Video Compressor
Make a video small enough to email, upload or share. Compression runs in your browser, so even large or private recordings never leave your device.
- Files stay on your device
- No sign-up
- Free to use
How to use Video Compressor
- Drop a video onto the upload area. MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM, AVI and M4V are accepted.
- Choose a quality level and, if you want a bigger saving, a lower resolution.
- Select Compress video and keep the tab open while it works. The first run also downloads the video engine.
- Compare the before and after size and download the compressed MP4.
Video Compressor features
No upload
The video is processed on your own device, which is faster to start and keeps personal footage private.
Three quality levels
High keeps the picture close to the original; Balanced and Small trade detail for a smaller file.
Resolution options
Scale 4K or 1080p footage down to 1080p, 720p or 480p for much smaller files.
Universal output
Produces H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4 file, which plays on every phone, computer and platform.
Streaming-friendly
The file is arranged so playback can start before the download finishes.
Size comparison
Shows the original size, the new size and the percentage saved.
When to use Video Compressor
- Getting a clip under the attachment limit of email or a messaging app.
- Shrinking a screen recording before adding it to a ticket or document.
- Reducing phone footage before uploading on a slow connection.
- Saving storage space on an archive of videos.
Video Compressor FAQ
How long does compression take?
It depends on the length and resolution of the video and the speed of your device. Because the encoder runs inside the browser on a single thread, expect about the length of the video or longer for HD footage. Lowering the resolution makes it faster.
How much smaller will the video be?
Phone and camera footage often shrinks by 50–80% at the Balanced setting with little visible difference. Videos that were already compressed for the web will shrink less.
Will I lose quality?
Compression is lossy, so some detail is removed. At the High setting the difference is hard to see; the Small setting is noticeably softer. Reducing resolution has the biggest effect on both size and sharpness.
Is there a file size limit?
Files up to 500 MB are accepted, but browsers limit how much memory a page can use. On phones and older computers, files above 100–200 MB may fail; try a shorter clip if that happens.
Is my video uploaded to a server?
No. The video engine is downloaded to your browser and everything runs locally. Your video is never transmitted.
What determines video file size
A video file's size is its bitrate multiplied by its duration. Bitrate is how much data is used for each second, and it is what compression controls. Modern codecs such as H.264 save space by storing only what changes between frames and by simplifying fine detail that the eye is unlikely to notice.
This tool uses constant-quality encoding: instead of fixing a bitrate, you choose a quality level and the encoder spends as many bits as each scene needs. Static scenes come out very small, busy ones larger. Lowering the resolution removes pixels outright, which is why going from 1080p to 720p roughly halves the size at the same quality level.
Video encoding is one of the most demanding things a computer does, and running it in a browser is slower than a desktop application. The benefit is that nothing has to be uploaded, which for large files often takes longer than the encoding itself.