Best Video Converter for Windows & Mac in 2024

I'm always seeing people online asking for recommendations on the best free video converter. And it makes sense - converting videos between different formats is something we all need to do, whether it's for sharing, editing, or just making sure a video plays on a particular device. But not everyone has the budget for expensive video converter, especially if you're just starting out or working within tight financial constraints. That's where free video converters come in clutch. They let you convert video between different formats without breaking the bank.

The problem is, with so many video converters out there, it can be a real challenge to figure out which ones are actually worth your time. That's why I've tested and reviewed dozens of the best video converters – including tons of free video converter software and online services.

FYI:

1. To curate the best video converters for this post, I tested nearly all available options, including free, paid, online, and desktop tools. As expected, even the best free converters have limitations, such as reduced file format support, quality loss, steep learning curves, and high CPU usage. Therefore, alongside free options, I've included some affordable premium video converters aimed at helping users who need intuitive 4K/HD converters capable of converting videos at blazing-fast speeds with amazing picture quality.

2. The computer I used for testing these video converters has the following specifications: AMD Ryzen 5 2400 processor with Radeon Vega Graphics running at 3.60GHz, 16GB of RAM, and Windows 10 64-bit. To ensure the integrity of my tests, I closed all unnecessary background processes, creating a controlled environment for accurate results.

3. I tested each tool with at least 3 videos, each with different specifications, to ensure a comprehensive evaluation:

• Clip 1: Recorded on an iPhone - 99.6 MB, 46.051 seconds, 18.1 Mb/s, 3840 x 2160p, HEVC, MP4
• Clip 2: Downloaded from YouTube - 27.3 MB, 40.043 seconds, 5718 Kb/s, 1920 x 1080p, H.264, MP4
• Clip 3: The ISO file of Frozen with a total file size of 7.26 GB

4. Check the methodology I used to test and select the best video converters.

5. I've compiled a table that summarizes my test results (speed, quality, etc.) and the key features (supported formats, maximum resolution, etc.) of these video converters. You can directly navigate to this table for easy reference.

What a Video Converter Can Help

So, what exactly can a video converter do for you? In basic terms, a video converter is software that changes video files from one format to another. This ensures that your videos can be played on various media players, mobile devices, and web browsers, while also optimizing file size and quality. Beyond basic conversion, modern video converters often come equipped with additional features, such as converting audio files, compressing video and audio, and adjusting bitrate, sample rate, frame rate, and more.

When You Need a Video Converter

There are many scenarios where a video converter is needed, with some of the most common ones including:

• Change videos into different formats for playing on iPhone 16, 4K/8K TVs, PS5, Xbox, Mac…
• Remux video format from one format to another in 1 second without re-encoding or quality loss
• Convert videos recorded by GoPro, DJI, iPhone, DSLR cameras, or screen captures to editing-friendly format
• Transcode videos for sending on Discord, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and other social media without quality loss
• Share the same video across platforms in optimized formats to maximize engagement on each.
• Convert DVDs (including the new and 99-title DVDs) with favored chapters, subtitles, and languages
• ...

22 Best Video Converters of 2024 (Most Are 100% Free)

A Close Look at the Best Video Converters of 2024

1. VideoProc Converter AI - The Overall Best Video Converter

No visible quality loss, 47x faster, more formats, smooth 4K/8K conversion, batch conversion...

Overview: VideoProc Converter AI is the best video converter software for Windows 11/10/8/7 and all recent versions of macOS computers. It can convert any of around 370+ media formats to your choices of 420+ output formats. Namely, you can use it to convert MKV to MP4, MOV to MP4/MPEG, YouTube to WAV, MP4 to MP3, MP4 to AVI/WMV, H264 to H265, MTS to MP4, and even DVDs to digital in just one click.

Thanks to the support of the level-3 GPU acceleration, hyper-threading, and AMD "3DNow" tech, VideoProc Converter AI is also a fast video converter which can convert videos at a speed up to 47x faster than the real-time playback while keeping a very low CPU usage. During the transcoding process, users have no problem writing emails, watching movies, and running other programs.

No worry about quality loss! This high quality video converter applies the next generation encoding tech and supports intelligently switching between All-I and IPB compression, allowing users to retain 99% of the original picture quality while shrinking 90% of the size. Even better, this top rated video converter comes with the Auto Copy feature, enabling you to remux video formats without re-encoding or quality loss.

Pros:

• Feed in, (batch) convert, and export to almost any format you can imagine.
• Automate the conversion process with presets for YouTube, iPhone, Apple TV, Sony PS4, Xbox, DVD…
• Never give up video quality: support video remux, 2-pass encoding, and x265 high entropy codec.
• Allow you to select the needed chapters, language tracks, and subtitles when converting DVDs.
• The fastest video converter. Up to 47x faster conversion speed while not slowing down your computer.
• New AI features to enhance videos and images: AI Super Resolution, Frame Interpolation, Stabilization...
• Also the best SD to HD video converter software, video downloader, video compressor, and video editor.

Cons:

• It is the best video format converter that has nothing I dislike.

VideoProc Converter AI - The Ultimate Solution for All Your Video and Audio Conversion Needs!

