12 Best Video Converters for Windows PC & Mac

Matthew Palmer Matthew Palmer

Updated on

This is a review and comparison of the top-rated video converters of 2024 with features, pros and cons, pricing, and ratings. After reviews, just select one that best suits your needs to convert any videos easily and quickly.

Whether you'd like to convert video format to make it compatible with various devices, upload it to YouTube or the like, or edit it further in video editing software, you'll always want the best video converter to achieve all fast, efficiently, and without trouble. However, the 'best' is notoriously subjective. There are as many possibilities as there are people in the world. Here, I've tested dozens of video converters and picked the 12 best video converters for your choices to convert video from/to MP4 and more.

Best Video Converter

FYI:

1. I tested all the video converter software with a same video in the same environment.

2. My PC's specs: GeForce GTX 650, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4430 CPU@3.00GHz, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 64bit.

3. The video source: 28s / MOV / 4K / 126.48 MB
https://filesamples.com/samples/video/mov/sample_3840x2160.mov

4. I spent hours testing every video converter reviewed here, so you could be sure you get the best. Find out more about how we test.

Table of Contents

Part 1. 12 Best Video Converters Reviews

Video Converter Supported OS Rating
Winxvideo AI Windows & macOS 4.6 (G2)
Any Video Converter Windows and macOS 4.0 (Techradar)
Freemake Video Converter Windows 4.5 (Techradar)
Movavi Video Converter Windows and macOS 4.8 (G2)
VideoProc Converter Windows and macOS 4.0 (Techradar)
HandBrake Windows 10 and macOS 10.12 and later, Linux 4.0 (Techradar)
VLC Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Linux, etc. 4.3 (Techradar)
Adobe Media Encoder Windows macOS 4.5 (G2)
HD Video Converter Factory Windows 4.5 (Ugtechmag)
FFmepg Windows, macOS, Linux. 4.6 (G2)
FonePaw Video Converter Windows and macOS 10.12 or later. 4.0 (Filehippo)
HitPaw Video Converter Windows and macOS 10.13 or later. 4.3 (Trustpilot)

Winxvideo AI

Best for converting any video in any resolution with the best balance of speed, quality, and size.

Winxvideo AI is a full-featured 4K video converter powered by Hardware Acceleration that allows users to convert, compress, edit, and merge videos on Windows 11/10 and macOS. It's accessible for any 4K@60fps and HD videos from GoPro, DJI, iPhone, etc., and can convert them to MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, HEVC, H.264, MPEG4, iPhone, iPad, Android, and 420+ preset profiles for successful playback, uploading, or editing. The No.1 fast speed and ultra-high-quality output make it the best video converter for Mac and PC. In addition to video conversion, it’s a comprehensive AI toolkit for enhancing, stabilizing, and denoising videos and images for cinema-grade quality results.

Winxvideo AI

Supported input formats: AV1, ProRes, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, H1V, AVI, MKV, MMV, MP4, MPE, MPEG, MPEG2, MOD, TOD, MOV, QT, AVCHD, AVI, AVS, AMV, ASF, MPEG, M1V, M2P, M2TS, M2V, MP2V, MPEG4, MPG, MPG4, MTS, MTV, MXF, WMV, FLV, F4V, DIV, DAT, DAV, DV, DVR-MS, DivX, Xvid, XAVC-S, XWMV, MOV, RM, RMVB, RPM, RT, VOB, ASF, 3G2, 3GP, 3GP2, 3GPP,QT, DAT, Google TV, WebM, WM, WMP, WMV, WTV, VOB, VP6, VP8, VP9, VPX, VRO, YUV411, G2M4, iCod, mp2v, OGM, OGV, SWF, TS, etc.

Supported output formats: MP4 (H264/MPEG4), HEVC, AVI (DivX/Xvid), MPEG (MPEG4), MKV (H264), MOV (H264), DivX, WebM (VP8), WMV (WMV2), M4V (H264), DV (DV-NTSC), F4V (H264), FLV (H263), 3GP (H263), 3G2 (Xvid), ASF (MPEG4), MPEG1, MPEG2, OGV, SWF, NTSC VOB (MPEG2), PAL VOB (MPEG2), etc.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K and 8K.

Free Download Free Download

More than 9,000,000 users have downloaded it since 2010

Pros
  • Simple UI. Easy to use for beginners.
  • Converts any video format for any device and platform.
  • Converts 4K/HD video to any format. No crashing error halfway.
  • Compresses 4K/HD videos with up to 90% reduction without quality loss visually.
  • 100% clean and safe. No adware, malware, harmful plug-ins, or viruses.
  • 370+ input & 420+ output formats. 4K/8K support. No quality loss.
  • Allows for AI video upscaling and stabilizing.
  • Updates frequently with fixes and new features.
  • AI-powered. GPU-accelerated, 47X real-time fast speed.
Cons
  • The editing feature is a whole kindergarten thing compared with professional video editors.
  • The free version has a 5 minutes limit for the output video.
  • Limited to Windows platform temporarily.
  • Lacks support for converting DVD discs.

