New In This Article, We Will Show You How to Blur Faces with some of the Best Video Editing Software for Free and Paid for 2024

New In This Article, We Will Show You How to Blur Faces with some of the Best Video Editing Software for Free and Paid for 2024

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In This Article, We Will Show You How to Blur Faces with some of the Best Video Editing Software for Free and Paid

Best Video Editing Software to Blur Faces in Video

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

  • Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

 Filmora 9 video editor utility options

  • If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

 Filmora 9 video editor Mosaic

  • Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
  • If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

 blur faces

  • When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

  • Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
  • You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

 blur faces

  • YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

 blur faces

  • Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

 blur faces

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

  • Open Movavi and locate the Filters
  • Click Blur.

 blur faces

  • Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
  • You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
  • In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
  • Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
  • Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
  • You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
  • Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
  • You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

  1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
  2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
  3. Click Mosaic.
  4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
  5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
  6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
  7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

  • Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

 Filmora 9 video editor utility options

  • If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

 Filmora 9 video editor Mosaic

  • Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
  • If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

 blur faces

  • When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

  • Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
  • You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

 blur faces

  • YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

 blur faces

  • Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

 blur faces

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

  • Open Movavi and locate the Filters
  • Click Blur.

 blur faces

  • Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
  • You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
  • In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
  • Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
  • Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
  • You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
  • Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
  • You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

  1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
  2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
  3. Click Mosaic.
  4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
  5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
  6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
  7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

  • Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

 Filmora 9 video editor utility options

  • If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

 Filmora 9 video editor Mosaic

  • Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
  • If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

 blur faces

  • When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

  • Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
  • You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

 blur faces

  • YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

 blur faces

  • Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

 blur faces

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

  • Open Movavi and locate the Filters
  • Click Blur.

 blur faces

  • Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
  • You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
  • In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
  • Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
  • Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
  • You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
  • Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
  • You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

  1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
  2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
  3. Click Mosaic.
  4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
  5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
  6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
  7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

One of the most commonly sought bits of video-editing knowledge is the ability to blur the face in videos, whether for privacy reasons, artistic effect, or whatever sort of thing you’re going for. You can go wild once you learn how to blur certain parts of a video, and this is something that, in our opinion, every aspiring video editor should learn how to do.

Now there are hundreds of video editing software, and every video editor has his own personal choice when it comes to choosing the right tool for the job. Our list focuses on what are, in our opinion, the most accessible and efficient NLE’s on the market.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

1. Blur Face with Filmora Video Editor [with Faceoff / Mosaic]

Filmora is a favorite among many amateur video editors because the free version is robust by itself and features most of what one would need when not dealing with professional projects. It is available for both macOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Filmora:

  • Select the clip that needs to apply blur face in the timeline, and then go to the Effects tab and select Utility.

 Filmora 9 video editor utility options

  • If the image is still, then you can click Mosaic option and drag it in the video clip in the timeline.

 Filmora 9 video editor Mosaic

  • Double click the video clip applied Mosaic effect in the timeline to enter the video effects tab, in where you can dictate the size of the area, the mosaic types, and also adjust the opacity.
  • If the image is in motion and you’d like the blurred area to be mobile as well, drag the Face Off from the Effects tab to the timeline and adjust it in the Video Effects tab as well. You can pick the face-off pattern under Video Effects and the Face-off feature will tracks the face that appears on the screen and applies a blur to it.

 blur faces

  • When you’re done, click OK to save the changes and then click Export and pick your desired video format.

Download Win VersionDownload Mac Version

Learn more detail about Adding Blur effects to Videos in Filmora .

2. Using YouTube Video Enhancements to Blur Faces

Those interested in learning how to blur faces in videos in order to apply the trick to their You Tube videos will find the fact that you can do this through the Video Enhancements section of your Creator Studios dashboard quite convenient. This addition is something that has been introduced in 2006 and has been well received by the community.

How to Blur the Faces with YouTube Enhancement tool:

  • Sign in your YouTube account and select the Creator Studio option after clicking the avatar. Locate the video that you want to edit and access video Enhancements.
  • You will see two blurring options in the Enhancement window: Blur faces and Custom blurring. To blur all faces appear in the video, go to Blur faces and click Edit

 blur faces

  • YouTube will use the face detection tool to analyze all faces in the video and displays the faces in the left side. You can click the face image to blur a specific face throughout the video.

 blur faces

  • Preview the blurring effects and if everything goes OK, click Save to save the face blurring effect to video. After you’re finished the editing, click Save to save the edits in-place, or Save as New Video, which creates a new video (this would mean, however, that you would lose any views you previously had).

 blur faces

In the Enhancement window, you can also blur a specific area of the video with the custom blurring option. Want to edit YouTube videos with more features, check our picks of thebest video editing software for YouTubers in 2018.

