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MP4 vs WEBM — which one should you pick?

Choose MP4 unless you are embedding video on the web and file size matters most, in which case WebM can be the better fit.

MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio is the safest default. It plays on phones, tablets, TVs, browsers, presentation software, and most editors. If you need one file that will open almost anywhere, pick MP4. The trade-off is size: MP4 is often larger than WebM at similar visual quality, especially for web video.

WebM is useful for web embeds where you control the page and want a smaller file. It is supported by major browsers such as Chrome and Firefox, but some editors, older software, and some Apple devices handle it poorly or not at all. If you need to send the file to someone else, import it into a video editor, or play it from a USB stick on a TV, MP4 is the safer choice.

Pick MP4 for social uploads, client delivery, editing, presentations, and broad device playback. Pick WebM for a website background video, a self-hosted embed, or a case where bandwidth and file size matter more than universal compatibility. Do not convert a file repeatedly between formats; each re-encode can reduce quality.

1) Open the Video Converter. 2) Upload your source file. 3) In the output format menu, select MP4 or WebM. 4) Choose the available quality or resolution option, then click Convert. 5) Download the converted file and test it in the player or editor you plan to use.

Neither format can add quality that the source does not have. If the source is already compressed, expect some loss after conversion.

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