Price: Free trial and Premium.

  • $25.95 for a 1-year plan / 3 PCs with full features and 1-year free upgrades.
  • $45.95 for a lifetime plan / 1 PC with full features and future versions for free.
  • $57.95 for a family plan / 3-5 PCs with full features and lifetime upgrades.

Test performance: After I installed and started up the software, I threw my 4K MOV video at it and Winxvideo AI recognized the video immediately. The user interface of this video converter was intuitive so I just followed the on-screen guide to convert my video. I chose MP4 format and 1080p resolution as the output and kept other default settings original. Then, Winxvideo AI used about 5s to output my video while keeping a very high quality. I also selected to convert to other formats and resolutions like 4K, and the results were satifying.

Any Video Converter

Best for converting video files from your PC or the web.

Any Video Converter is one of the best video format converters working with Windows 10 for years. A quite number of free video converters for Windows catch your eyeball with overblown hype, which could not happen on Any Video Converter. This application does what it claims: free convert video to MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, and DVD, and does it quite well on Windows 11/10. In case you are unsure about the appropriate video format for compatibility with a particular device, the software provides diverse device presets for you to directly choose to convert a video to a specific device.

Any Video Converter is accepted as the best video converter to HD since it fits the bill for HD video conversion in any aspect, including the wide support of inputs and outputs, video compression ability, and editing features. But if you're going to convert 4K UHD videos with it, you might wait a little bit longer than other video converters.

Any Video Converter

Supported input formats: AVI, FLV, MPG, MP4, M4V(without DRM), M2V, SWF, 3GP, 3G2, 3GPP, MOV, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS, MTS, MKV, DV, WMV, MOD, TOD, ASF, DAT, F4V, VOB, RM, RMVB, DivX, XviD, MXF, H.261, H.263, H.264, NUT, NC, NSV and more.

Supported output formats: AAC, AC3, AIFF, APE, ASF, AU, AVI, DTS, FLAC, FLV, GIF, M2TS, M4A, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP2, MP3, MP4, MPG, OGG, OGV, SWF, WAV, WEBM, WMA, WMV, and more.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K.

Pros
  • Converts both offline and online videos.
  • Converts multiple videos in bulk (up to 5).
  • Supports 150+ preset device profiles.
  • Goes up to 4K conversion even with the free version.
  • Increases video resolution to over 200% of the original.
  • Allows for customizing footage, like trim, crop, adjust settings, and add effects.
Cons
  • Outdated user interface.
  • Some output files are problematic, including audio video out of sync, improper aspect ratio, and fragmentary video playback.
  • The conversion is quite slow especially when converting 4K videos.
  • The free version asks to install additional software, such as browser hijacker.
  • The free version has ads.
  • Asks you to upgrade when you convert files.
  • Can’t utilize GPU acceleration.
  • Can’t convert videos to editing-friendly format like ProRes.
  • Can’t specify the bitrate.

Price: Free trial and Paid

  • $9.95 for a monthly plan / 1 PC.
  • $29.95 for an annual plan / 1 PC.
  • $49.95 for a perpetual plan / 1 PC.

Test performance: During my testing, I observed that Any Video Converter converted videos up to 4K to 1080p swiftly and smoothly though it didn't have a GPU acceleration option. However, I couldn't convert videos to 4K resolution with this video converter. Besides that, there was frequent appearance of a window after each video conversion, urging me to pay for an upgrade.

Freemake Video Converter

Best for beginners with straightforward conversion.

Freemake Video Converter has been the most popular video converter for PC in the past decade owing to its versatility. It supports converting video and files between 500+ formats and gadgets for free. Also, it's available to edit videos, burn videos to DVD, share videos to YouTube, extract audio from video clips and make photo slideshows.

This Windows video converter is the best option to convert videos for beginners if they're fine with watermarks. It provides a straightforward experience in video conversion between a wide range of video formats and devices. But if you're seeking the best video converter without a watermark, other video converters may be on your list.

Freemake Video Converter

Supported input formats: AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV, DVD, MPG, 3GP, FLV, SWF, TOD, MTS, MOV, M4V, RM, QT, TS, AMV, AVCHD, AVS, BIK, BNK, CAVS, CDG, DPG, DV1394, DXA, EA, FFM, FLC, FLH, FLI, FLM, FLT, FLX, GXF, H261, H263, H264, MJ2, MJPG, MKM, MTV, MXF, NC, NUT, NUV, OGM, OGV, PVA, R3D, RAX, RMS, RMX, RPL, RTSP, SDP, SMK, THP, VC1, VFW, VRO, etc.

