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?
Akash Singh
Sunday 26th of December 2021
I purchased the MX player pro but u know what it doesn't support EAC3 and HVEC 10bit audio format and vlc support every audio format if not nearly all and I wasted my money on MX player pro for nothing
Madhsudhan
Monday 27th of December 2021
I mentioned in the post that MX Player does not support as many formats as VLC.
Ahmed
Sunday 28th of March 2021
You overlooked the fact that VLC does not support subtitles over chromecast but MX player does support subtitles over chromecast
Madhsudhan
Monday 29th of March 2021
Thanks, Ahmed, for pointing that out. It's been a while since I have used VLC on Chromecast to update that part.
Nayr7928
Friday 18th of December 2020
Here again after a only a few hours of use. I'm sorry that I'm not giving VLC enough chance but it's just not really my preference. I like how I was able to customize a lot of things to my liking in MX Player. I'm thinking of investing on the Pro one since it's just a one time buy.
Nayr7928
Thursday 17th of December 2020
I've used MX Player since the beginning but a lot more ads have come in like some of the past games like Temple Run 2 where every after game, there's an ad that you can't exit unless you wait. I think I'm gonna try VLC for the first time just because of the ad-less UI. I'll probably go back here a month later for others to see what my experience was like.