Last updated: 20 Mar 2021
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.
Short comparison
In short, VLC is a free and all-rounder tool with vast codec and device support. For HDMIs, Chromecast, or even your phone, VLC is the ideal choice. MX Player comes in several formats, but it offers more customisation options to make your own video player.
Comparison table
| Feature | VLC Media Player | MX Player |
|---|---|---|
| 4K support | ✔ | ✔ |
| Chromecast support | ✔ | ✔ |
| Smart TV support | ✔ | ❌ |
| Customisable | Yes | Highly |
| Multi-Language subtitle support | ✔ | ✔ |
| Video formats | Most | Most but not as many as VLC |
| Widgets | 2 (same) on Android | ❌ |
| Ads-Free | ✔ | ❌ |
Tools
VLC is more focused on the technical aspects, whereas MX Player also focuses on customisation and personalisation. MX Player initially was just for videos, but now it supports audio files as well. Take a look at the below table for full 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 colour | ✔ | ✔ |
| Remember subtitle timing | ❌ | ✔ |
| Screen settings | ✔ | ✔ |
| Change app colours | ❌ | ✔ |
| Adjust forward/backward speed | ❌ | ✔ |
| Local network | ✔ | ✔ |
| Equaliser | ✔ | ✔ |
| Audio boost | ✔ | ✔ |
| Continue video | ✔ | ✔ |
| Highlight new videos | ❌ | ✔ |
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 | ✔ | ✔ |
| Equaliser | ✔ | ✔ |
| Crop video | ✔ | ✔ |
| Lock | ✔ | ✔ |
| Repeat options | ✔ | ✔ |
| Download subtitles | ✔ | ✔ |
| Video shuffle | ✔ | ✔ |
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 for a few seconds.
Apart from that, if you manually add a subtitle file and then minimise and maximise the app, you will not see the subtitles. The problem worsens as the subtitle menu does not respond. In that case, 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 forwards/backwards the video ten seconds if you double-tap on either side of the screen.
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; 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 with 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.
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.
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.
Paid nature
MX Player is a commercial app, and it shows ads while browsing. The ads 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 a little more extensions and is completely 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?
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.
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.
You overlooked the fact that VLC does not support subtitles over chromecast but MX player does support subtitles over chromecast
Thanks, Ahmed, for pointing that out. It’s been a while since I have used VLC on Chromecast to update that part.