VLC media player vs Audacious

VLC media player9.4Visit AAudacious8.8Visit

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

A Audacious #6 in Local Music Player Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Audacious

• VLC media player fits best

  People who want a versatile free player everywhere

• Audacious fits best

  Desktop listeners who prefer an open-source player

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Side by side

Feature	VLC media player 9.4/10 Visit ↗	AAudacious 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.8
Ranking	#1 in Local Music Player Software	#6 in Local Music Player Software
Best for	People who want a versatile free player everywhere	Desktop listeners who prefer an open-source player
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Community, Docs
Integrations	10 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features VLC media player 1/3 · Audacious 1/3
Gapless playback	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Open source	✓	✓
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 local music, audio CDs, and internet streams Offers library search, playlists, ReplayGain, and gapless playback Qt, GTK, and Winamp Classic interfaces with plugin support
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.	Focused on audio playback rather than video Interface options may not suit listeners seeking one consistent UI Plugin-based capabilities can require choosing and configuring extensions
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 →	Audacious is a free, open-source desktop audio player for listeners who want to manage and play music locally, as well as tune into internet streams. It runs on Linux, BSD derivatives, macOS, and Windows. Its core tools include… 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.

• Audacious — where it wins

  • Plays local music, audio CDs, and internet streams
  • Offers library search, playlists, ReplayGain, and gapless playback
  • Qt, GTK, and Winamp Classic interfaces with plugin support

  Where it doesn't

  • Focused on audio playback rather than video
  • Interface options may not suit listeners seeking one consistent UI
  • Plugin-based capabilities can require choosing and configuring extensions

• VLC media player9.4/10 · Free plan

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

  Visit VideoLANFull verdict →
• AAudacious8.8/10 · Free plan

  A free desktop music player with library search, playlists, effects, and interface choices.

  Visit AudaciousFull verdict →