MP4 → smaller MP4
Video compressor
Make a video smaller without sending it anywhere. The re-encode runs on your device, and the result tells you exactly how much was saved.
Compressing means re-encoding: the picture is analysed again at a lower quality, so the file shrinks — usually a lot — and loses a little fidelity.
At a glance
- Price
- Free
- Account
- None needed
- Upload
- None — the video is read and re-encoded in your browser tab, nothing is sent to a server
- Input
- MP4, MOV, WEBM, MKV, M4V
- Output
- MP4 (H.264 + AAC)
- File size
- 1 GB per file
- Works on
- Recent Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari (Firefox 130+, Safari 16.4+)
How to make a video smaller
Add the video
Drop an MP4, MOV or WEBM file on the box above. One file at a time keeps the encode inside a tab's memory.
Pick the compression
Smallest file suits quick sharing, Balanced is the everyday default, Best quality shrinks gently. The preset also caps the height, from 720p up to the original.
Download and compare
The result row shows the before → after sizes and the percentage saved, so you can tell at a glance whether it was worth it.
What compression actually does
A compressed video is not edited — every frame is decoded and encoded again with settings that spend fewer bits: a lower quality target for the encoder, and at the smaller presets a lower resolution as well. For screen recordings, phone footage and anything headed for a chat app, the result is typically half the size or less.
The honest trade-off: re-encoding always costs a little sharpness, and text or thin details are the first to soften. If the video is already efficiently encoded, the compressor refuses rather than handing you a file that came out bigger — you will see a "already compact" message instead.
Video compressor questions
Is my file uploaded anywhere?
No. The video is decoded and encoded by your browser's own codecs, in this tab. Nothing is sent to a server, which is also why the tool keeps working offline.
Which preset should I pick?
Balanced, unless you have a reason not to: it keeps 1080p at a medium quality target. Smallest file caps the height at 720p and targets a much lower bitrate — ideal for messaging. Best quality keeps the original height and shrinks the least.
How much smaller will the file get?
It depends on the source. A lightly-compressed phone recording can drop by two thirds or more; an already-optimised file may barely move. The result row reports the exact percentage — and if nothing would be saved, the tool says the file is already compact.
Does compressing degrade the quality?
Yes, slightly — that is where the saved bytes come from. At the Balanced preset the difference is usually invisible on a phone screen, and the result is still far better than a video that is too big to send.