ITable of Content
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: Why to Compress a Video
Part 3: Top 9 Video Compressors in 2024
Part 4: What Makes a Good Video Compressor
Introduction
If you’re a content creator or professional video editor, we don’t need to emphasize how important a video compressor is. But for beginners and aspiring YouTubers who might not be too tech-savvy, you must understand how to compress video.
That said, knowing how to use such software is only half the battle; the right tools for the job will ultimately determine the results.
So that’s why, in the following few pages, we’ll highlight eight of the best video compressors currently making rounds among content creators, editors, and even users like you!
Why Compress a Video?
The answer is that it can benefit you in several ways. Using a video compressor is especially useful and even necessary in this digital era, and here’s why we say that:
Smaller File Size
Perhaps the most obvious is that the smaller file size will make storing, sharing, and transferring high-quality videos easier.
Your drive won’t be as filled up, and sharing them online will be much faster because the free video compressor has cut down the data to a considerable amount.
Better Streaming
The smaller a video size reducer can compress a video file, the easier it is to stream online, meaning smoother playback. This is a treat for viewers who have a slower internet connection!
Cost Efficiency
Using a video compressor to reduce a video’s size means you’ll be working with lower data and, thus, be charged less when hosting the video on platforms or uploading it to social media sites.
Compatibility
Not all devices can play HD videos, so using a video compressor online makes them compatible with almost any device or platform. And remember, compressing a video can also entail converting it to another format to increase compatibility.
Better Sharing
You can’t attach HD videos to emails or some messaging apps, so a simple yet effective solution is to use an online video file compressor to compress them. And many online platforms even have a size limit, so reducing size becomes necessary.
Top 9 Video Compressors in 2024
Now that you’ve seen how a file compressor can save you time, money, and effort, it’s time to decide which to use for the task.
The internet is rife with inefficient or defective video compressors, but we found the best of the best for you! Better yet, each one on this list is a FREE video compressor!
Media.io Video Compressor
Media.io is the motherlode of all video editing tools, and one of its best products is this free Video Compressor. You might think because it’s free, it has limitations that will hinder you from making the most of its features, but that’s far from the case.
You see, in as little as three steps, you can achieve a 90% compression of video size with little to no loss in quality, which is a pretty impressive feat. And any file you compress will be watermark-free. Best of all, you can use the video size reducer on a Windows/PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android!
The features below should give you an even better idea of what to expect from this powerful tool!
Supports Many Formats:
Media.io’s free video compressor can reduce the size of your videos in the following formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, 3GP, MKV, WEBM, AVI, and other large HD formats. These are the most common video sizes, so you’ll unlikely upload a format the video compressor doesn’t support.
Batch Processing:
Compressing a single video is fine, but compressing multiple videos at once is even better! This video size reducer can simultaneously reduce the size of all the videos you add, saving you time and effort.
Intuitive Interface:
This online video file compressor’s simple look and feel makes it accessible to tech experts and those inexperienced with editing tools.
Compression Settings:
Even if the video you want to compress is in one resolution, you can set it to another resolution before you compress video. Plus, you can adjust and compress it by file size or variable bitrate.
Cloud-Based:
Being an online video file compressor means you can use the tool anywhere if you have a compatible device and internet connection. Plus, you don’t need to install any converter.
Okay, now ensure you have the video you want to compress ready. The steps below will show you how easily and quickly Media.io compresses files!
Step 1 – Load Video
First off, open Media.io Video Compressor. Click “Choose Files” to open your Windows Explorer or macOS Finder to locate and load the video.
Step 2 – Reduce Video File Size
Select the video’s resolution. Your options (from the highest to the lowest quality) are 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p, 240p, 144p, or source. You can click “Compress” even from this step or proceed to the next step for more options in the free video compressor.
Step 3 – Download the Compressed Video
Click the Gear icon to open another window and select the Compression Method, File Size, and Resolution (if you want to change your previous selection). Once done, click “OK” to compress video. Finally, click “Download” or “Download All” to save the compressed file to your system.
UniConverter Video & Audio Compressor
Okay, here’s one last tool before we round up. How about we give you a video compressor that solves two problems at once? UniConverter’s Video and Audio Compressor is exactly the software you need to convert audio and video in one place!
It supports over 1000+ formats, including the major video formats like MOV, MP4, AVI, MKV, and WEBM. And for audio, MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc.
Features:
- Compatible with both Windows and macOS.
- The free video compressorreduces audio and video with no loss of quality.
- It supports batch compression.
- It allows you to import videos from mobile devices and external drives.
- The file compressorallows customization options when converting.
RedPanda Compress
Our next tool is a free online video file compressor marketed as a great way to compress videos for social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.
The maximum supported file size is 2GB, but the video compressor makes up for this by allowing you to use it unlimitedly!
The tool supports MP4, WEBM, MOV, WMV, MKV, and AVI videos, but all the compressed videos will be in MP4 format.
Features:
- Simple to use because of the user-friendly interface.
- The video size reduceris safe because videos are processed in the browser.
- Compresses videos with very little loss in quality.