How Is It Performance in Practice

VideoProc Converter AI is absolutely the fastest video converter. It didn't use above 2% CPU usage 👍 when I converted the iPhone HEVC 4K recordings to a 1080P H.264 MP4 file. After the conversion, the file size dropped to 10.6MB without any visible downgrading in video quality.

VideoProc Converter AI is rated as the No.1 best video converter by many trusted websites. Check some of them,

• Best free and paid video converters for Mac in 2024 - comparitech.com
• Best video converter software for Mac as of 2024 - igeeksblog.com
• In-Depth comparison of 12 best video converter software - onehourprofessor.com

      Excellent

2. Any Video Converter Free - Best for a Plenty of Audio Special Effects

Overview: Any Video Converter Free is a versatile software that combines a video converter, a video cutter, a video cutter, and a few other quick tools into one package. It can import popular video formats and enables you to choose streaming-friendly and highly compressed codecs such as HEVC and VP9 for output. This enables you to convert your videos for faster streaming on social media and video-sharing platforms. You're allowed to choose the operating system on which you intend to play the video. However, this free video converter provides limited choices in this regard, allowing you to select only Windows, Android, or iOS.

This one of the best video file format converters lets you customize various video properties, including the codec, frame rate, and encoding settings. But you don't have many codec options to choose from. For instance, when converting video files to MOV format, your choices are limited to auto or H264 as the video codec. Popular codecs like PRORES and MPEG4 are not available. It's important to note that Any Video Converter Free is just the trial version, so it comes with certain limitations. For example, it doesn't support downloading or recording videos in HD 1080P resolution, and it restricts you from merging more than five videos into a single file.

Pros:

• Increase video resolution to over 200% of the original.
• Straightforward and visually appealing UI design,
• Adjust video frame rate, constant quality, and more.

Cons:

• Can't convert videos to editing-friendly format like ProRes.
• Can't preview the original video.
• Can't specify the bitrate.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Any Video Converter can make use of the GPU to encode full HD videos, which can accelerate the conversion process to up to 8X faster than real-time play. I tested that by converting an 1:40s of HEVC video recorded by iPhone to MP4 H.264, and it took around 40 minutes to complete the conversion, which was fast. However, the quality of the exported video looked bad. I chose 5 (lossless, maximum quality) as the constant quality, but the output looked pixelated and washed out.

3. FFmpeg - Best Free Video Converter for a Wide Range of Supported Video Formats

Overview: The fact is the majority of the open source and commercial video converters in the market are taking FFmpeg behind the scenes. Therefore, I'm very satisfied with what this best video format converter can do in terms of conversion capabilities.

It essentially can change video formats of all sorts, the supported input video codecs range from ISO disc images, MP4 (H.261/H.262, MPEG 4 Part 2, etc.), AMD/ATI (ATI VCR1/VCR2) to MOV (Cinepak, ProRes, QuickTime Animation, QuickTime Graphics, etc.), Avid, ASV… However, just because it is capable of doing everything doesn't mean everyone can benefit from this powerful video converter.

FFmpeg is the best free video converter software for advanced users or engineers who know a command-line environment. It doesn't come with a GUI. So you can't convert videos with simple clicks as you're doing with VideoProc Converter AI or other paid or free video converters.

Pros:

• Give you the complete freedom to convert video and audio.
• It's a free video converter for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Cons:

• Steep learning curve.

How Is It Performance in Practice

FFmpeg video converter works according to what it translates from the input command lines. A small difference in the command lines will bring up totally different conversion performances and results.

4. Movavi Video Converter - Best for Beginners Looking for a Simple Video Converter

Overview: Movavi Video Converter is a user-friendly video converter that allows you to convert your videos quickly and easily. It supports a wide range of input and output formats, including popular ones like MP4, AVI, and MKV. The software also has pre-configured conversion settings for specific devices like smartphones, tablets, and gaming consoles.

One unique feature of Movavi Video Converter is its SuperSpeed mode, which utilizes advanced technology to convert videos at a lightning-fast speed. The only downside to this feature is that it's only available for converting to the same codec and resolution as the original file. Additionally, the software also has a batch conversion feature that lets you convert multiple videos simultaneously.

Movavi Video Converter also includes a built-in editor where you can trim and crop videos, adjust color, add filters, or apply watermarks and subtitles. You can also use AI Upscaling to enhance the quality of your videos by increasing their resolution.

Pros:

• Simple and beginner-friendly design.
• Support a wide range of input and output formats.
• Include advanced features like SuperSpeed mode and AI Upscaling.
• Provide basic editing tools.

Cons:

• Adds a watermark to the output file in the free trial version.
• Large video files may take a long time to convert.

How Is It Performance in Practice

During my testing, it proved to be a fast and efficient video converter. It took about 10 seconds to convert a 1-minute video from MP4 to MKV. However, the upscaling process was too long and didn't produce as significant of a change in quality as I had hoped. Overall, this is a great choice for beginners and those looking for a simple video converter with a bonus editing feature.

5. Freemake Video Converter - Best Video Converter for Windows 10 for Paid Beginners

Overview: Freemake Video Converter is the best video converter for Windows 10. It has a well-optimized interface that makes all necessary conversion features visible to its users. With this free video converter for PC, you can copy DVD to MP4, turn videos from 40+ different codecs to another format to let it go compatible with iPod, iPad, Nokia, BlackBerry, Xbox, Sony, etc. And the whole process can be extremely easy to make with the ready-made device presets.