3. Blur Face with Movavi video editor

Movavi is a popular choice for when it comes to free video editing softwares. It is available for both Windows and MacOS and is a breeze to work in - the perfect software to learn how to blur the faces in videos in.

How to Blur the Faces with Movavi video editor:

  • Open Movavi and locate the Filters
  • Click Blur.

 blur faces

  • Once the filter gallery opens, drag your desired filter over the clip or image.
  • You can apply either the Blur Intense or the Blur Mild effects if you would like to determine their strength.
  • In order to blur a specific part of the video, select the clip and locate the More
  • Click Highlight and Conceal, and then click Conceal.
  • Position the orange box over the area that you want to be affected.
  • You can adjust the Opacity slider to determne the strength of the effect.
  • Click on Pixels if you want the blur preset to be pixellated.
  • You can also click on Add Mask if you would like to apply a mask to certain areas of the clip.

4. Blur face with Adobe Premiere Pro CC professional video editor

Premiere Pro CC is Adobe’s dedicated video editing software. There are many video editors out there that have some experience in Photoshop as well, and since there’s a chance they work in Premiere Pro CC due to how similar the UI of both of these products is, we’ve decided to give this NLE some attention as well. Available for both MacOS and Windows.

How to Blur the Faces in Premiere Pro?

  1. Select the video clip in the timeline.
  2. Access the Effects tab, and then click Video Effects, and then Stylize.
  3. Click Mosaic.
  4. Go to the Effects Control tab, and pick the shape of blurred area. The elliptical and 4-point polygon mask options are what most people use when blurring faces in particular.
  5. Drag the Mask over the intended area
  6. Adjust Positioning, Scale, and/or Rotation to your liking.
  7. You can fine-tune the effect further by adjusting the Mask Expansion, the Horizontal and Vertical blocks the mosaic effect is composed of, and the Feather

What sort of video editing software you go for when you want to edit the face in videos is ultimately up to you - we’ve only expressed our personal preferences in the hopes that it might help some of the people that are interested in the subject. Most of the steps present in this list are similar to each other and you will find that once you learn how to do this trick, you will become far more familiarized with all the various effects available to you.

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

The Ultimate List: 10 Free Online Video Compressors Without Downloads

10 Best Free Online Video Compressors [No Download]

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Videos you record with your iPhone, iPad or any other camera can often be larger than 1GB, especially if they were captured in high resolution. Some social networks have video size limitations, so if your video exceeds the platform’s video size limitation you have to compress that video to meet the specifications of a particular social network.

Previously, we’ve introduced some of the best free video compressor apps for iOS and Android , as well as some video compression software for Windows 10 and Mac, in this article, we will take you through the ten best free online video compressors which allow you to compress videos wherever and whenever.

Top 10 Free Online Video Compressors for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome

There is no need to spend a lot of money on a professional video editing software if you are just looking for a quick way to downsize your videos. In fact, you can perform this task online for free regardless of the operating system you’re using. Let’s take a look at the ten best free online video compressors.

The software listed below are in no particular order.

2. Clipchamp

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9 per month

clipchamp online video compressor interface

This web-based video editing app , enables its users to optimize their videos for different purposes by using templates. Besides making the video editing process easier, Clipchamp converts, records and compresses video files. This video compressor lets you reduce the size without losing the quality of all videos saved in MP4, MOV or AVI file formats.

clipchamp compressed video interface

To change the size of a video with Clipchamp you just have to choose high, medium or low video quality option from the Customize Settings menu. Besides, you can alsocustomize the video resolution and format.

After compression, you can upload and share the video to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Google Drive directly or download it to computer. The free version of Clipchamp will watermark video you compressed at the beginning and ending frames, and if you want to remove the watermark from a video you have to upgrade to the Business version of the video editor.