Supported output formats: AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV, DVD, MPG, 3GP, FLV, SWF, TOD, MTS, MOV, M4V, RM, QT, TS, AMV, AVCHD, AVS, BIK, BNK, CAVS, CDG, DPG, DV1394, DXA, EA, FFM, FLC, FLH, FLI, FLM, FLT, FLX, GXF, H261, H263, H264, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia, etc.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K.

Pros
  • Straightforward interface. Easy to use.
  • Wide range of supported formats and preset profiles.
  • Supports for converting DVDs, and even burning videos to DVD.
  • High quality and fast speed with the paid version.
Cons
  • The free version has large watermarks on the output video.
  • Doesn’t support HEVC and VP9 video conversion.
  • Lots of upsell attempts when trying to use the free version.
  • Can only export 2160p x 2160p if you try to export 4K videos.
  • The device presets are for 2018 devices.
  • Windows only. It's not compatible with macOS.

Price: Free trial and Paid. The pricing is confusing.

Test performance: It really took me a lot of time to install the software successfully. When I converted my 4K MOV video to 1080p MP4, it performed well as expected. However, when I added some other video files like VP8 WebM, and MPEG-2 MP4, the progress bar of the conversion process became unresponsive at 60% - 90% completion. Also, when converting a video to 4K, it only offered a 2160p X 2160p result.

Movavi Video Converter

Best for video conversion with plenty of editing options.

Movavi Video Converter is well-known for supporting a wide range of media formats and mobile devices, high-quality file encoding, and high-speed processing. It converts between more than 100 formats, including DVD and HD videos like AVI, MP4, FLV, MKV, MOV, WMV, 3GP, and many more. Movavi Video Converter is most praised for its quick video conversion thanks to the SuperSpeed mode, though this feature is only available for converting a video to the same codec and resolution as the original file. You can also use this video file converter to compress videos without losing quality, and trim, crop, or merge video creations.

Movavi Video Converter

Supported input formats: 3GP, 3G2, ASF, AVCHD, AVI, DivX, DVD, FLV, M2TS, TS, MTS, M2T, M4V, MKV, MOV, QT, MP4, M4V, MPG, VOB, MPEG, MPE, M1V, DAT, MOD, TOD, VRO, MXF, OGV, RM, RMVB, SWF, WebM, WMV, WTV, H.264, H.265, etc.

Supported output formats: 3GP, 3G2, AVI, FLV, M2TS, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPG, VOB, OGV, SWF, WMV, etc.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K.

Pros
  • Easy to use, modern and intuitive interface.
  • Fast speed and high-quality outputs.
  • No intrusive ads or upsells.
  • A wealth of video editing options like trim, crop, merge, filters, colors, effects, subtitles, etc.
  • Allows for AI video upscaling up to 8X.
Cons
  • Can’t burn videos to DVD and download online videos.
  • The free version adds a watermark to the output file.
  • It’s quite time-consuming to process large video files.
  • Can’t export MP4 HEVC videos.
  • The paid version is quite expensive.

Price: Free trial and Paid

  • $54.95 for a 1-year plan / 1 PC with all features.
  • $69.95 for a lifetime plan / 1 PC with AI upscaling.

Test performance: The user interface of Movavi Video Converter was simple, and I could find whatever I need, such as output format, resolution, FPS, bitrate, etc. easily. Though I didn't turn on the Hardware Acceleration, it only took about 5s to convert the sample video with a super high output quality. Also, it was possible to convert a video to 4K@60fps for me to upload to my YouTube channel. After testing, this is one of the best video converters I will keep on my computer.

VideoProc Converter

Best for converting 4K/HD footage recorded from GoPro, DJI drones and more.

VideoProc Converter can handle converting a wide range of video and audio formats, from common ones like MP4 to more specialized formats like AV1. It can even convert high-resolution footage from GoPro and other cameras, including 4K, 5K, and even 8K videos, into formats that work on most devices and platforms.

As one of the best video converters, VideoProc Converter is known for its speed. It can convert videos at up to 47 times faster than real-time playback thanks to GPU acceleration, all while using minimal processing power from your computer. While powerful, VideoProc Converter might have a bit of a learning curve for people who are new to it.

VideoProc Converter

Supported input formats: MOV, MP4, MKV, WebM, FLV, WMV, AVI, 3GP, M2TS, MPEG2, MPEG4, VOB, VP8, VP9, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, AV1, Xvid, YUV411, DNxHD, HDR, 3D, 360° VR video, and more.

Supported output formats: MOV, MP4, MKV, WebM, FLV, WMV, AVI, DV-NTSC/PAL, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, DivX, WMV2, ProRes, and 420+ more.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K & 8K.