Though I rate it as one of the best video converters for Windows, there are a few things with Freemake Video Converter that I don't like. Firstly, it doesn't support 4K UHD videos which are now everywhere. If you intend to convert a 4K video to another format via this Windows video converter, then you have to trade-off with big sacrifice in resolutions as the largest video it can export is 2160P x 2160P.

Pros:

• Easy to use with a straightforward interface.
• A free converter for video, audio, DVD, and photo.

Cons:

• Lack of support for advanced formats including HEVC and VP9.
• The presets are for 2018 devices as it didn't receive an update since then.
• Windows only. It's not compatible with macOS.
• Payment is required to remove the watermark.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Every time I added a video encoded by lossy formats, just like VP8 WebM, and MPEG-2 MP4, the convert process bar was stuck at 60% - 90% after running the transcode command. Thankfully, it successfully transcoded some lossless videos, though at a slow speed.

To give an example, it took 12 seconds to convert a 28-second HD ProRes MOV file to 1080P H.264 MP4 video with the default settings. Under the same cases, VideoProc Converter AI took just about 12 seconds.

6. Avidemux - Best Free Video Converter for Basic Editing Features

Overview: Avidemux is an excellent option for beginners or advanced users in need of quickly converting video container formats to MKV, MP4, FLV, MOV, and WebM without changing the stored media streams. It lets users transcode the video and audio into H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, and a few other popular codecs.

Customizing the encoding settings is also allowed. However, exporting the converted video with desired codecs, size, and quality in Avidemux is often an error and trial process for most users. The interface of this free video converter is too out of date and displays many unexplained setting options. Aside from being a good video converter for PC, Mac, Linux, and BSD, Avidemux also serves as a basic video editor and allows you to cut, rotate, crop, denoise, stabilize video files, etc.

Pros:

• Remux video without encoding or losing quality.
• All basic video editing tools.

Cons:

• Difficult to customize the encoding settings.
• Constant crashes due to the lack of technical support.

How Is It Performance in Practice

The converting speed of Avidemux is average. In my test, it took around 8 minutes for this free movie converter to convert a short piece of 720P MP4 MPEG4 video to MP4 H.264. Its biggest con is the high CPU and memory usage which makes it not possible to run other programs when converting video files.

7. HandBrake - Best Free Video Converter for Cross-platform Users

Overview: One of the best free video converters is HandBrake. This is a professional video conversion software that can output videos from multiple video formats (MP4, MKV, AVI, TS, M2TS) as well as digitize Blu-ray and DVDs to MKV, MP4, and WebM formats. It also provides beginners with presets for quick conversion but still comes with tons of options for advanced users to customize the video bitrate, frame rate, resolution, and other properties.

The support of modern GPU encoding is a big plus as it can accelerate the whole conversion process at a speed of 2x to 3x faster than real-time playback. And the adopted x265 encoding enables HandBrake to generate high-quality videos without taking up large storage space.

HandBrake is a cross-platform and open-source video converter which means you can utilize it on Windows, Mac, and Linux and get access to all incredible features without having to pay a dime.

Pros:

• A heap of input video formats.
• Basic editing toolkits including cut, crop, subtitle, filter…
• Completely free with GPU acceleration supported now.
• Flexible video parameter settings, even in command lines.

Cons:

• Unstable with errors, despite being constantly updated.
• Won't convert encrypted DVDs.
• Good for experienced users, but not friendly enough for beginners.
• Few output formats. 3 containers (MKV, MP4, WebM) are available only.
• Over 90% consumption in CPU resources is commonly seen while the conversion.

How Is It Performance in Practice

HandBrake can work fast when you define a faster encoding. For instance, it took over 90 seconds to convert the 4K HEVC video to 1080P H.264 video when I selected Fast 1080P 30P. The conversion speed was shortened to 36 seconds when I switched to Very Fast 1080P.

HandBrake took 2.8 hours to convert an ISO file in my test. What is worth noticing is this free video converter failed to scan some titles of the imported ISO files the first few times.

8. VLC - Best Free Video Converter for Batch Conversion

Overview: Did you know that you might already have one of the best video file converter installed on your computer? And its name is VLC media player. Most of us know this amazing program as a free media player developed by VideoLan that can play a variety of media including some videos that are unrecognizable on other players. But few know VLC is a versatile video converter that can batch convert videos in HEVC, VC-D, VP3/VP5/VP6/VP8, WMV, DVD, MPEG-1/2, and tons of codecs, regardless of the container formats.

Since VLC is mainly a media player software that moonlights as a workable video converter, in comparison with those professional video format converters, VLC has limited output format support and presets. It does not output VP9, ProRes, ProRes 422HQ, ProRes 422, ProRes 422LT, etc. However, professional video converters, such as VideoProc Converter AI, support almost all the said formats. The availability of 10+ options for tweaking the output file parameters perhaps is not for the faint of heart.

Pros:

• Support H.265 codec, and can convert audio/DVD.
• It is completely free to use.
• The batch video conversion is supported.

