Side-by-side comparison of two listed Other tools — real listing data only, no paid placement.
On record, they differ in: unique tags (VLC media player 1: #video vs SMPlayer 3: #codecs #youtube #subtitles); category rank (VLC media player #11 vs SMPlayer not in top 50). Same pricing model (Free) and category (Other). Listing facts only — not a recommendation.
The free media player that plays everything, everywhere
VLC by the nonprofit VideoLAN plays virtually any audio or video format on every major platform, with no ads, tracking or codecs to install. Decades of development have made it one of the most downloaded programs ever.
Published 2026-08-06 · Links checked 2026-09-15
Free media player with built-in codecs for Windows and Linux
SMPlayer is a free media player for Windows and Linux that includes built-in codecs, enabling playback of virtually all video and audio formats without external codec packs. It remembers settings for each file, resuming playback from the same point with the same audio track, subtitles, and volume. As a GUI for MPlayer, it also supports playing YouTube videos, downloading subtitles, and offers customizable skins.
Published 2026-08-13 · Links checked 2026-09-07
| VLC media player | SMPlayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Category | Other | Other |
| Rank in Other | Position #11 of 72 | not in top 50 of 72 |
| Alternatives listed | 3 → | 4 → |
| Shared tags | #media-player #open-source | |
| Unique tags | #video | #codecs #youtube #subtitles |
| Platforms | not yet verified | macOS · Windows · Linux |
| Official channels | — | X (Twitter)Facebookdeclared on www.smplayer.info via homepage link with a matching handle |
| Official website | www.videolan.org | www.smplayer.info |
| Site preview | ||
Rank = neutral rotation by listing ID, not a quality score · how it works
Only platforms with an official store or installer link are listed; others may exist.
VLC media player is Free; SMPlayer is Free. Both are listed in Other on ToolDock.
What they have in common: #media-player · #open-source
VLC media player is listed as free; SMPlayer is listed as free. Pricing label set at listing time; official pricing page linked where verified — see each official website for current details.
Both are Other tools listed on ToolDock, and they share the tags media-player, open-source.
ToolDock keeps a tag-matched alternatives list for each: see VLC media player alternatives and SMPlayer alternatives.