Pros
  • A wide range of formats and preset profiles support.
  • 47X faster conversion speed with 4K quality.
  • Denoises GoPro videos.
  • Supports converting DVDs.
  • Allows for upscaling videos.
  • Acts as video converter, compressor, editor, downloader, and recorder.
Cons
  • The free version is limited to processing files that are less than 5 minutes.
  • Download speeds drop down sometimes and fluctuate very often.
  • Email-only customer support.

Price: Free trial and Paid

  • $25.95 for a 1-year plan / 3 PCs with all features.
  • $45.95 for a lifetime plan / 1 PC with all features.
  • $57.95 for a lifetime plan / 3-5 PCs with all features.

Test performance: Another video converter I will keep on my computer after testing. I have a low-end computer that processing a high-res video will crash my computer. However, when I converting my 4K MOV video to 1080p MP4 or vice versa, VideoProc Converter didn't use above 2% CPU usage and I could even do other tasks swiftly. Also, its GPU Acceleration function really saved much time when processing multiple files at the same time.

HandBrake

Best for both beginners and the skilled who have no budget to pay for a video converter.

HandBrake has built up a cult following for years, with open-source and clean video converting ability. Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, it takes advantage of third-party libraries such as x265, FFmpeg, and libvpx to convert a range of popular formats, including H.264, H.265, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, Theora, and VP8/9. As the best free open-source video converter, HandBrake enables you to re-encode videos to MKV, WebM, MP4 or other settings required for common devices, like smartphone, game console, Chromecast, and Roku. You can even delve into advanced video encoding options to alter bitrate, codec, and resolution, add subtitles, and more.

HandBrake

Supported input formats: AVI, FLV, H264, OGM, M4V, MP4, MOV, MPG, WMV, VOB (DVD), XVID, VIDEO_TS, BDMV, EVO, MTS, M2TS, DNxHD, ProRes, XAVC, XDCAM, and more.

Supported output formats: MP4, MKV, WebM, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, Theora, VP9, and VP8.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K.

Pros
  • Open-source, and ad-free.
  • Supports a bunch of videos up to 4K: MKV, MP4, MOV, AV1, ProRes, etc.
  • Rich output presets.
  • Manual & automatic scaling, and deinterlacing.
  • Able to convert both DVDs and videos.
  • Powered by hardware acceleration technologies.
  • Flexible video parameter settings.
Cons
  • Only 3 output video container formats (MKV, MP4, WebM) are available.
  • Non-intuitive interface and design.
  • Slow conversion speed.
  • Can’t convert encrypted DVDs.
  • Not friendly enough for beginners.
  • Over 90% consumption of CPU during video conversion.

Price: Free

Test performance: HandBrake is considered a pioneer among video converters available in the market, hence sharing numerous similar features with other video conversion tools. However, it owned a complicated interface that took me over 5 minutes to get familiar with the software. Luckily, the conversion process is fast and the output quality is high even when converting videos to 4K resolution.

VLC

Best for VLC users who have simple and basic video conversion needs.

VLC should be the most successful media player that has gained over 4 billion users. If you also own one, you don’t need to download another video converter. VLC can also be used as the best video converter for Mac and Windows to convert videos to MP4, WebM, TS, OGG, ASF, MP3, FLAC, etc. It also supports HEVC codec, batch conversion, deinterlacing videos, and previewing the converting videos. VLC media player performs better than we imagine even some 4K videos can be converted smoothly to high-quality files. Since it is born to be a media player, issues during video conversion are inevitable. For example, the output file is no video/no audio if the source video has some advanced specs like 4K, 60FPS, HEVC, etc.

HandBrake

Supported input formats: MPEG-1/2, MPEG-4 ASP, XviD, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Theora, Dirac/VC-2, MJPEG (A/B), DV, and more.

Supported output formats: ASF, AVI, Fraps, MPJPEG, MPEG-2 (ES, MP3), Ogg, PSTS, WAV, WebM, and more.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K.

Pros
  • Completely free to use; and works on all platforms.
  • Deinterlaces videos.
  • Allows for previewing the output during conversion.
  • Also converts audio and DVD.
  • The batch conversion is supported.
Cons
  • Limited output format support and presets.
  • Hard to process the AV1, VP9, and ProRes codecs.
  • No presets to choose from for specific devices and social media.

Price: Free

Test performance: This is the best video converter for VLC users who don't want any other software installation. If you have many video conversion tasks, VLC is not a good choice. When I converted my 4K MOV video to MP4, the output video seemed to be a blank file and couldn't be played with pictures. So, I switched to a 1080p MKV to 1080p MP4 video conversion, it worked.

Adobe Media Encoder

Best for Adobe subscribers to convert video formats or codecs while editing videos.