Pros

  • Great batch conversion options
  • Offers a huge selection of templates
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities
  • Effortless video upload

Cons

  • The free version of Clipchamp watermarks videos
  • Modest video compression features
  • A limited selection of output video file formats

3. AConvert

Price: Free

Converting PDF files, word documents or videos with AConvert is a straightforward process that takes a minimum amount of effort. However, you should keep in mind that AConvert can only compress videos that are smaller than 200 MB.

aconvert online video compressor

To start compressing a video with AConvert you have to navigate to the Video window and then import a video from your hard drive or from a file hosting service like Dropbox. The Target Format drop-down menu lets you choose from a variety of output video file formats, like AVI, MP4 or MOV. Afterward, you should select to change Video Size, Bitrate, Frame Rate or Video Aspect settings from the Options drop-down menu and proceed to select the new resolution from the Video Size menu. AConvert offers a huge selection of preset resolutions, and it lets you adjust the bitrate which can reduce the size of your video even further.

Pros

  • Offers powerful video file conversion and video file compression tools
  • Lets you import videos from Dropbox or Google Drive
  • A wide selection of output video file formats
  • Rich resolution template library

Cons

  • No batch processing features
  • Maximum video size cannot exceed 200 MB
  • File sharing capabilities are limited

4. YouCompress

Price: Free

This is a simple video compressor that allows you to reduce the size of audio, video and image files. Moreover, you can reduce the size of an unlimited number of MP4, MP3, JPEG or GIF files using YouCompress. However, the entire video file compression process is automatic, so you can’t adjust the output video resolution, file format or bitrate.

YouCompress  online video compressor

You just have to import a video you’d like to compress from a folder on your computer into YouCompress and click on the Upload File & Compress button. This online video compressor doesn’t have a video file limit, so how long the file compression is going to last depends on the size of the original video file.

Pros

  • Quick and easy compression of audio, video and image files
  • The straightforward file compression process
  • Compressed videos are not watermarked

Cons

  • Selecting the output file format is not possible
  • Video compression settings are automatic
  • No file-sharing capabilities

5. Online Converter Video Compressor

Price: Free

In case you are looking for a video compressor that is both reliable and easy to use, you shouldn’t look much further than Online Converter. You can upload videos saved in MP4, MOV, WMV and other file formats from a URL or from your computer.

onlineconverter  video compressor

Online Converter lets you choose the final size of the video you are compressing and it offers a number of audio quality options. You should keep in mind that reducing a file’s size too much can cause the compression process to fail, and avoid compressing videos more than you need to. In addition, you can use Online Converter’s Resize Video tool to reduce the size of your videos online.

Pros

  • Supports a broad range of video file formats
  • Smooth upload
  • Allows users to set the desired output video size directly

Cons

  • Doesn’t let users choose the file format of the output video
  • No support for encrypted video files
  • The slow video compression process
  • File size limits to 200MB

6. PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor

Price: Free

Compressing a video file with this web-based video compressor can be completed in three simple steps in this tool. You can upload a file from a computer or use Dropbox or Google Drive for faster upload speeds and then proceed to select the output codec. As its names suggest this online video compressor can only create output video files in MP4 file format.

ps2pdf  online video compressor

There are several ways to reduce the size of a file with PS2PDF, so you can choose if you want to shrink videos by percentage, preset quality, variable bitrate or by using the constant bitrate. Opting for slower compression speeds will enable you to preserve the quality of a video while speeding up the compression process is going to save you time, but it may result in poor output video quality.

Pros

  • Quick upload speeds from Google Drive and Dropbox
  • No video file size limitations
  • Offers several different compression methods
  • Allows users to adjust the dimensions of the output video

Cons

  • Supports just MP4 output file format
  • No file sharing features
  • The quality of the output video depends on the speed of the compression process

7. Zamzar

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9,00 per month

Zamzar is a file conversion platform that lets change formats of videos, images, documents or audio files. Additionally, you can also choose from a variety of video presets that enable you to prepare your video files for the use on Vimeo, YouTube platforms, Smartphones, and other devices.

zamzar  online video compressor

To compress a video file with Zamzar you just have to upload it to the platform via the URL or directly from your computer. Afterward, you must select the output video file format from the Convert To drop-down menu and click on the Convert button to start compressing a video. How much you are going to compress a video depends on the video file format you selected.

Pros

  • Supports more than a thousand file formats
  • The smooth file conversion process
  • Unlimited daily file conversions
  • Online storage space is included in all pricing packages

Cons

  • Offers basic file compression features
  • The free version of Zamzar provides only limited file conversion options
  • The maximum file size of a video file you can convert with Zamzar depends on the subscription model you have

8. CloudConvert

Price: Free, subscriptions start at $8,00 per month

Converting audio, video or image files with CloudConvert is easy. The platform offers several different upload options that allow you to import files from a URL, Google Drive or OneDrive. There are over 200 file formats to choose from, which enables you to select the output video file format that best meets your needs.

cloudconvert online video compressor

CloudConvert lets you change a video’s resolution, its aspect ratio, the number of frames per second and bitrate. Moreover, you can adjust the audio settings for each video you compress, so you can either remove a video’s audio entirely or fine-tune its bitrate or frequency.

