# Popcorn Time

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/popcorn-time/

5 people recommended Popcorn Time in Hacker News comments and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 12 months, in 6 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Free, open-source app for streaming movies that people run on their own machine, now rebuilt as Popcorn Time R3 with an integrated EVM wallet.

Summary written by Claude from 7 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Free and open source (2 comments in the sample): "Free software clients like Popcorn Time provide a   better experience and would be able to exist without threats from copyright trolls." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48517281)) "open source, nobody owns it, nobody hosts it, you run it and creates a server you can use, simple" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49834978))
- Rebuilt on R3 with EVM wallet (2 comments in the sample): "Revolutionary comeback: Popcorn Time rebuilt on R3 architecture with integrated EVM wallet" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47064982)) "Result: Netflix-like streaming + creator payments + reputation, all on pure flux" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47087246))

## Other music players people recommend

- [VLC media player](https://hackerapproved.com/p/vlc-media-player/): 139 recommend, 31 mixed, 79 criticize
- [mpv media player](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mpv/): 68 recommend, 11 mixed, 11 criticize
- [Infuse video player](https://hackerapproved.com/p/infuse/): 61 recommend, 14 mixed, 9 criticize
- [Winamp](https://hackerapproved.com/p/winamp/): 53 recommend, 6 mixed, 6 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Popcorn Time", https://hackerapproved.com/p/popcorn-time/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 3 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.