Compress video: smaller without visible quality loss
Sending a 2 GB video by email or WhatsApp? That will not work. Compress it for free in your browser first.
Why compress videos?
Modern smartphones shoot video in 4K at a high bitrate. A five-minute clip can easily be 1 to 2 GB. That is far too large to email, upload to a form, or send via WhatsApp.
By compressing a video you make it smaller without any difference you can see with the naked eye. Good compression takes 50 to 80% off the file size while the video still looks sharp.
Why not just use an online compressor?
Your video gets uploaded
Most online video compressors first upload your entire file to their servers. With a 1 GB video that means a long wait, and you have no control over what happens to your file afterwards.
File size limit
Free versions of online tools limit the file size, often to 500 MB or less. Exactly the files you want to compress are too large.
Watermarks or quality limits
Some free tools add a watermark or limit the output quality unless you pay for a subscription.
Our approach: FFmpeg in your browser
Our video compressor uses FFmpeg WebAssembly — the industry standard for video processing, right in your browser. Your video never leaves your computer.
All common formats
MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI and more are supported as input. The output is always MP4 (H.264), the most universal format.
Quality levels
Choose high (CRF 20), medium (CRF 28) or small (CRF 35). Medium is the best balance in most cases.
Lower the resolution
Scale your video down to 1080p, 720p, 480p or 360p for even smaller files.
100% private
No upload, no server, no tracking. Everything happens locally on your own device.
How it works
- 1 Go to Compress video and drag your video into the upload box
- 2 Choose the quality you want and, if needed, a lower resolution
- 3 Wait until compression is done and download your smaller MP4
Note: the first time, the tool loads FFmpeg (~30 MB). This only happens once and takes 10 to 30 seconds depending on your internet speed. After that, compression starts right away.
What is CRF and which value should you choose?
CRF stands for Constant Rate Factor — a number that determines the quality and file size. The lower the number, the better the quality but the larger the file.
Practical uses
Sending a video by email
Email providers often limit attachments to 10 or 25 MB. A compressed video at CRF 28 with a resolution of 720p fits under that limit in many cases.
Uploading to a form or platform
Many platforms have an upload limit of 100 or 500 MB. By compressing your video first you easily get it under that limit without visible quality loss.
Saving storage
Do you have a folder full of videos taking up lots of disk space? Compress them to a fraction of their original size and keep them without filling up your storage.
Update 2026: H.265 and AV1 are increasingly popular
Modern browsers and devices now widely support H.265 (HEVC) and AV1 — two codecs that produce files up to 50% smaller than the older H.264. Our tool uses H.264 for maximum compatibility, but if you then store or share your video on a platform that supports H.265 or AV1, you save even more space.
Tip: for videos you want to share on WhatsApp or by email, H.264 at 720p is still the safest choice. For archiving or platforms such as YouTube, H.265 is a smarter option.
Want to send the compressed video?
After compressing, you can send the video straight away via our upload page. Free up to 3 GB, no account needed, with a download link that is easy to share. For larger videos there are paid options up to 20 GB.