VLC app: is it free, what it costs, is there a VLC Premium, and a free alternative
VideoLAN · Photo & Video · ★ 3.7, 6K ratings in the US App Store · Free to download
AppHunt has no promo code for VLC, but we have one for the alternative below.
Best free alternative to VLC: 70mm
VLC has nothing to pay for: it is free and open source, with no ads and no in-app purchases. 70mm, from the AppHunt team, is a separate free player rather than an upgrade of VLC, with Picture in Picture and a way to send any video to an Apple TV. With the AppHunt promo code you get the full version of 70mm for free, for good.
Yes: VLC is free to download and use, with nothing to unlock. VideoLAN, the non-profit that makes it, says VLC has no spyware, ads or user tracking; the US App Store page lists no In-App Purchases, and VideoLAN sells no VLC Premium or Pro. It asks only for optional donations. These are US App Store details on October 30, 2026, and they may change.
Is VLC free?
Everything in VLC is free. VideoLAN, the non-profit organization that makes it, describes the iPhone and iPad app as free, libre software with its source code published, and its website says VLC is free of spyware, advertising and user tracking. The US App Store page lists no In-App Purchases, and the app has no subscription, trial period or locked tier. That covers every feature VideoLAN lists: playing MKV and most other formats without converting them, several audio and subtitle tracks, speed control and video filters, streaming from SMB, NFS, SFTP, FTP and UPnP/DLNA servers or from the web, file transfer over Wi-Fi, syncing from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Box, AirPlay and CarPlay. VideoLAN does ask for donations on its website, and the app's release notes mention a donation screen since version 3.5.0 in February 2024. US reviews from 2026 are split on it: some people say they donate, and one complains about donation pop-ups. No feature depends on paying.
How much does VLC cost?
There is nothing to buy. VideoLAN sells no premium edition, Pro upgrade or subscription of VLC, and the US App Store lists the app at $0 and shows no In-App Purchases (October 30, 2026; prices may change). The only payment VideoLAN asks for is an optional donation: its website takes cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal and bank transfers, and says the money pays for test hardware, servers and events. A price beside a VLC-style name in the App Store belongs to a different developer's app. Searching the store for VLC Premium turns up VLC Remote Pro! at $19.99, a remote control for VLC on a Mac, PC or Linux computer, and VLC Streamer Pro at $7.99, which streams movies from a computer to an iPhone. Both come from Hobbyist Software Limited, and neither is the VLC player.
70mm or VLC: how they compare
70mm, from the AppHunt team, is another video player, not a paid version of VLC and not made by VideoLAN; its listing credits VideoLAN's VLCKit library for playback, so file support is not the reason to choose it. It plays MKV, AVI, WMV and other containers with styled subtitles and audio-track switching, reads network shares over SMB, NFS, WebDAV, SFTP and FTP, and is free to use with no ads or account. What it adds is Picture in Picture, which many 2026 reviewers say VLC's iPhone app lacks, and one app for Apple TV, Mac, iPad and iPhone that can push a video of any format to the TV, with your phone as the remote. Its optional Pro, a one-time $14.99 in the US, lifts the limits on TV playback and servers, syncs your place across devices and translates subtitles on the device; AppHunt has a promo code that unlocks it. VLC is the older, fuller app: it runs from iOS 9, also on Android, Windows and Linux, reads Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and Box, finds UPnP/DLNA and Plex servers, works in CarPlay and shows its source code. 70mm needs iOS 26, is Apple-only and new, with no ratings yet.
Other free alternatives to VLC
Infuse ·Turning a NAS into a polished movie library
Video + ·Mixing cloud drives and home servers in one app
Video Player All in One ·Casting local or NAS videos to a smart TV
Fast Player ·Stubborn legacy formats like RMVB, FLV and WMV
About VLC
VLC media player, from VideoLAN, has 6,026 ratings averaging 3.7 in the US App Store. VideoLAN is a French non-profit, and the VLC app has been in the App Store since July 2013. It runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Vision (iOS 9.0 or later, tvOS 11.0 or later), and version 3.7.3 came out on April 24, 2026; the same project makes VLC for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. It suits people who want one free, ad-free player for nearly any file, with network shares and cloud drives. The gaps reviewers mention are Picture in Picture on iPhone and a library that sorts media by itself instead of showing folders.
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VLC: questions and answers
Is VLC free?
Yes. VLC is free to download and use on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV, with no ads, no account and nothing to unlock. VideoLAN, the non-profit that makes it, calls it free, libre software with published source code, and says the mobile app collects no personal information and includes no tracking. According to VideoLAN, the same VLC is free on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.
How much does VLC cost?
Nothing: the VLC app price is $0 in the US App Store, and the page lists no In-App Purchases (October 30, 2026; it may change). The only money VideoLAN asks for is optional donations. Other paid apps with VLC in the name come from different developers: VLC Remote Pro! ($19.99) controls VLC on a computer and VLC Streamer Pro ($7.99) streams movies from a computer to an iPhone, both from Hobbyist Software Limited.
Is there a VLC Premium?
No. VideoLAN makes a single VLC and it is the free one: the iOS app has no Premium, Pro or subscription, and the App Store page lists no In-App Purchases. An app or site that charges for a 'VLC Premium' is not from VideoLAN, so check that the seller on the App Store page is VideoLAN.
Is there a VLC promo code?
AppHunt has no promo code for VLC, and there is nothing to discount, since VLC has no paid version. If you would like to try another free player, AppHunt has a promo code that unlocks 70mm Pro, the paid version of a different video player; the card on this page shows the terms.
Does the VLC app show ads or track you?
VideoLAN says no. Its website describes VLC as having no spyware, ads or user tracking, and its privacy page says the mobile apps collect no statistics, personal information or analytics beyond what the app stores themselves provide. Apple's privacy label for the app lists diagnostics, not linked to you, used for app functionality. Several US reviewers in 2026 name the lack of ads as a reason they use it.
What do reviews of the VLC app say?
VLC has 6,026 ratings averaging 3.7 in the US App Store. In 2026 reviews, people praise that it is free with no ads or subscription and that it plays almost any file. The most common request is Picture in Picture, which reviewers say the iPhone app does not have; others report playlist and library quirks, audio cutting out or freezes, and one complains about donation pop-ups.
What is the best free alternative to VLC?
Another free player to try is 70mm, from the AppHunt team: it plays MKV, AVI, WMV and other formats, reads network shares over SMB, NFS, WebDAV, SFTP and FTP, offers Picture in Picture and can push a video of any format to an Apple TV, with no ads or account. It is not a better VLC: VLC is older, runs on more platforms and lists cloud-drive and UPnP/DLNA support that 70mm's listing does not, while 70mm needs iOS 26 and is Apple-only. Our list of free video players has more options.
Is 70mm a paid version of VLC?
No. 70mm is a separate video player from the AppHunt team, not made by VideoLAN and not an upgrade, premium edition or add-on of VLC, which has no paid version. Its listing credits VideoLAN's VLCKit library for playback. 70mm is free to download and play; its optional Pro unlock is a one-time $14.99 in the US, and AppHunt has a promo code for it.
AppHunt is not affiliated with VideoLAN. Prices are US App Store prices checked on October 30, 2026 and can change; your country’s store may show different prices.