VLC media player vs HandBrake

VLC media player9.4Visit HandBrake9.0Visit

Higher score VLC media player #1 in Free Tools 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit VideoLAN

vs

HandBrake #5 in Free Tools 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit HandBrake

• VLC media player fits best

  Free media playback across devices

• HandBrake fits best

  Free video conversion and batch encoding

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Side by side

Feature	VLC media player 9.4/10 Visit ↗	HandBrake 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Free Tools	#5 in Free Tools
Best for	Free media playback across devices	Free video conversion and batch encoding
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
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features VLC media player 1/2 · HandBrake 1/2
Open source	✓	✓
Self-hosted option	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Not checked yet
Free user limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Free storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Plays many audio and video formats without separate codec packs Supports local files, discs, devices, network shares, and streams Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android	Queues multiple files and encode jobs for batch processing Offers presets alongside configurable video and audio encoding Supports subtitles, command-line use, and hardware encoding
Cons	Its extensive playback and filter options may be more than casual listeners need Media-library search and playback history are listed for Android Support is through community resources and documentation	Runs as a local desktop application, not a hosted service Exports to MP4, MKV, or WebM containers Hardware encoding depends on compatible hardware, drivers, and OS
Our verdict	VLC media player is a free, open-source multimedia player from VideoLAN for people who want to play audio and video across desktop and mobile devices. It handles local files, discs, webcams, connected devices, and network streams, with… Read the review →	HandBrake is a free, open-source desktop video transcoder for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It converts supported video sources—including common files, camera footage, screen recordings, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs—into MP4, MKV, or WebM files.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• VLC media player — where it wins

  • Plays many audio and video formats without separate codec packs
  • Supports local files, discs, devices, network shares, and streams
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android

  Where it doesn't

  • Its extensive playback and filter options may be more than casual listeners need
  • Media-library search and playback history are listed for Android
  • Support is through community resources and documentation

• HandBrake — where it wins

  • Queues multiple files and encode jobs for batch processing
  • Offers presets alongside configurable video and audio encoding
  • Supports subtitles, command-line use, and hardware encoding

  Where it doesn't

  • Runs as a local desktop application, not a hosted service
  • Exports to MP4, MKV, or WebM containers
  • Hardware encoding depends on compatible hardware, drivers, and OS

• VLC media player9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source player for broad-format playback across desktop and mobile.

  Visit VideoLANFull verdict →
• HandBrake9.0/10 · Free plan

  A desktop transcoder with batch queues, presets, subtitle tools, and configurable encoding.

  Visit HandBrakeFull verdict →