Adobe Media Encoder is no doubt the best video converter for people who have worked with Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop, or other tools from Adobe. The workflow of Adobe Media Encoder is partnered with After Effects or Premiere Pro, so as to keep the video editing and the video converting at the same time. Adobe Media Encoder is the official solution for Premiere Pro or After Effects’ users who need to transcode videos while editing videos often to video-sharing websites like YouTube, and other platforms. It can work in the background without disturbing the video editing process. However, it requires a pretty much powerful computer.

Adobe Media Encoder

Supported input formats: 3GP, AAF, AVC-Intra LT, AVC Long GOP, Cinema DNG, RMF, DV Stream, DNxHD Op1a, DNxHR, FLV, F4V, MOV, HEVC, MXF, MPEG, MPE, MPG, M2V, MPA, MP2, M2A, MPV, M2P, M2T, MTS, MP4, M4V, M4A, VOB, 3GP, AVC, H.264, Netshow ASF, P2 Movie, CINE, R3D, SonyRAW, AVI, WAV, BWF, WMV, WMA, ASF, XAVC Intra, XAVC Long GOP, etc.

Supported output formats: Uncompressed UYVY, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, VP8, VP9, MP4, ProRes, AVI, WMV, QuickTime, and more.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K & 8K.

Pros
  • Supports nearly all common formats, codecs, resolutions, and aspect ratios.
  • Transcodes videos to new formats.
Cons
  • Can’t natively support the output of MKV, VP9 WebM, H.264 AVI…
  • Needs to install Premiere or After Effects, both cost $20.99/month.
  • Lack of options to control the audio stream.
  • High CPU usage.
  • Can’t convert DVDs.

Price: Free

  • Adobe Media Encoder is partnered with After Effects or Premiere Pro, both cost $20.99/month.

Test performance: If you are not a Premiere Pro or After Effect user, you'd better not use Adobe Media Encoder as a video converter. It was quite complicated and time-consuming for me to install this software. Also, it increased the CPU usage to 95% when I used it to convert a video.

HD Video Converter Factory Pro

Best video converter for HD video conversion to output high-quality videos for newbies and the experienced to play, edit, upload, etc. on Windows PC.

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is among the first to support HD video conversion that you can use to convert between 500 formats for iPhone, Android, TV, Xbox, etc. Thanks to the built-in Hardware Acceleration technologies, this best video converter to 4K also lets you convert videos up to 7680*4320, 3840*2160, 2560*1440, 1920*1080, 1280*720, and any resolution at 25X faster speed. A 2-hour HD video can be converted in minutes.

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is a multilingual and all-in-one video processing software, which focuses on video converting, video compressing, video editing, video downloading, video recording, and more.

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro

Supported input formats: AVI, MP4, H.265, VP9, H.264, MPG, MPEG, VOB, MOV, FLV, MKV, MTS/M2TS/TS/TP/TRP(AVCHD, H.264, AV1, MPEG-2 HD), MOD, TOD, DV, WMV, ASF, 3GP, DRM MP4, RM, RMVB, OGV, VRO, etc.

Supported output formats: HD AVI, HD MP4, HD MPG, HD WMV, HD MKV, HD MOV, HD TS, HD MTS, HD TRP, AVCHD, 4K(MKV), 4K(MP4), HEVC, AVI, MP4, H.265, VP9, H.264, MPG, MPEG, VOB, MOV, M4V, FLV, MKV, MTS/M2TS/TS/TP/TRP(AVCHD, H.264, MPEG-2 HD), AVC1, MOD, TOD, DV, WMV, ASF, 3GP, WEBM, DVD-NTSC, DVD-PAL, VCD-NTSC, VCD-PAL, etc.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K & 8K.

Pros
  • Batch-converts any video to AVI, MP4, MKV, ProRes, MP3, etc.
  • Compresses and upscales videos.
  • Edits videos: Trim, split, merge, crop, rotate, flip, watermark, etc.
  • Batch downloads videos from 1,000+ sites.
  • Records desktop activities.
  • Creates GIFs from videos.
  • Powered by hardware acceleration technologies.
Cons
  • No Mac version.
  • The free version has limited possibilities.

Price: Free and Paid

  • $29.95 for a 1-year license / 1 PC.
  • $34.95 for a lifetime license / 1 PC.
  • $59.95 for a lifetime license / 3 PCs.

Test performance: The user interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, allowing for seamless navigation and utilization of all available features. The conversion process is incredibly fast, delivering normal output quality. I had put it to the test with a variety of video files including the sample video, and it had effortlessly handled each one.

FFmepg

Best for users who are familiar with and prefer the command-line method.

