VLC vs. MX Player (2022)

MX and VLC are the two media players with vibrant video and audio tools. An Indian company is the owner of MX Player, while we all know VLC Media Player. How do both stand against each other in 2021? Let’s find out in VLC vs. MX Player comparison.

Quick overview

VLC is a video player with vast codec and device support. It also works best if you have HDMI and Chromecast. One thing it lacks is a nice interface, which is what MX Player is all about. MX Player also supports many formats, but not as many.

Features

VLC focuses more on the technical aspects, whereas MX Player also focuses on customization and personalization. MX Player initially was just for videos, but now it supports audio files. Take a look at the below table for complete tools and options.

Feature	VLC	MX Player
Audio support	✔	✔
Streaming	✔	✔
Hardware acceleration	✔	✔
History	✔	✔
Night mode	✔	✔
Android TV support	✔	✔
Save brightness/audio settings	✔	✔
Picture-in-Picture	✔	✔
Subtitle size	✔	✔
Subtitle color	✔	✔
Remember subtitle timing	❌	✔
Screen settings	✔	✔
Change app colors	❌	✔
Adjust forward/backward speed	❌	✔
Local network	✔	✔
Equalizer	✔	✔
Audio boost	✔	✔
Continue video	✔	✔
Highlight new videos	❌	✔

Winner: MX Player

Related: 8 Best Video Converter Apps for Android

Play screen options

The below table compares the options found on the video player screen.

Feature	VLC	MX Player
Choose subtitle	✔	✔
Subtitle delay	✔	✔
Choose audio	✔	✔
Audio delay	✔	❌
Audio play	✔	✔
Playback speed	✔	✔
Sleep timer	✔	✔
Equalizer	✔	✔
Crop video	✔	✔
Lock	✔	✔
Repeat options	✔	✔
Download subtitles	✔	✔
Video shuffle	✔	✔

Winner: VLC

Play screen invisible options

Feature	VLC	MX Player
Forward and backward	✔	✔
Volume +/-	✔	✔
Zoom / change ratio	✔	✔
Brightness adjustment	✔	✔
Double-tap forward and backward	✔	❌

VLC Media Player’s swipe forward/backward feature can be improved because the video doesn’t forward if you forward it for a few seconds.

Apart from that, if you manually add a subtitle file and then minimize and maximize the app, you will not see the subtitles. The problem worsens as the subtitle menu does not respond. Going back to the main menu and playing the video again is the only option.

MX Player has one feature missing, which is seeking on double-tap. VLC forward/backward the video for ten seconds if you double-tap on either side of the screen.

Winner: VLC

HDMI and Chromecast

Many mobile devices such as Note 10 support HDMI ports, but both tools deal with HDMI differently. VLC supports HDMI, and when a device is connected, the device displays the screen saver with the VLC logo. It also supports most of the buttons to control the playback.

MX Player does not support HDMI properly; hence, the media is simultaneously played on both TV and mobile. Watch the above video to see both in action.

Regarding the Chromecast, VLC acts the same as HDMI, but MX Player also supports Chromecast. It displays an image from the video with the device title with all the necessary buttons to control.

Winner: VLC Media Player

MX Share

MX Share or MX File Sharing is a tool that allows transferring video files fastly with the combined help of Bluetooth and WiFi. This powerful sharing technique can also be found in many apps, such as Google Files.

The app only supports video files, and the receiving end must have MX Player installed. VLC does not offer sharing tools except the default sharing features.

Related: VLC Media Player vs. MPV

App details

Android

VLC was released for Android in 2015, and it has over 100 million downloads. On the other hand, MX Player was released in 2011, and so far, it has over 500 million downloads. Both occupy over 70 MB of storage.

VLC Media Player also comes with two widgets on the Android platform. Both offer the same features except the theme. One is the light, and the other one is the dark widget. You can place both on the home screen, but it won’t add any benefits.

iOS

VLC Media Player for iOS is about 169 MB, with an average user-based rating of 3 stars. MX Player takes 85 MB of storage and has an average user-based rating of 4.2 stars in the US.

Pricing

MX Player is a commercial app, and it shows ads while browsing. The ad types include in-video when you pause, in between videos section, etc.

The premium version of MX costs a few bucks depending on the location, which gives access to the ad-free experience.

Video

Still not sure about the two? Watch this VLC vs. MX Player video and see both in action.

Download

Wrap up

I would suggest going with VLC because it supports more extensions and is entirely free. MX Player is great, but to get rid of ads and unlock premium features, you’ll have to pay money.

I hope the article VLC vs. MX Player helped. Which app will you be using? Would you please share your views in the comments below and subscribe to the newsletter for future updates?