Pros

  • Powerful video and compression tools
  • Support a broad range of video files
  • Excellent batch processing options
  • Lets you save files to your Dropbox account after the compression is completed

Cons

  • The free version of CloudConvert has a 1GB file limit
  • You must purchase one of the pricing plans if you want to convert more than five files in a row
  • Prices of subscription models depend on conversion minutes

9. ConvertFiles Online File Converter

Price: Free

ConvertFiles isn’t the most powerful video compressor you can find on the market, but it can cater to the needs of most non-professional users. Its greatest advantage is that supports hundreds of presentation, eBook, drawing, image, audio, and video file formats. This enables you to change the file format of virtually any picture, sound recording, video clip or a document.

convertfiles online video compressor

To start converting a video file you just have to import it to the platform and then choose the output video file format you want. However, you won’t be able to convert or compress video files that are larger than 250MB with the ConvertFiles platform.

Pros

  • The simple file conversion process
  • Supports a broad spectrum of audio, image and video file formats
  • Lets users import videos via URL
  • No watermark on converted videos

Cons

  • Maximum video file size limited to 250MB
  • The file conversion process is slow
  • Provides only basic file compression tools

10. Clideo

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $6,00 per month

Clideo is a web-based video editing app that lets you perform basic video editing tasks with ease. Besides trimming, rotating or merging videos you can also use Clideo to compress video files. After you sign-in to the platform through your Google or Facebook account you just have to click on the Compress Video option.

clideo online video compressor

You can then upload a video file from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or via URL and Clideo will set all the compression parameters automatically. The free version of Clideo watermarks all videos you compress with it, and you have to opt for a subscription plan if you want to edit your videos or remove watermarks from them after the compression process is completed.

Pros

  • Offers several methods of reducing the size of video files
  • Provides video editing tools
  • The easy sign-in process through Facebook or Google
  • The quick video compression process

Cons

  • The automatic video compression process
  • Choosing the output video file format is not possible
  • The free version of Clideo watermarks videos

Conclusion

The size of a video you recorded with your digital camera or a Smartphone can sometimes prevent you from sharing them with your friends and colleagues. You can solve this problem by using any of the free online video compressors we featured in this article. Which free online video compressor are you going to choose? Leave a comment below and share your opinions with us.

Online Video Compressor Max Video Size Supported formats Batch Conversion Options Watermark
Clipchamp Unlimited MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes
AConvert 200MB FLV, MOV, MP4… Yes No
Media.io Online Uniconverter 100MB MOV, MP4, FLV No No
YouCompress Unlimited MP4, JPEG, GIF… No No
Online Converter Unlimited AVI, FLV, MP4… No No
PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor Unlimited MP4 Yes No
Zamzar 150MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Cloud Convert 1GB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Convert Files 250MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… No Yes
Clideo 500MB MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes

Edit and Compress Video Size with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you are using Filmora to edit video and want to compress the video size at export, you can adjust the frame rate, bit rate or resolution to compress the video size.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Videos you record with your iPhone, iPad or any other camera can often be larger than 1GB, especially if they were captured in high resolution. Some social networks have video size limitations, so if your video exceeds the platform’s video size limitation you have to compress that video to meet the specifications of a particular social network.

Previously, we’ve introduced some of the best free video compressor apps for iOS and Android , as well as some video compression software for Windows 10 and Mac, in this article, we will take you through the ten best free online video compressors which allow you to compress videos wherever and whenever.

Top 10 Free Online Video Compressors for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome

There is no need to spend a lot of money on a professional video editing software if you are just looking for a quick way to downsize your videos. In fact, you can perform this task online for free regardless of the operating system you’re using. Let’s take a look at the ten best free online video compressors.

The software listed below are in no particular order.

2. Clipchamp

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9 per month

clipchamp online video compressor interface

This web-based video editing app , enables its users to optimize their videos for different purposes by using templates. Besides making the video editing process easier, Clipchamp converts, records and compresses video files. This video compressor lets you reduce the size without losing the quality of all videos saved in MP4, MOV or AVI file formats.

clipchamp compressed video interface

To change the size of a video with Clipchamp you just have to choose high, medium or low video quality option from the Customize Settings menu. Besides, you can alsocustomize the video resolution and format.

