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Head-to-head · Free Tools

VLC media player vs Visual Studio Code

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score VLC media player #1 in Free Tools 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit VideoLAN
Visual Studio Code #2 in Free Tools 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 2 features Visit site

VLC media player leads on 0 checks, Visual Studio Code on 0, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreVLC media player · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth

VLC media player scores higher on our rubric for free tools: 9.4 against 9.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #2.

VLC media player is the better fit for free media playback across devices. Visual Studio Code is the better fit for free coding and extensible text editing.

  • VLC media player fits best

    Free media playback across devices

  • Visual Studio Code fits best

    Free coding and extensible text editing

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Side by side

Feature VLC media player 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Visual Studio Code 9.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 9.3
Ranking #1 in Free Tools #2 in Free Tools
Best for Free media playback across devices Free coding and extensible text editing
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features VLC media player 1/2 · Visual Studio Code 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
  • IntelliSense, debugging, testing, Git, and a terminal are built in
  • Multi-cursor and column selection support efficient text editing
  • Extensions add languages, debuggers, linters, themes, and tools
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
  • Some language and workflow capabilities depend on extensions
  • Browser access is through a separate web version
  • Documentation is the listed support channel
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 →

Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source code editor for developers working on individual files or complete projects. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and browser access is available through VS Code for the Web. Its mix of editing,…

Read the review →
  1. VLC media playerFree Tools 9.4Free plan
  2. Visual Studio CodeFree Tools 9.3Free plan

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

  • Visual Studio Code — where it wins

    • IntelliSense, debugging, testing, Git, and a terminal are built in
    • Multi-cursor and column selection support efficient text editing
    • Extensions add languages, debuggers, linters, themes, and tools

    Where it doesn't

    • Some language and workflow capabilities depend on extensions
    • Browser access is through a separate web version
    • Documentation is the listed support channel
  • VLC media player9.4/10 · Free plan

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

    Visit VideoLANFull verdict →
  • Visual Studio Code9.3/10 · Free plan

    A free editor with coding tools and extensions for solo work through enterprise teams.

    Visit siteFull verdict →

More comparisons

All free tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update