Video Compressor
Reduce video file size using H.264 compression with CRF quality control, optional resizing, and a web-optimised MP4 result. CRF targets a constant visual quality rather than a fixed bitrate, which is why it keeps detail in the difficult scenes instead of spending the same data on every frame regardless of need. It is free, needs no account, and adds no watermark to your result.
Video Compressor
Add your files. Recommended settings are ready, so you can process in one click.
PDF, Word, images, audio, video, archives and more
Up to 100 files · 250 MB · No account- 1Add files
- 2Choose an action
- 3Download or keep going
What happens to your file.
FFmpeg re-encodes the video with the x264 encoder at the CRF value you choose, optionally scaling it down first, and writes the result as MP4 with the metadata moved to the front of the file so it can start playing before the download finishes. Lower CRF means higher quality and a larger file; higher CRF means the opposite. The result is always 8-bit 4:2:0, the form every phone and browser plays: a 10-bit HDR phone clip is tone-mapped rather than coming back as a file most players refuse, odd frame sizes are rounded to even ones, and every audio track is kept. A clip that is already compressed harder than the setting would make it is retried once at a lower quality, and you are told if it still cannot be made smaller, so the result is never bigger than what you started with.
Where it stops: Compression is lossy and irreversible, so keep the original if you may need to edit it. Reducing the resolution saves far more space than raising CRF alone, and is usually the better trade when the video will be watched on a phone. HDR video becomes standard range, which is what lets it play everywhere.
What people use it for.
Everything you need, without a paywall.
Common questions.
What CRF value should I use?
Around 23 is the usual default and looks close to the source. 28 gives noticeably smaller files with visible softening in detailed scenes. Below 20 the file grows quickly for little visible gain.
Why is my file still large?
Resolution and duration dominate file size. A ten-minute 4K video stays big at any sensible CRF; scaling it to 1080p typically saves more than any quality setting will.
Will a compressed iPhone HDR video still play?
Yes. HDR footage is recorded in 10-bit, which many players, browsers and apps cannot decode once it is H.264. It is converted to standard range 8-bit video, which plays everywhere, instead of being handed back in a form that shows as a black frame or an error.
Can compressing make a video bigger?
Re-encoding a clip a messaging app has already squeezed can add data. Here the result is never bigger than the original: it is retried at a lower quality, and if that still is not smaller you are told, with the suggestion to set a smaller maximum width.
What does web-optimised mean?
The index is written at the start of the file rather than the end, so a browser can begin playing while the rest is still downloading instead of waiting for the whole file.
You might also need.
Convert video files between MP4, WebM, MOV and MKV using FFmpeg with configurable codec quality and resolution.
Resize video to custom dimensions or common 1080p, 720p, vertical and square presets while preserving aspect ratio.
Extract the audio track from a video and save it as MP3, WAV, M4A or FLAC.
Cut a video to a selected start time and duration with precise FFmpeg timestamps and re-encoded output.