Compress Video
Reduce video file size using H.264 encoding. Higher CRF = smaller file, lower quality.
About Compress Video
Compress Video re-encodes a clip with H.264 to shrink its file size, using a CRF setting where a higher value means a smaller file and lower quality. Reach for it when a video is too large to email, upload, or text, and you want to trade a bit of quality for a much smaller file. The encode runs in your browser, so the video stays private. Output is MP4.
- Category
- media
- Input
- Accepts: video/*.
- Output
- Outputs: video/mp4.
- Cost
- Free, runs in your browser
- Memory
- high
- Install group
- ffmpeg
Common uses
- Shrink a phone video below an email or messaging attachment limit
- Reduce a screen recording so it uploads faster to a slow connection
- Cut a 4K clip down to a manageable size for a website without switching tools
- Lower the bitrate of a long recording to fit more clips on a storage-limited device
- Prepare a smaller MP4 for a platform that throttles large uploads
- Compress a demo video before attaching it to a bug report or support ticket
Frequently asked questions
What does the CRF setting do?
CRF controls the quality-to-size tradeoff. A higher CRF produces a smaller file at lower visual quality; a lower CRF keeps more detail but yields a larger file.
What format is the output?
The compressed result is always an MP4 encoded with H.264, which plays almost everywhere.
Does the video get uploaded to compress it?
No. The H.264 encode runs in your browser, so your video is never sent to a server.
How much smaller will my file get?
It depends on the source and the CRF you choose. Already-compressed clips shrink less than high-bitrate originals, so try a couple of CRF values to find the right balance.
Will compressing a long video take a while?
Yes. Re-encoding is CPU-intensive and happens locally, so longer or higher-resolution videos take more time, especially on modest hardware.
Keywords
- video
- compress
- reduce
- size
- h264
- mp4
- crf