After compression, you can upload and share the video to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Google Drive directly or download it to computer. The free version of Clipchamp will watermark video you compressed at the beginning and ending frames, and if you want to remove the watermark from a video you have to upgrade to the Business version of the video editor.

Pros

  • Great batch conversion options
  • Offers a huge selection of templates
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities
  • Effortless video upload

Cons

  • The free version of Clipchamp watermarks videos
  • Modest video compression features
  • A limited selection of output video file formats

3. AConvert

Price: Free

Converting PDF files, word documents or videos with AConvert is a straightforward process that takes a minimum amount of effort. However, you should keep in mind that AConvert can only compress videos that are smaller than 200 MB.

aconvert online video compressor

To start compressing a video with AConvert you have to navigate to the Video window and then import a video from your hard drive or from a file hosting service like Dropbox. The Target Format drop-down menu lets you choose from a variety of output video file formats, like AVI, MP4 or MOV. Afterward, you should select to change Video Size, Bitrate, Frame Rate or Video Aspect settings from the Options drop-down menu and proceed to select the new resolution from the Video Size menu. AConvert offers a huge selection of preset resolutions, and it lets you adjust the bitrate which can reduce the size of your video even further.

Pros

  • Offers powerful video file conversion and video file compression tools
  • Lets you import videos from Dropbox or Google Drive
  • A wide selection of output video file formats
  • Rich resolution template library

Cons

  • No batch processing features
  • Maximum video size cannot exceed 200 MB
  • File sharing capabilities are limited

4. YouCompress

Price: Free

This is a simple video compressor that allows you to reduce the size of audio, video and image files. Moreover, you can reduce the size of an unlimited number of MP4, MP3, JPEG or GIF files using YouCompress. However, the entire video file compression process is automatic, so you can’t adjust the output video resolution, file format or bitrate.

YouCompress  online video compressor

You just have to import a video you’d like to compress from a folder on your computer into YouCompress and click on the Upload File & Compress button. This online video compressor doesn’t have a video file limit, so how long the file compression is going to last depends on the size of the original video file.

Pros

  • Quick and easy compression of audio, video and image files
  • The straightforward file compression process
  • Compressed videos are not watermarked

Cons

  • Selecting the output file format is not possible
  • Video compression settings are automatic
  • No file-sharing capabilities

5. Online Converter Video Compressor

Price: Free

In case you are looking for a video compressor that is both reliable and easy to use, you shouldn’t look much further than Online Converter. You can upload videos saved in MP4, MOV, WMV and other file formats from a URL or from your computer.

onlineconverter  video compressor

Online Converter lets you choose the final size of the video you are compressing and it offers a number of audio quality options. You should keep in mind that reducing a file’s size too much can cause the compression process to fail, and avoid compressing videos more than you need to. In addition, you can use Online Converter’s Resize Video tool to reduce the size of your videos online.

Pros

  • Supports a broad range of video file formats
  • Smooth upload
  • Allows users to set the desired output video size directly

Cons

  • Doesn’t let users choose the file format of the output video
  • No support for encrypted video files
  • The slow video compression process
  • File size limits to 200MB

6. PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor

Price: Free

Compressing a video file with this web-based video compressor can be completed in three simple steps in this tool. You can upload a file from a computer or use Dropbox or Google Drive for faster upload speeds and then proceed to select the output codec. As its names suggest this online video compressor can only create output video files in MP4 file format.

ps2pdf  online video compressor

There are several ways to reduce the size of a file with PS2PDF, so you can choose if you want to shrink videos by percentage, preset quality, variable bitrate or by using the constant bitrate. Opting for slower compression speeds will enable you to preserve the quality of a video while speeding up the compression process is going to save you time, but it may result in poor output video quality.

Pros

  • Quick upload speeds from Google Drive and Dropbox
  • No video file size limitations
  • Offers several different compression methods
  • Allows users to adjust the dimensions of the output video

Cons

  • Supports just MP4 output file format
  • No file sharing features
  • The quality of the output video depends on the speed of the compression process

7. Zamzar

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9,00 per month

Zamzar is a file conversion platform that lets change formats of videos, images, documents or audio files. Additionally, you can also choose from a variety of video presets that enable you to prepare your video files for the use on Vimeo, YouTube platforms, Smartphones, and other devices.

zamzar  online video compressor

To compress a video file with Zamzar you just have to upload it to the platform via the URL or directly from your computer. Afterward, you must select the output video file format from the Convert To drop-down menu and click on the Convert button to start compressing a video. How much you are going to compress a video depends on the video file format you selected.