Cons:

• Lack support for latest codecs (AV1, VP9) and editing-friendly formats (ProRes).
• Lack presets to quickly convert video format for trendy socia media platforms.
• Unable to convert multiple video files simultaneously to different formats.

How Is It Performance in Practice

The conversion speed of the VLC media player surpassed my expectations. It took about 40 seconds to encode the HEVC iPhone recordings from 4K to 1080P while keeping 60% of the CPU usage rate and 300MB of memory usage. I also checked the transcode from AVI to MP4, MKV to WebM, and a few more, and all got a fast response from the VLC media player.

What I want to complain about is, this free video editor often stopped the process automatically and gave us an unknown file with 0 bytes of content when I applied it to convert DVD files.

9. MPEG Streamclip - Best Free Video Converter for Converting Phased-out Codecs

Overview: MPEG Streamclip is one of the oldest video converters which you can tell from its 80-s style of interface, few output options, and limited editing capabilities. It can rip and convert DVDs. The most used formats, such as MOV and MP4 are supported by this free video file converter. However, to speak of the output format, QuickTime MOV, DV, AV1/DivX, and MPEG-4 videos are the only options that you can choose. In addition, you cannot convert your videos to HEVC, AV1, VP8, or other high compression codecs.

Another downside of this free video converter for PC and Mac is it only exports your video in a 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratio. Users who want to convert video for posting on social media like Facebook and Instagram are advised to choose another video converter software as these platforms favor the 1:1 square videos.

Pros:

• Lightweight and free to use.

Cons:

• Can't preview the edits that are applied to the working videos.
• It was discontinued years ago.
• Require you to install QuickTime.

How Is It Performance in Practice

MPEG Streamclip doesn't read HEVC, VP8, and various prevalent codecs. Thus I tested this free video converter program with some H.264 and MPEG-4 clips. I found it was quite slow. For instance, I spent a total of 18 minutes transcoding 40 seconds of H.264 1080P to MPEG-4 MOV.

10. Shutter Encoder - Best Free Video Converter for Plenty of Editing Options

Overview: If you are looking for the best file converter software with useful video editing capabilities, then you'd love Shutter Encoder. It is chock full of integrated features, allowing you to convert video codecs from one to another, burn subtitles to your videos, trim/crop footage, download web videos/music, record your screens, and more.

Shutter Encoder packs all necessary conversion options that can satisfy a seasoned user's demand. Thanks to the well-categorized codec list and the simplified interface, it doesn't require newbies much effort to utilize the full potential of Shutter Encoder to convert videos for editing, broadcasting, or other purposes.

Many paid video converters support only Windows and Mac. Open-source video converter freeware are very compatible but usually come with a bit of out-of-date features and UI design. This made the cross-platform Shutter Encoder a perfect option for Linux and Ubuntu users.

Pros:

• Transcode, remux, compress, edit, download, and share videos/audio/pictures.
• This free video converter has a very active support team on Reddit

Cons:

• Lack of easy-to-follow tutorials for newbies to dive deep.
• Features like screen capture and online video download are deeply buried in the function menu.

How Is It Performance in Practice

The GPU-acceleration feature only works while decoding. Therefore, this free HD video converter falls behind the level-3 GPU accelerated VideoProc Converter AI in terms of conversion speed and overall performance. There are also many users encountering crash issues when enabling the GPU acceleration feature. Despite the flaws, Shutter Encoder is the best pick for users who want to convert video files but aren't willing to make a serious hole in their pockets.

11. Xmedia Recode - Best Free Video Converter on PC for Relatively Low Memory Usage

Overview: Xmedia Recode, which comes with 16.6MB of installer file, is absolutely a lightweight video converter. The supporting list of input and output video codecs of this best video conversion software is totally the same as HandBrake. But, it is widely regarded as the "HandBrake +" solution on Windows. Why? This compact and free video converter software can export 30+ video and audio formats including AVI, OGG, MOV, and many other files that are not supported by HandBrake.

It comes with many options that allow you to fine-tune video and audio encoder parameters. The built-in bitrate calculator helps you to avoid the whopping large output that is frequently seen when using HandBrake. In addition, this free video file converter has more useful presets for TVs and smartphones (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, etc.) than HandBrake does.

Pros:

• A lot of options for output video and audio.
• You can convert videos with or without changing their codecs and parameters.
• Support edit chapters.
• The built-in bitrate calculator helps users convert video to the desired size.

Cons:

• Not support to read ISO files.
• Won't generate UHD HDR video.
• The interface is not user-friendly enough.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Xmedia Recode and Handbrake are using the same encoder and decoder. Both are good showcases of the fast and best video converter for Windows 10/11, Mac, and Linux, but the exact conversion speed is largely determined by your settings.

To convert the test DVD disk to MPEG-2 MP4, this free video converter for Windows took over an hour. Be aware, Xmedia Recode, in some cases, might eat up your memory, e.g., it took up to 2500MB of memory to convert my HEVC video to a VP8 file.

12. Vidcoder - Best Free Video Converter on PC for Ripping Home DVDs

Overview: Vidcoder is a free and open-source DVD and Blu-ray ripper as well as a good video converter that works on Windows. Taking HandBrake as the encoding engine, Vidcoder has similar features to HandBrake. They boast the same supported videos codecs/formats list, output presets, parameter setting options, as well as the capability to convert videos from/to DVD discs.

