Compress Video
Make a video file smaller by picking a quality level or the exact size in MB you need.
- Free
- No watermark
- No upload, runs on your device
How to compress a video
1 Drop your video file
Drag an MP4 or MOV onto the drop area or tap it to choose a file, up to 2 GB. There is no sign-up and no upload, because the file never leaves your device.
2 Pick a quality or a target size
In Quick mode, choose a quality percentage; 70% keeps about 70% of the source bitrate. In Target Size mode, type the size you need in MB, such as 18 for a Gmail attachment, and leave a little margin when the cap is strict.
3 Compress and download
Press Compress Video. When it finishes, compare the original and compressed file sizes, preview the result, and download the MP4.
What the video compressor does, and its limits
Compressing a video lowers its bitrate so the file gets smaller and is easier to send, upload or embed. The tool has two modes and always saves an H.264 MP4 with AAC audio, which plays in browsers, phones and messaging apps without conversion.
Quick mode
Set a quality value from 1% to 100%. The compressor uses it as a fraction of the source video bitrate, so 50% aims for about half the original size. Higher values keep more detail; lower values produce smaller files. For everyday sharing, 60 to 80% is a sensible range.
Target Size mode
Enter the file size you need in megabytes. The tool takes your clip length, reserves a budget for audio, and works out the video bitrate that fits, then encodes once at that bitrate. The output lands near the target rather than exactly on it, so pick a slightly smaller number when an upload cap is strict.
Accepted files
MP4 and MOV files up to 2 GB. The browser decoder reads the MP4 container family, which both of those use. MKV, AVI and WebM are not read, so convert them to MP4 first.
Speed and browsers
Recent versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox use your device's built-in video chip, so compression is fast and keeps the original resolution. Older browsers still work, but they are slower and cap the video at 1080p.
Size limits worth knowing
Email attachments
Gmail limits the whole message to 25 MB and Outlook.com to 20 MB, and both count the attachment after base64 encoding. Target about 18 MB for Gmail or 14 MB for Outlook so the message is not bounced.
Discord
Accounts without Nitro can upload 10 MB, Nitro Basic 50 MB, and Nitro 500 MB. Enter the matching number in Target Size mode to share clips in your server without hitting the wall.
WhatsApp accepts large files but recompresses video sent as media. Compress to around 16 MB so it uploads fast and WhatsApp has little to squeeze, or send the file as a document to keep it untouched.
Web embedding
Large videos slow down page loads and hurt Core Web Vitals. Compress to a sensible bitrate before you embed so your pages stay fast.
There are set-ups for each of these: compress video for Discord, for email, for WhatsApp, for iMessage, for Slack, for Twitter and for a website background.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compress a video without losing quality?
Set Quick mode to 70 to 80%. That keeps most of the source bitrate, so the picture changes little while the file shrinks by roughly a fifth to a third. If a size cap is what matters, switch to Target Size mode and let the encoder pick the highest bitrate that fits.
What formats can I compress?
MP4 and MOV. Other containers such as MKV, AVI, or WebM are not read by the browser decoder, so convert them to MP4 first. The output is always MP4 with H.264, which plays on virtually every device and platform.
Is it safe to compress videos online?
Yes. Your video is compressed inside your browser and is never uploaded to a server, so the footage stays on your device from start to finish.
How long does compression take?
In a recent version of Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox, a 1 minute 1080p clip is usually done in well under a minute. Older browsers take several times longer. Longer and higher-resolution clips take longer too.
Is there a file size limit?
Files up to 2 GB are accepted. Beyond the uploader limit, the practical ceiling is the free memory on your device, since the whole job runs locally. Desktop browsers cope with large sources far better than phones do.
Is there a watermark on the compressed video?
No. The compressed MP4 has no watermark, and there is no account or limit on how many videos you compress.
Related tools
Video trimmer
Cut the video shorter first; a shorter clip compresses to a smaller file at the same quality.
Resize video
Lower the resolution, or fit a 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9 frame.
Video cropper
Cut away edges and black bars before compressing.
MP4 to MP3 converter
When only the sound needs sending, an MP3 is far smaller.
Guide: compressing video
Bitrate, quality and the trade offs, step by step.