shouldiuse.io

Categories

VERDICT

VLC media player (VideoLAN) Review

Worth it

Should I use VLC media player (VideoLAN)?

Free multimedia solutions for all OS - videolan.org

· 1 month ago

If you watch video on a computer, use VLC — it is free, plays nearly everything, and has no paid tier to upsell you. Skip it if you need vendor support, centralized deployment control, or your security team restricts open-source desktop apps.

Confidence

High. Based on 40+ public sources: official pages, security trackers, and forum/Reddit mentions.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

VLC media player

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Anyone with odd video formats (.dav, camcorder, dashcam)
  • People avoiding paid codec packs
  • Screen recording and streaming on a budget
  • 8K/360-degree video playback

Not for

  • Businesses needing vendor SLAs or support contracts
  • IT teams wanting centralized, policy-managed deployments
  • Security-strict orgs that ban unsigned open-source apps
  • Anyone unwilling to keep software updated themselves

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Download only from — typo-squatted mirror domains exist.

medium

CVE-2025-51602 (denial of service) shows vulns keep appearing; update promptly.

medium

Hackers have abused VLC in campaigns; some companies ban it outright.

low

Complex playback problems mean forum digging; expect no official helpdesk.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source; creator refused millions to keep it that way.
  • Plays formats others can't, like security-camera .dav files.
  • Default recommendation across tech, photo, and enthusiast forums.
  • Handles screen recording, multiple audio tracks, and 8K playback.
  • Cited by camera and hardware manuals as the standard playback tool.

Cons

  • No vendor support; fixes come from community forums only.
  • Security vulnerabilities recur; you must update manually.
  • Fake and lookalike download sites confuse users.
  • Some organizations ban it after malware-abuse campaigns.

Sources & method

- 10 sources - Actively patched open-source project, but vulnerabilities recur — keep it updated and download from the official site.

official x2review x2security x4news x2
  • CVE-2025-51602 — denial-of-service vulnerability, A VLC media player DoS vulnerability tracked publicly in 2026 advisories.
  • Critical vulnerability patched (2019), VideoLAN addressed a critical VLC vulnerability; disclosure caused temporary confusion.
  • Binary hijacking vulnerability, A binary hijacking vulnerability exists per Lavawall's patch-status tracker.
  • Security fixes in 3.0.18 and 3.0.20, Official security bulletins and release notes confirm repeated security patches.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free, open source, no ads or paywall
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Default forum answer for unplayable files
  • Feature depth: 4/5. 8K, streams, recording, playlists, conversions
  • Support quality: 2/5. Community forums only; no vendor helpdesk
  • Security posture: 3/5. Recurring CVEs, but patches shipped regularly
  • $0 Price Free and open source, no ads
  • Open source License Run by non-profit VideoLAN
  • All major OS Platforms Windows, Mac, Linux, mobile
  • Billions of users Scale Per press mentions of the project

Pricing

VLC media player

$0

  • Full playback and conversion features
  • No ads, tracking, or paid tier
  • Open source, all platforms

Security

Actively patched open-source project, but vulnerabilities recur — keep it updated and download from the official site.

  • CVE-2025-51602 — denial-of-service vulnerabilityA VLC media player DoS vulnerability tracked publicly in 2026 advisories.³
  • Critical vulnerability patched (2019)VideoLAN addressed a critical VLC vulnerability; disclosure caused temporary confusion.⁴
  • Binary hijacking vulnerabilityA binary hijacking vulnerability exists per Lavawall's patch-status tracker.⁵
  • Security fixes in 3.0.18 and 3.0.20Official security bulletins and release notes confirm repeated security patches.⁶

What users say

Forums overwhelmingly treat VLC as the default free fix for unplayable video, while other threads surface fake-download and security worries.

“I use the free open source program VLC”
Arduino forum
“The creator of VLC refused an offer worth millions to sell it”
Reddit, r/nextfuckinglevel
“VLC Media Player is an amazing software that stays completely free”
Facebook post

Alternatives

Compare VLC media player (VideoLAN) with each alternative.

Full analysis

Based on 40+ public sources: official pages, security trackers, and forum/Reddit mentions.

Free open-source player that plays anything. Great for individuals; no support line, so update it and avoid fake mirrors.

Methodology

Based on 40+ public sources: official pages, security trackers, and forum/Reddit mentions.

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. VLC official site and downloadvideolan.org
    official
  2. VideoLAN product security pagevideolan.org
    official
  3. CVE-2025-51602: VLC DoS Vulnerabilitysentinelone.com
    security
  4. VideoLAN Patches Critical Vulnerability in VLCsecurityweek.com
    security
  5. VLC 3.0.23 patch status, CVEs & trackinglavawall.com
    security
  6. VLC Player 3.0.20 includes security fixestalk.tidbits.com
    security
  7. .dav video player — Spiceworks communitycommunity.spiceworks.com
    review
  8. VLC banned after Cicada hacking campaignfacebook.com
    news
  9. VLC creator refused millions to sellreddit.com
    news
  10. What's the official link — r/VLCreddit.com
    review

Add this review to your site

VLC media player (VideoLAN) earned a Worth it check.

Put the badge on your site, pricing page, or docs.

Visitors see an independent review.

The link points here, and search engines follow it.

This is the badge visitors see on your site.

Worth it VLC media player (VideoLAN) Independent review on Should I Use It

Paste one snippet. Keep the link as it is. A nofollow tag stops search engines from following it.

Rate this review

Anonymous. You can change your vote.

Loading votes…

Comments

One queue. No nested comments. Give a display name first. Limit: 200 words per comment and 7 comments per day. You can edit or delete yours.

Save a name to write a comment.

0 / 200 words

No comments yet.