- Compressed videos don’t come with a watermark.
- The video compressorreduces video sizes with impressive speed.
VideoSmaller
Like the previous ones, the third video compressor on our list is also online-based. It highlights how it can reduce the size of videos you record on Android or iPhone, but it might take longer to compress the videos. The maximum video file size you can upload is 500MB.
The extra features of this video compressor online make up for its limitations. For example, you can remove audio from a video and even reduce the video width.
Features:
- It compresses videos with no loss of quality.
- The file compressorcan select two compression levels: standard and low.
- Supports compression of MP4, MOV, or AVI formats.
- The free video compressoris also easy to use.
- Secure because the data sent to the website is encrypted.
FlexClip
FlexClip comes stuffed with video editing tools, some even AI-powered. Among these tools is a high-speed and free video compressor!
Compressing a video is as simple as selecting it, choosing the quality level and resolution, and just compressing and downloading it.
The video size compressor can compress videos tailored for multiple social media platforms. You can also use the compressed videos for other personal or business projects.
Features:
- Comes with other AI and video editing tools.
- Simple yet powerful online video file compressor.
- Converts video formats like MP4, MOV, M4V, etc.
- The video compressoris very secure because the site cannot access your video files.
- Videos can be downloaded without a watermark.
Flixier
Flixier is also a free video compressor with paid tiers. So, you can still compress video but won’t reap the full features until you pay a price.
That said, you can use the software without opening an account on the site or installing any tool. More than compressing videos to share via WhatsApp or emails, you can also use Flixier to cut, crop, and add images, music, and text to the videos!
Features:
- Reduces video size quickly without compromising audio or video quality.
- The online video file compressorcan select the required or needed compression.
- Can choose CRF (Constant Rate Factor) or bitrate compression.
- Compress all the major video formats like MOV, WEBM, AVI, or WMV and convert them to MP4.
- Can select a new resolution for any video that is compressed.
ScreenPal
This free online video compressor requires no video editing experience, so beginners and pros alike will love it!
What we like the most about this video compressor is that it automatically selects the best size possible when you want to compress video. However, you can manually save it in an even lower quality to reduce file size further while retaining excellent quality.
Using this tool to reduce video size means you can get faster upload and play speeds on your company website if you run a company. For social media, it means lower upload time, but still with sharp, high-quality videos.
Features:
- It’s a free video compressor, meaning you don’t need to open an account on the platform.
- It reduces video size pretty quickly (seconds!) and is easy to use.
- You can crop, trim, convert, and compress video.
- You can compress unlimited videos.
- Compresses and converts multiple video formats to MP4, AVI, FLV, and GIF file formats.
EchoWave
EchoWave offers advanced video compression for content creators and broadcasters, simplifying video compression for all editing skill levels.
Companies like Google, Mashable, BBC, and Dolby all rate this free online video file compressor well, which should be a testament to its efficiency as a video compressor!
Features:
- Supportsmain audio and video formats: ASF, AVI, FLAC, FLV, GIF, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, WEBM, and WMV.
- The video compressorautomatically selects the best quality.
- Resizes videos to meet the requirements of multiple platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and more.
- You can tweak the bitrate, resolution, CRF, and FPS (Frames Per Second).
- The free online video file compressorsupports multiple languages.
YouCompress
We’re finally at the last tool. True to its name, YouCompress is a lot more than just a video size reducer; it compresses MP4 and MOV as well as MP3, PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG, and GIF files!
So, with this software, you get a great all-in-one free online video file compressor that’s very light and user-friendly, too!
Features:
- 100% free for both individuals and companies.
- The website is safe because of the encrypted connection.
- Compress unlimited files.
- The video compressorworks on any platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) as long as you have a web browser.
- The service is 100% cloud-based, so software installation is unnecessary.
What Makes a Good Video Compressor?
While each video compressor in the list you just read has a core function of reducing video size, some lack features that make them contenders to be better than their competition. Below are three elements a compressor must have to be ranked among the best!
High Quality
Reducing a video’s size won’t matter to anyone if quality is lost in the process. So, the best video compressor is the one that can reduce file size while retaining as much of the quality of the original as possible. Use a file compressor that allows you to customize settings for quality and file size so the video will still be crisp even after a large chunk of its date is cut off.
Speed
Any video size compressor that can process videos quickly will be the most sought-after by users. That is especially true if the tool batch-process videos, saving even more time. And remember, with faster speed comes greater efficiency!
Support Many Formats
Videos can come in numerous sizes and formats, so the online compressor video must be compatible with as many formats as possible. That way, it can tend to the needs of every user.
Recommendation
So, which of these eight tools do we recommend, and why? The answer’s a no-brainer: Media.io Video Compressor! But why pick it in particular when the others are still so good?
It meets the requirements needed to be an excellent video compressor. The user-friendly interface, support for multiple formats, cloud-based convenience, batch processing, and the fact that it is FREE all add up to make it a unique tool designed to cater to anyone needing a powerful video editor to compress video!
This article was written in cooperation with WonderShare