broad format support and tools for local, network and cloud libraries.

  Visit AIMPFull verdict →