What Vidcoder superiors to HandBrake is it's easier to learn. However, new hands may still feel overwhelmed by a large number of video codecs jargon shown up on this multiple video converter.

Pros:

• Easier to apply than HandBrake.

Cons:

• Ask for a large amount of CPU and GPU resources.
• Not allow people to convert videos to AVI, MOV, and many popular formats.

How Is It Performance in Practice

The encoding speed of Vidcoder is quite slow from my test. When working with the preset Very Fast 1080P, Vidcoder took over 2 minutes to transcode my 43 seconds 4K iPhone recording. It took up 70% of my CPU resource and 1600MB of the system memory while the conversion. After I changed the import video file to a 7.26GB of ISO file, the disk usage value suddenly jumped to 99%, and worse more, it stopped the transcode in seconds and left us with a blank file.

13. Winxvideo AI - Best Video Converter for PC for Paid Beginners

Overview: Winxvideo AI (formerly known as WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe) is a powerful and user-friendly video conversion software developed by Digiarty. With its GPU acceleration technology, it can efficiently transcode a wide range of video formats, including high-resolution 60FPS/120FPS 4K UHD videos and Facebook videos, into more compatible or highly compressed formats.

One of the key strengths of this top-rated video converter is its simplicity and ease of use. It boasts a clean and intuitive layout, making it accessible even for users with limited technical expertise. It does have a notable limitation: it cannot read DVD, CD, or Blu-ray discs directly. However, the software compensates for this shortcoming by offering basic editing utilities, allowing users to trim, crop, and apply simple effects to their videos, although more advanced editing capabilities may be desired by some users.

Pros:

• Response fast with each click.
• Also a decent YouTube/Facebook/Instagram converter.

Cons:

• High price tag: $49.95/yr.
• The interface is intuitive but out-of-date.
• Lack of support for converting DVD and Blu-ray discs.

How Is It Performance in Practice

It's a fast video converter. I spent around 30 seconds converting the 4K footage captured by iPhone to VP8 WebM while keeping the same resolution and picture crispy. Thus, if you are in search of the fastest video converter, it can be your go-to option.

14. FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate - A Handy Video Converter with Editing Features

Overview: FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate is a professional conversion tool that can handle various video or audio format conversions. No matter if it is a popular MP4 format file or an unusual format with a complex codec, this simple video converter always delivers a suitable and pleasant result.

To ease your burden of selecting the right format for output, FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate presets with a complete list of device profiles so that you can effortlessly convert video for easy playback. For advanced users, this free video converter also features useful customization options to tweak video parameters.

More than a video converter tool, the software is integrated with other versatile features including the DVD ripping function, video compressor, and some amazing editing features. The built-in MV maker and video collage help add creativity to your source video. Other viable functions such as video compressor, GIF maker, watermark maker, and remover are all included in its powerful toolbox section.

Basically, it is a multi-functional software program that everyone can leverage the benefit from it.

Pros:

• Easy to navigate program interface.
• Integrated with multiple features and tools.
• Editable video and audio parameters for adjustments.

Cons:

• The free trial version can only convert 5 minutes of each file.
• Cannot convert Blu-ray discs.

How Is It Performance in Practice

In the fields of file conversion, the full-featured FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate can meet most needs for non-techies and create a decent resultant video.

But when it comes to converting large files on old computers, high CPU consumption appears to be only a trivial improvement.

15. Prism Video Converter - Best Paid Video Converter for Less-robust PC

Overview: Unlike VideoPad Video Editor, offered by NCH software that allows you to edit videos without paying, Prism Video Converter is a paid video converter developed by NCH that lets it's user convert videos for personal use. It runs on all recent Mac and Windows (64 bit). With it, you can easily convert AVCHD to MP4, as well as AVI, MOV, VOB, ASF, and tons of other formats such as regardless of the contained codecs.

Prism Video Converter also enables you to rip DVD and Blu-ray discs, and it even allows you to choose the preferred language for the digital copy. It doesn't prepare many presets for TVs but offers rich options for iPhone, iPad, and game consoles (Xbox, PS3, PS4, PSP, Nintendo 3DS, and many more). Thus, it's definitely one of the best free video converter software for beginners. However, we'd have to admit, it still has many limitations in terms of the adjustments on video properties. For example, it doesn't allow you to set up a specific video bitrate, audio sample rate, and the resolution you can convert to is constrained to 2K.

Pros:

• A raft of editing options: watermark, text overlay, color correction, etc.
• Convert all video files even when your machine lacks the related codecs.

Cons:

• Require users to buy the paid plan ($60) to convert videos for commercial use.
• Not flexible enough to convert videos.
• Might add black bars to your video as it doesn't support aspect ratios like 9:16 and 1:1.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Prism Video Converter has better performance than a lot of high-cost video converters in terms of CPU and memory usage. Whether I turned the high-compressed HEVC 4K video to 720P MPEG-2 clips or transcoded the large ISO video file to H.264 MPEG, the CPU usage rate didn't surpass 32%, and the memory usage didn't go larger than 300MB.