FFmpeg is an open source software project consisting of a brunch of libraries and programs, able to record, decode, encode and stream multimedia content. At its core is the FFmpeg command line, designed to convert any video or audio, from the most obscure ancient format to the cutting-edge codec, such as H.264, HEVC, MP3, AAC, MPEG-4, ProRes, QuickTime, SWF, FLAC, VP9 and many more.

For experienced users, encoding audios and videos with FFmpeg is pretty easy through command, e.g. "ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.webm". However, as it's based on command lines, it might be a little bit tricky for novices, especially when they need to adjust video/audio parameters or do some editing while converting video format.

FFmpeg

Supported input formats: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, HEVC/H.265, Motion JPEG, IEC DV video, CD+G, and more.

Supported output formats: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, HEVC/H.265, Motion JPEG, IEC DV video, CD+G, and more.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K & 8K.

Pros
  • Supports common and newer format, such as MP4, MKV, AVI, HEVC, AV1, ProRes, etc.
  • Allows users to convert, record, and stream audio and video.
  • Supports upscaling 1080p to 4K, and downscaling 8K to 4K.
  • Batch conversion is allowed.
Cons
  • Steep learning curve. Quite difficult for beginners.
  • There are too many libraries that make users confused.

Price: Free

Test performance: A very difficult method with steep learning curve that is not suitable for beginners. As for the video conversion ability, it could digest any common videos I threw at it including corrupt frames and unusual codecs, and output to 4K with high quality. However, videos from FFmpeg seemed to be clunky and heavy.

FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate

Best for individuals and small to large businesses to convert videos and edit videos.

With over 13,000,000 downloads and 8,000,000 users, FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate is a 4-in-1 application that you can use to convert videos, compress videos, edit videos, and rip DVDs. To use it as the best video format converter on your computer, you can selectively or batch convert videos up to 4K to 1,000+ formats including MKV, MP4, ProRes, HEVC, H.264, etc. at 30X faster conversion speed.

FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate is surely the best video converter for newbies who need a detailed guide to use new software. By following the on-screen guide, you will easily grasp how to convert a video. It is also the top-rated video converter for YouTube, Whatsapp, Instagram and so on. Video uploaders who are looking for ready-prepared presets can quickly convert videos to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, Instagram, Likee, Lasso, TikTok, etc.

FonePaw Video Converter Ultimate

Supported input formats: 3GP, MJPEG, AVI, QuickTime Files, DV Files, Real Media Files, RM, RMVB, MP4, M4V, WMV, ASF, TS, TRP, TP, FLV, SWF, F4V, MOV, MPG, MPEG, home DVD, etc.

Supported output formats: MPG, MP4, M4V, TS, MPEG-2, MKV, DV, MOV, VOB, H.264, 3GP, WMV, 3G2, WebM, DivX, MTV, FLV, XviD, SWF, AVI, ASF, H.264/MPEG-4, 3D, etc.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K.

Pros
  • Converts videos up to 4K: MP4, MKV, AVI, ProRes, etc.
  • Compresses videos by manually inputting a certain compressed size or compressed ratio.
  • Edits videos: Trim, merge, crop, add subtitles, remove watermark, etc.
  • Makes GIFs.
  • Converts DVDs to folders and ISO files.
  • GPU acceleration and AI-enhanced.
Cons
  • The trial version allows for 5 minutes conversion of each file.
  • The trial version doesn’t support batch conversion.
  • The full version is a bit expensive.
  • The output video resolution is poor.
  • The installation is slow, and sometimes it crashes the computer.
  • Can’t convert AV1 videos.

Price: Free and Paid

  • $34.96 for a 1-year license / 1PC.
  • $48.97 for a lifetime license / 1PC.
  • $80.47 for a lifetime family license / 2-5 PCs.

Test performance: When converting my 4K MOV files to 1080p MP4, the final result was not satisfying as the image quality was extremely low, resembling static on a television screen. Also, my friend had installed the software and said that this video converter caused significant issues on his computer. Soon after installation, his computer began to display ghosting effects. When I converted common 1080p and 720p videos, it worked very well. It seemed it was not a real 4K video converter as it advertised.

HitPaw Video Converter

Best for people who need a superfast converting speed to batch convert a bunch of videos, and download videos from 1,000+ sites.

As one of the best video converters to HD/4K, HitPaw Video Converter lets users convert between hundreds of formats, including 4K, HEVC, MOV, MP4, MKV, AVI, M2TS, Apple ProRes, etc. You can input videos shot by GoPro, DJI, iPhone, DSLR, camcorder, etc. to it, and it will output compatible formats for your device, media player, social platforms, and so on. Thanks to the built-in Hardware Acceleration technology, it renders 120X faster speed even when you batch convert over 500 videos at the same.

