Video Compressor

Video files are big because the picture is stored at a high bitrate and often at a high resolution, such as 4K from a phone. Compressing re-encodes the video with H.264 at a lower bitrate, and optionally a lower resolution, so it fits email limits, chat apps, upload forms and storage.

This compressor runs FFmpeg in your browser. Pick a level (High quality, Balanced or Smallest file, which map to constant-quality settings rather than a fixed bitrate) and a maximum resolution (1080p, 720p or 480p; smaller videos are never enlarged). Before you start, the tool reads each video's length and size and shows a rough estimate of the result. The output is an H.264 MP4 with AAC sound that plays almost everywhere.

Limits: the browser engine uses one processor core, so compressing is slow, often longer than the video plays, and slower on phones; keep the tab open. Files up to 500 MB, 10 per run. The size estimate is a guide: busy, shaky footage compresses less than talking heads. A video that is already well compressed may get only a little smaller, and the tool says so instead of hiding it. HDR iPhone footage is saved as standard range.

Email caps attachments at around 20 to 25 MB, many forms take 50 or 100 MB, and a few minutes of 4K phone video can be a gigabyte. Lowering the resolution to 720p and using a balanced setting usually makes a phone video small enough to send, while still looking good on a phone or laptop screen, and doing it locally keeps private footage on your device.