This free video converter software loses in the conversion speed. Averagely, it took 7 times longer than VideoProc Converter AI needs to convert the same video with nearly the same target bitrate and compression codec.

16. Icecream Video Converter - A Lightweight Video Converter with Batch Mode

Overview: If you're looking for a basic and easy-to-use video converter for your Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer, Icecream Video Converter from Icecream Apps might be just what you need. This lightweight video converter boasts a user-friendly interface that makes converting video files a breeze, even if you're not particularly tech-savvy. To get started, all you have to do is drag and drop your video file into the app window. It supports batch conversion and offers presets for a few output formats. However, it lacks the flexibility to customize important settings such as codec, bitrate, and frame rate, which significantly impact output quality, file size, and compatibility with various devices and platforms.

Although it provides presets for popular devices like iPhone, Samsung, and PlayStation, the supported modules are not up to date, with the iPhone preset only supporting models 10 to 14, though the latest model being iPhone 16. Despite these limitations, this video converter comes with additional features like video trimming, SRT subtitle integration, watermarking, and resolution adjustments, enhancing its utility beyond mere format conversion.

Pros:

• User-friendly interface, making it easy for beginners to navigate.
• Capable of converting multiple videos simultaneously in batch mode.
• Lightweight and doesn't consume much space.

Cons:

• Frustratingly slow conversion speed.
• Add an unwanted watermark to the converted video output.
• Lack of customization options for encoding properties like codec and frame rate.
• Limited output format choices.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Icecream is quite slow. It took over 5 minutes to convert a 60-second 2K MKV file to MP4 format, even with the "keep original" setting selected. This processing time is 4 times longer than the duration of the original video itself. Another disappointing aspect is that, despite advertising itself as a free video converter, Icecream adds a watermark to the output file. To remove the watermark, users are required to subscribe to the pro version of the software.

17. AVS Free Video Converter - Best Video Converter for Many Customizable Encoding Options

Overview: Setting aside the limited range of formats supported by this freemium video converter (excluding Theora, YUVs, and certain less popular formats, as well as the absence of advanced codecs like HEVC and VP9 for export), AVS Free Video Converter is one of the most powerful video converters, packing everything you need to convert video format from one to another. It supports batch conversion and output profiles for MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, and many other popular formats. For example, when converting to MP4, users can select pre-defined profiles like MP4 - HD - (H.264 Main, 1280x720, 30fps) or MP4 - 4K UHD - (H.264 Main, 3840x2160, 30fps). Advanced users will appreciate the ability to customize encoding options beyond what most converters allow, adjusting bitrate levels, bitrate variability, quantization limits, and more. However, this wealth of advanced settings may overwhelm beginners looking for a straightforward conversion process.

Pros:

• Highly customizable encoding options
• Rip DVD to digital formats like MP4, AVI, and MOV
• A range of video editing options: trim, transform effects, filters, and more
• Output profiles provided for major devices and social media platforms

Cons:

• Slow conversion speed.
• Outdated and cluttered interface
• Lack advanced codecs like HEVC and VP9 for export.
• Limited audio output format options (MP3, WAV only).

How Is It Performance in Practice

I came across several review sites mentioning that this software has a significantly slow conversion speed. Upon testing it myself, I experienced the same issue. Converting a 20-second 4K H.264 MOV file to 4K VP8 WebM took over 3 minutes, which is quite sluggish. To make matters worse, the resulting video appeared pixelated and of very low quality.

18. MacX Video Converter Pro - Best Video Converter on Mac for Fast Speed

Overview: MacX Video Converter Pro is the go-to toolkit for a lot of macOS users to convert and download videos. It is well accepted for being professional in dealing with hundreds of media formats and for amazing fast speed with hardware acceleration support. With this safe video converter for Mac, you can remux or re-encode video files to solve codec format incompatible issues whether you run into the problem during video playback or when importing video for post-production, in iMovie for example.

With the built-in online video downloader and the compression engine, MacX Video Converter Pro makes it possible to convert online videos for watching later and shrink the size of HD or UHD videos. However, it might not be the best video converter for you. It won't convert DVD videos or any type of audio files. The integrated editing toolset needs some improvements as it doesn't enable you to apply subtitles, special effects, or any other edits.

Pros:

• Also a reliable online video downloader.
• Easy to navigate layout.

Cons:

• No access to convert audio, DVDs, or Blu-ray discs.
• Not let you add or edit subtitles.
• High price tag: $49.95/yr.

How Is It Performance in Practice

MacX Video Converter Pro is a very fast video converter software. I tested it with many videos recorded by iPhone and DJI drones, it averagely can fulfill the conversion at a speed 5x faster than the real-time playback, and all the exported files are of nice quality.

19. FFworks - Best Video Converter on Mac for Social Media Videos

Overview: Geared toward Mac users, the FFworks is an easy-to-use and cheap (which costs $24) video converter software that supports 4K HEVC, H.264, AV1, and other 20+ common media formats. More than 300 advanced options are given by FFworks which allow users to have full control over the output video properties. Newbies? No worry, FFworks provides you with dozens of presets for generating videos that can play smoothly on different brands and modes of smartphones, TVs, Game Consoles as well as various social media.