Compared to the older versions, the latest version of HitPaw Video Converter has improved the conversion speed from 90X to 120X, and added output formats from 500 to 1,000. Also, the enhanced HitPaw brings YouTube playlist downloads, Apple Music conversion, and TikTok downloads without watermarks.

HitPaw Video Converter

Supported input formats: 3G2, 3GP, 3GP2, 3GPP, AMV, ASF, AV1, AVCHD, AVI, AVS, BIK, DIV, DAT, DAV, DivX, DV, DVR-MS, EVO, F4V, FLV, G2M4, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, H1V, ICod, M1V, M2P, M2TS, M2V, MKV, MMV, MOD, MOV, MP2V, MP4, MPE, MPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, MPG, MPG4, MTS, MTV, MXF, NSV, OGM, OGV, PSS, PVA, QT, RM, RMVB, RPM, RT, SWF, TIVO, TOD, TP, TPR, TS, VOB, VP6, VP8, VP9, VPX, VRO, WebM, WM, WMP, WMV, WTV, XAVC-S, Xvid, XWMV, YUV411, etc.

Supported output formats: 3G2, 3GP, 3GP2, 3GPP, AMV, ASF, AV1, AVCHD, AVI, AVS, BIK, DIV, DAT, DAV, DivX, DV, DVR-MS, EVO, F4V, FLV, G2M4, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, H1V, ICod, M1V, M2P, M2TS, M2V, MKV, MMV, MOD, MOV, MP2V, MP4, MPE, MPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, MPG, MPG4, MTS, MTV, MXF, NSV, OGM, OGV, PSS, PVA, QT, RM, RMVB, RPM, RT, SWF, TIVO, TOD, TP, TPR, TS, VOB, VP6, VP8, VP9, VPX, VRO, WebM, WM, WMP, WMV, WTV, XAVC-S, Xvid, XWMV, YUV411, etc.

Supported video resolution: Up to 4K & 8K.

Pros
  • Batch converting 5,000 videos is allowed.
  • GPU-accelerated.
  • Downloads videos from 1,000+ sites.
  • Converts Apple Music, iTunes music, Podcasts, and audible books to MP3.
  • Converts DVDs to folders and ISO files.
  • Rich editing features: Cut, merge, crop, rotate, add filters and effects, etc.
Cons
  • Most features are available for the paid versions.
  • The installation process is very time-consuming.
  • Only Windows version can convert Apple music, iTunes music, Podcasts, and audiobooks.
  • Only Windows version can download playlists and channels.

Price: Free and Paid

  • $19.95 for a 1 month plan / 1 PC.
  • $39.95 for a 1-year license / 1 PC.
  • $79.95 for a lifetime license / 1 PC.

Test performance: I like this video converter's simple and modern UI design. When turning on Hardware Acceleration, converting my 4K MOV video to 1080p MP4 was very fast. Also, the output quality was high. It is also a toolbox with a bunch of features to edit, record, download, etc. videos. Personally, I assign a score of 90 to this video converter.

Part 2. Comparison Table of the 12 Best Video Converters

After tried and true test, here is an overall comparison table of the 12 best video converters we handpicked based on the criteria: Wide format support, 4K support, fast conversion speed, high output quality, and ease of use.

Video Converter Inputs/Outputs Speed GPU Acceleration Quality 4K Support Easy UI
Winxvideo AI 370+/420+ 5s Support High 4K/8K input. 4K output. Yes
Any Video Converter 47+/27+ 10s Normal 4K input. 1080p output. Yes
Freemake Video Converter 63+/99+ 5s Normal 4K input. 2160p output. Yes
Movavi Video Converter 45+/30+ 5s Support High 4K input & output. Yes
VideoProc Converter 370+/420+ 5s Support High 4K/8K input. 4K output. Yes
HandBrake 20+/10+ 10s Support Normal 4K input & output. No
VLC 370+/10+ 10s Normal 4K input. 1080p output. No
Adobe Media Encoder 50+/10+ 5s High 4K/8K input & output. No
HD Video Converter Factory Pro 20+/500+ 10s Support Normal 4K/8K input. 4K output. Yes
FFmepg 40+/40+ 10s Normal 4K input & output. No
FonePaw Video Converter 22+/23+ 5s Support Normal 4K input & output. Yes
HitPaw Video Converter 75+/75+ 5s Support High 4K/8K input. 4K output. Yes
  • The video source: https://filesamples.com/samples/video/mov/sample_3840x2160.mov
  • My computer's specs: GeForce GTX 650, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-4430 CPU@3.00GHz, 8GB RAM, Windows 10 64-bit.
  • I converted the video from MOV 4K to MP4 1080p without altering the default settings of the software.

