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VLC media player vs GOM Player: catalog facts
VLC media player	GOM Player
Free Free software from a non-profit; there is no paid tier and no advertising in the player.	Freemium Free player, with a paid GOM Player+ premium version and bundles.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS	Windows
Plays an unusually wide list of codecs and containers out of the box, including MPEG-1/2, H.264, H.265, VP8/VP9… No spyware, no advertising and no user tracking, stated on the project feature page	Plays common formats without installing codec packs Built-in subtitle search
The stable desktop line is still 3.0.23; the 4.0 interface rewrite has not shipped The interface is functional rather than modern, and advanced options are buried in preference dialogs	Windows only Paid upgrades are heavily promoted
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.