In its recent version, FFworks video converter optimizes the feature of GPU accelerated encoding with Video Toolbox which decreases some extent of reliance on CPU resources while the conversion. Better yet, the support of chapter edits allows you to add chapter information for MP4, MOV, and MKV videos with great ease. Thus, it should come as no surprise that FFworks has made my list of the best video converter software.

Pros:

• Rich features in editing videos (filter, watermark, cut, subtitle, etc.)

Cons:

• The ability to convert video from/to DVD or Blu-ray disk is absent.

How Is It Performance in Practice

If you compare FFworks with a professional HD/UHD video converter, like VideoProc Converter AI and WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe, this lightweight video converter for Mac will very possibly disappoint you.

However, it works faster than the said Prism Video Converter and most free video file converters. To give an example, the time is 3 minutes for FFworks converting the 27.2MB 1080P MP4 file with a length of 40 seconds to 33MB 720P AVI video.

20. Adobe Media Encoder - Best Paid Video Converter for Adobe Subscribers

Overview: Adobe Media Encoder is a top-notch paid video converter. It's capable of converting almost all the existing video codecs, so there is no worry about codec things when applying this serious video converter to transcode or remux video files. Besides, it enables the dynamic link with Adobe series products. This brings much convenience for video editing experts who need to polish a large number of videos that come in different codecs.

People who have worked with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, or other tools from the big Adobe family should have no problem mastering Adobe Media Encoder. However, it's very possibly a long process with trial and error to learn all its bells and whistles for beginners. They have to dive headfirst into obscure codec terminologies before successfully converting the first video clip. Adobe Media Encoder is not for an armature. It acquires large memory and CPU for the entire decoding and encoding process. Thus, if you don't have a well-built machine, this daunting video converter can leave your other processes paralyzed.

Pros:

• Allow videos in a wide range of formats, resolutions, and aspect ratios.

Cons:

• Not for converting DVD or Blu-ray discs.
• Not natively support the output of MKV, VP9 WebM, H.264 AVI…
• It's installed as part of Premiere or After Effects, both cost $20.99/month.
• Lack of options to control the audio stream.

How Is It Performance in Practice

In the output-format setting tab of Adobe Media Encoder, you're going to see a great number of lossless format options. This makes Adobe Media Encoder the best video converter software for people whose target is getting some lossless video files.

The conversion speed of Adobe Media Encoder is overall slow. For instance, it took 4 minutes and 24 seconds to transcode the iPhone 4K clip to 1080P video using the Facebook 1080P HD preset.

To avoid unfairly tying the hands of this heavy video converter, I tested over 20 times with different clips with different settings on target bitrate and codecs. However, I got a similar slow conversion process. Besides, on average, it set up the CPU usage to 95% and took a large memory space of about 2800MB.

Best Free Video Converter Online Services

21. Freeconvert - Best Online Video Converter for Small Video Files

Overview: Most web-based video converters constrain you to convert videos to MP4 formats. In Freeconvert, you can choose the format for the exported video from 8 different options. Not sure which video format you need to get? It prepares a few devices presets for iPhone, iPad, Kindle, Xbox, etc. To speak of the size limit, Freeconvert is far more generous than its competitors are. The max file size for a free account is up to 1GB.

As an online video converter app, after all, it's far away from being perfect. The high reliance on your network environment, the lack of options to make precise settings of your conversion, and the absence of support to convert DVD discs are all big issues.

Pros:

• Cut, Flip, and subtitle your videos.
• Allow custom video resolution, aspect ratio, and frame rate.

Cons:

• The pro plan costs $25.99 per month.
• No access to improve the bitrate.
• Slow conversion process under the bad network environment.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Freeconvert might disappoint those who need a fast online HD video converter.

As said, the conversion speed of online video converters were heavily influenced by the network condition. Thus, both Freeconvert and Zamzar (which I am going to introduce later) are the underdogs on my list. It took over 23 minutes for Freeconvert to import a 40-second MP4 file, convert it to MOV format, and save the resulting file. With Zamzar, the whole process took 36 minutes.

22. Zamzar - Best Online Free Video Converter for Casual Users

Overview: Zamzar is a popular file conversion solution, with a free video and audio converter as part of the package. Its free plan lets you convert video files under 50MBs to popular formats like MP4, 3GP, AVI, MOV, and MKV. If you need to convert a large file (but not exceed 2GBs), then you need to purchase the paid account which cost $70/month. Zamar only allows you to assign the target video container format, for example, you can convert MP4 to MOV, but you cannot decide the codec used for encoding MOV, be it HEVC, VP9, ProRes, or others. And from my test, it only supports converting MP4 to MOV MPEG-4.

Pros:

• An online video converter software with free service.
• Popular media formats are partially supported.

Cons:

• The 50MB upload limit.
• No advanced options to control codec, bitrate, frame...
• No basic video editing tools.
• Slow uploading and converting speed.

How Is It Performance in Practice

Sadly, from my test and what we've got from its users, Zamzar has far more cons than pros of its degree, which demonstrates that it is not a reliable online video converter.

Quick Comparison of the Best Video Converters

Take a look at the quick comparison chart below for a snapshot of the key features of each video converter, including supported formats, maximum output resolution, and my testing results on picture quality, speed, and more. This will give you a brief overview of their capabilities. To explore each tool in more detail, simply click on the name of the video converter to read the full review. I've provided in-depth analyses to help you make a well-informed decision.