Part 3. How We Test the Best Video Converter

As the best video converter satisfying your unique needs can be the best, we don’t offer only one video converter arbitrarily. We ransacked the internet to choose out 20 video converters in the first step, including Winxvideo AI, DivX Converter, Wondershare Uniconverter, Freemake Video Converter, Movavi Video Converter, Any Video Converter, Leawo Video Converter, Prism Video Converter, OnlineVideoConverter, FonePaw Video Converter, VideoProc Converter, HitPaw Video Converter, HandBrake, VLC, Adobe Media Encoder, AVS Video Converter, DVDVideoSoft Video Converter, HD Video Converter Factory Pro, FFmpeg, and MPEG Streamclip. Then, we use the following principles to shorten the list to offer the 12 best video converters for your reference.

1. Wide support of formats.

The video converter is designed to remove format incompatibility issues so as to freely play, edit, upload, and share any media files. So, the first ability of a video converter is its support of video and audio formats as many as possible.

At this point, commercial video converters like Winxvideo AI and Movavi Video Converter does better than other software. Also, they do well in decoding newer formats like AV1, HEVC, VP9, H.264, ProRes, etc.

2. Support for 4K.

The number of 4K videos increases rapidly as people are seeking higher and higher picture quality. So, a modern video converter owning the ability to process videos in 4K resolution outshines others.

3. Fast conversion speed.

We need a video converter with fast conversion speed especially when we need batch conversion. Or, when we have hours of movies to convert, we need to speed up to conversion to save time. So, a video converter with Hardware Acceleration support to accelerate conversion speed is a good option.

4. High output quality.

The video converter is used to make the video format compatible, but not to reduce the picture quality. When we choose a video converter based on this principle, we should choose the one that comes with a function, like "High Quality Engine", "1:1 copy", or something like that can help remain the highest video quality after conversion.

5. Ease of use.

The best video converter should be the tool to help people complete other tasks. For example, it is used to convert a video to MP4 to upload to YouTube. The video conversion process should not be too complicated and time-consuming to influence the final tasks.

6. Editors’ and users’ reviews.

We listen to users and trust reputable media outlets to gain professional opinions on a video converter. Based on editors’ and users’ reviews, we only chose those video converters that received a rating over 4.0.

FAQs

1. What's the best video converter for HD and 4K?

From the above video converter reviews list, you can find some of the video converters work especially well when converting 4K UHD videos, be it Winxvideo AI, VideoProc Converter, Wondershare Uniconverter, Movavi Video Converter. All of them have the same commons: accepting 4K video of any codec/format, supporting hardware acceleration, and maintaining high-quality output after conversion.

2. How does the video conversion tool work?

Usually, there are two ways that video conversion tools convert videos: auto copy and transcoding. To be specific, the auto copy refers to changing the video container format without changing the underlying codec. As for transcoding, the video converter decrypts the original video clip with the built-in decoder and encodes the same data released from the decoder with the built-in encoder in a new way.

Generally, transcoding is a process of lossy compression, while there is no loss of data for the auto copy.

3. What's the difference between MP4 and MOV video files?

MOV is a proprietary Apple file format for QuickTime, while MP4 is an international standard. Most streaming platforms recommend the use of MP4 files instead of MOV since MP4 files work with more streaming protocols.

MOV files often contain high-bitrate video files with little to no compression. They are very high quality but have substantial file sizes. On the other hand, MP4 files contain highly compressed video files. The quality is often indistinguishable from uncompressed video, but the file sizes are much smaller. Dive Deep to MOV vs MP4 >>

Conclusion

As we have explained that the 'best' is a subject matter in the very beginning, the video converter which can satisfy your need most can be called the best video converter. Based on the principles that we've used for choosing a video converter, we have selected the 12 most recommended video converters for you.

If you need an overall highly-praised video converter, Winxvideo AI is surely the budget-friendly choice for both newbies and the skilled to convert between hundreds of formats very fast and in high quality. If you have a high requirement for conversion speed, no one can beat HitPaw Video Converter’s 120X faster speed. For newbies who need a free tool, VLC and HandBrake should be on the list. Of course, Adobe Media Encoder is the best video conversion software for all professional video editors.

Editor's Pick - Best Video Converter for Fast & High-quality Conversion

Winxvideo AI is our current pick for the best video conversion software. Use this best video converter for Windows & Mac to transcode your video formats fast without losing quality, so as to enjoy them across devices and platforms. It fills the bill in many aspects:

  • A huge range of devices and format profiles that work perfectly both in more specialist and niche settings for videos.
  • 47x real-time fast speed while handling 4K/HD large videos with full GPU acceleration. Maximize the quality of the output video.
  • Expert in converting, editing and resizing videos: MOV to MP4, H.264 to HEVC, 4K to 1080p, trim/crop/merge or whatever.
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More than 9,000,000 users have downloaded it since 2010

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