Free video converter and compressor
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoder that converts almost any video into modern, widely supported formats. It is the go-to tool for shrinking large video files, converting recordings for phones and tablets, or preparing clips for upload.
Built-in presets for devices and platforms make it easy: pick a preset, choose a file and press Start. Advanced users can fine-tune codecs (H.264, H.265/HEVC, AV1), quality, resolution, frame rate, audio tracks and subtitles, crop black bars, and queue many files in a batch. Hardware encoding on NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics speeds things up considerably.
HandBrake does not remove copy protection from DVDs or Blu-rays, and it is a converter rather than an editor, so you cannot cut scenes together. For reducing file size while keeping good quality, it is hard to beat.
Pros
- Excellent quality-to-size ratio
- Device presets for beginners
- Hardware-accelerated encoding
Cons
- Not a video editor
- Advanced settings can be confusing