How I Test Video Converters: Methodology

Testing, comparing, and ranking video converters is an arduous task, but even if you're not a tech expert, it's not impossible to do tests on your own. Take a look at my methodology, and you'll be testing video converter like a pro in no time.

1. Supported Formats

Taking this criterion, the best video converters are VideoProc Converter AI, FFmpeg, Shutter Encoder, and Prsim Video Converter.

Many of you want a video converter with the aim to overcome the device compatibility issues for freely playing any videos on smartphones, music players, computers, TVs, game consoles, DVD players, etc. Therefore, the best video converters should have the capability to read and write plenty of different formats.

2. Picture Quality

Taking this criterion, the best video converters are VideoProc Converter AI, Adobe Media Encoder and FFmpeg.

Though quality always rolls downhill every time you make the video conversion, an excellent video converter can retain most of the data from the original files. In this way, the slight loss in video quality happened while the video conversion process won't be noticed by human eyes.

3. Conversion Speed

Taking this criterion, the best video converter is VideoProc Converter AI.

I see too many people complain about the video converter they use to convert Blu-ray discs and TV series responses ridiculously slow. That's true. Most paid and free downloadable video converters in the market take several hours to successfully convert minutes of video. Luckily, you don't have to tolerate that sort of plain trashes anymore as I have excluded those terribly slow video converters for you.

4. GPU Acceleration

Taking this criterion, the best video converter is VideoProc Converter AI.

We want to avoid high CPU usage, ideally keeping it below 80%. GPU-accelerated video converters can significantly speed up the conversion process by offloading work from the CPU, leading to faster overall performance.

Currently, 65% of video converter software utilizes GPU acceleration for encoding only, while 24% leverage it for both encoding and decoding. VideoProc Converter AI stands out as the only converter that fully utilizes hardware acceleration across encoding, decoding, and UHD video processing, maximizing performance.

5. Low Investment

Taking this criterion, the best video converters are WinX HD Video Converter Deluxe and VideoProc Converter AI.

Generally speaking, there are 3 factors you should consider: the cost of the video converter software, the supplement investments in hardware, and the associated costs of the learning courses.

That is to say, the best video converter software itself should be free or low-cost. It doesn't require too much computer resource as well. Thus you don't need to update your PC built for running it smoothly. The sleek and straightforward layout is also necessary for you to easily apply it without having to follow any expensive training courses.

FAQs about Best Video Converter

1. What is the best video converter?

I have compiled a list of the 22 best video converters, and VideoProc Converter AI stands out as the top choice. However, it is crucial to remember that the ideal video converter for you ultimately hinges on your unique requirements. While cost-effectiveness holds universal importance, there are several other pivotal factors to consider, including:

Supported Formats: Having a diverse selection of format options is undoubtedly advantageous. It's crucial to ensure that the chosen video converter aligns with the formats you work with. For example, if you want to convert video files to MOV format, video converters like HandBrake, which don't support MOV output, won't work for you.

Picture Quality: Choose the one that prioritizes maintaining picture quality. Take VideoProc Converter AI, for instance, which utilizes a high-quality engine, supports 2-pass encoding, and adopts the high-entropy encoding technique. These features are specifically designed to ensure the maximum preservation of the original video quality.

Conversion Speed: None of us want to waste hours converting video files, right? So, go for a video converter that's got lightning-fast conversion speed! It'll save you tons of time, especially if you're dealing with big video files or a bunch of 4K/8K stuff.

Features: When choosing a video converter, most of us want more than converting the video formats. An all-in-one solution is preferred, with features like basic editing, subtitle addition, and online video downloads.

Ease of Use: We all like an effective converting experience. But don't get me wrong. Opting for the simplest video converter isn't always the best choice, as many online converters are extremely easy to use but lack advanced features. The ideal choice would be a converter with a learning curve that aligns well with its feature set.

By carefully considering these factors, you will be empowered to make an informed decision regarding the video converter that aligns best with your specific requirements and preferences.

2. Which is the best free video converter?

I've mentioned a few free video converter software like HandBrake, Shutter Encoder, FFmpeg, Freemake Video Converter, and VLC media player. While these may work for some users, they often come with a few common drawbacks. Let's dive into some of the reasons why it's hard to find the best free video converter.

Steep Learning Curve: Almost all completely free video converters are open-source programs, which means they're designed with developers in mind rather than the average user. They might require some effort and possibly training on your part before you can fully grasp how to use them.

Watermarks: Free video converters, like Freemake Video Converter, often slap a watermark on the converted videos. This serves as an incentive for users to upgrade to the premium version and remove the watermark.

Length/Size Limitations: Let's take free online video converters as an example. Many of them impose restrictions on the size of the videos you can convert, typically around 500MB or 2GB. To bypass these limitations, you'll have to purchase the premium plan.

Lack of Features: While a few free video converters offer a decent range of features, many fall short when it comes to important aspects like options for editing or choosing specific output formats. If you're looking for extra video editing capabilities or specific formats, the free options might not meet your needs.

As you can see, finding the best free video converter can be quite a challenge due to these factors. It often means making compromises between limitations and functionality.