HEVC (H.265) vs H.264: how much smaller, really?
HEVC is often said to halve file sizes. We encoded the same 1080p clip with both at matched quality, scored by VMAF, to see what it really saves, and what it costs.
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Quick answer: HEVC (H.265) makes smaller files than H.264 at the same quality, but less than the often-quoted half: on our 1080p test it was 17% smaller at very high quality (VMAF 96) and 32% smaller at good streaming quality (VMAF 92), and software encoding took about twice as long. H.264 plays on everything; HEVC needs a paid extension on many Windows PCs and a capable graphics chip in Chrome and Edge. Use HEVC to save space where it plays, H.264 to share.
Updated
Choose HEVC (H.265) when
- You record on an iPhone or a recent phone and want to save space.
- You store a library on Plex or Jellyfin and your players decode HEVC.
- A size limit forces a low bitrate: HEVC holds up better there.
Choose H.264 when
- You send or share the video: it plays on every phone, PC, TV and browser.
- You edit on an older computer: H.264 is much lighter to play back.
- An upload fails or looks wrong in HEVC.
Same 1080p clip, matched quality
| Quality (VMAF) | H.264 | HEVC (H.265) | HEVC is smaller by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very high (about 96) | 6.30 MB | 5.23 MB | 17% |
| Good (about 92) | 3.50 MB | 2.39 MB | 32% |
| Time to encode | 20 s | 33–40 s | about 2 times slower |
A 20-second 1080p cut of the Sintel trailer, made with the standard free software for each format at its usual speed setting, on a 4-core cloud PC, picture quality scored with VMAF (0–100) against the original frames, 20 October 2026. The AV1 figure in the questions below is estimated between two encodes on either side of VMAF 92. Sintel © Blender Foundation, CC BY 3.0.
How it works
- Drop your videoThe file is read on your computer, never uploaded.
- ConvertMany videos convert in seconds with no quality loss; the rest are converted at high quality.
- Download the MP4Plays on Windows, Android, iPhone, Mac and every website.
Why not the "50% smaller" you read everywhere
The 50% figure comes from standards tests, mostly at low bitrates and high resolutions, where HEVC's bigger toolkit pays off most. At the quality people actually keep, the gap is smaller: on our 1080p clip it shrank from 32% at good quality to 17% at very high quality. Your own footage will differ, but expect a quarter or so, not half.
Where HEVC plays, and where it does not
- iPhone, iPad and Mac: yes, since 2017. iPhones record in it by default ("High Efficiency").
- Android: most phones from the last several years play and record it.
- Windows: only with the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store, which are paid unless the PC maker included them.
- Browsers: Safari plays it; Chrome and Edge only on computers whose graphics chip decodes HEVC.
- TVs and consoles: newer ones mostly yes, older ones often no.
Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
All three accept both and re-encode whatever you upload, so the viewer never sees your codec. Upload the best quality you can. If you are squeezing under a size limit, HEVC keeps more detail in the same megabytes; if an upload fails or plays badly, send H.264.
Turning HEVC into H.264
The converter above re-encodes HEVC video to H.264 in your browser, at a bitrate that keeps the picture, so it plays everywhere. The file comes out bigger, which is the price of compatibility. Videos that are already H.264 are copied across untouched. To stop new iPhone videos being HEVC, set Settings → Camera → Formats to Most Compatible.
Measured, not promised
From our tests on a 2019 Intel MacBook, an Apple M1 and a Windows PC without a graphics card. See all results.
Why your video never leaves your computer
Online video tools upload your file to their servers, process it there, and send it back. That is slow for big videos and costs them money for every minute, so free plans cap your file size or add watermarks, and your video sits on someone else's computer.
Here your own computer does the work, inside this tab. Nothing is uploaded, so there is nothing to cap: no file size limit, no daily limit and no watermark.
Questions
Is H.265 better than H.264?
It is more efficient: in our test, 17–32% smaller at the same quality. H.264 is better supported and faster to encode and play back.
Is HEVC the same as H.265?
Yes. HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) and H.265 are two names for the same standard, as AVC and H.264 are.
Why will my HEVC video not play on Windows?
Windows needs the HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store. Converting the video to H.264 avoids that.
H.265 or H.264 for Plex and Jellyfin?
HEVC saves space; H.264 plays directly on more TVs and browsers, so the server has to convert less often.
What about AV1?
AV1 is newer and saved even more in our test, 43% against H.264 at good quality, but fewer devices can play it smoothly. It is what YouTube and Netflix use where they can.
Can I convert several files at once?
Yes. Choose or drop several files together. They are converted one after another with the same settings, and you can download each one or all of them in one ZIP.
Is it really free?
Yes. Your computer does the work, so a video costs us nothing to process. No account, no watermark, no limits.
Is my video uploaded?
No. It is processed inside this browser tab and saved straight back to your computer.
Which browsers work?
Recent Chrome, Edge and Safari on a computer. Chrome and Edge are fastest on most machines. Phones work for short videos.
How long does it take?
In Chrome, a one-minute 1080p video took 13–19 seconds on the laptops we tested and about 40 seconds on a computer without a graphics chip. Safari can be slower.
Can I close the tab while it works?
Keep the tab open and in front until it finishes. Browsers slow down background tabs.