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VLC media player vs Zoom Player: catalog facts
VLC media player	Zoom Player
Free Free software from a non-profit; there is no paid tier and no advertising in the player.	Paid Sold through the developer's store; check the site for current editions and prices.
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	Deep customization with skins and many settings Media library with metadata scraping
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 software, unlike most free players
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-2.0	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

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