Pros

  • Supports more than a thousand file formats
  • The smooth file conversion process
  • Unlimited daily file conversions
  • Online storage space is included in all pricing packages

Cons

  • Offers basic file compression features
  • The free version of Zamzar provides only limited file conversion options
  • The maximum file size of a video file you can convert with Zamzar depends on the subscription model you have

8. CloudConvert

Price: Free, subscriptions start at $8,00 per month

Converting audio, video or image files with CloudConvert is easy. The platform offers several different upload options that allow you to import files from a URL, Google Drive or OneDrive. There are over 200 file formats to choose from, which enables you to select the output video file format that best meets your needs.

cloudconvert online video compressor

CloudConvert lets you change a video’s resolution, its aspect ratio, the number of frames per second and bitrate. Moreover, you can adjust the audio settings for each video you compress, so you can either remove a video’s audio entirely or fine-tune its bitrate or frequency.

Pros

  • Powerful video and compression tools
  • Support a broad range of video files
  • Excellent batch processing options
  • Lets you save files to your Dropbox account after the compression is completed

Cons

  • The free version of CloudConvert has a 1GB file limit
  • You must purchase one of the pricing plans if you want to convert more than five files in a row
  • Prices of subscription models depend on conversion minutes

9. ConvertFiles Online File Converter

Price: Free

ConvertFiles isn’t the most powerful video compressor you can find on the market, but it can cater to the needs of most non-professional users. Its greatest advantage is that supports hundreds of presentation, eBook, drawing, image, audio, and video file formats. This enables you to change the file format of virtually any picture, sound recording, video clip or a document.

convertfiles online video compressor

To start converting a video file you just have to import it to the platform and then choose the output video file format you want. However, you won’t be able to convert or compress video files that are larger than 250MB with the ConvertFiles platform.

Pros

  • The simple file conversion process
  • Supports a broad spectrum of audio, image and video file formats
  • Lets users import videos via URL
  • No watermark on converted videos

Cons

  • Maximum video file size limited to 250MB
  • The file conversion process is slow
  • Provides only basic file compression tools

10. Clideo

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $6,00 per month

Clideo is a web-based video editing app that lets you perform basic video editing tasks with ease. Besides trimming, rotating or merging videos you can also use Clideo to compress video files. After you sign-in to the platform through your Google or Facebook account you just have to click on the Compress Video option.

clideo online video compressor

You can then upload a video file from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or via URL and Clideo will set all the compression parameters automatically. The free version of Clideo watermarks all videos you compress with it, and you have to opt for a subscription plan if you want to edit your videos or remove watermarks from them after the compression process is completed.

Pros

  • Offers several methods of reducing the size of video files
  • Provides video editing tools
  • The easy sign-in process through Facebook or Google
  • The quick video compression process

Cons

  • The automatic video compression process
  • Choosing the output video file format is not possible
  • The free version of Clideo watermarks videos

Conclusion

The size of a video you recorded with your digital camera or a Smartphone can sometimes prevent you from sharing them with your friends and colleagues. You can solve this problem by using any of the free online video compressors we featured in this article. Which free online video compressor are you going to choose? Leave a comment below and share your opinions with us.

Online Video Compressor Max Video Size Supported formats Batch Conversion Options Watermark
Clipchamp Unlimited MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes
AConvert 200MB FLV, MOV, MP4… Yes No
Media.io Online Uniconverter 100MB MOV, MP4, FLV No No
YouCompress Unlimited MP4, JPEG, GIF… No No
Online Converter Unlimited AVI, FLV, MP4… No No
PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor Unlimited MP4 Yes No
Zamzar 150MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Cloud Convert 1GB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Convert Files 250MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… No Yes
Clideo 500MB MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes

Edit and Compress Video Size with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you are using Filmora to edit video and want to compress the video size at export, you can adjust the frame rate, bit rate or resolution to compress the video size.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Videos you record with your iPhone, iPad or any other camera can often be larger than 1GB, especially if they were captured in high resolution. Some social networks have video size limitations, so if your video exceeds the platform’s video size limitation you have to compress that video to meet the specifications of a particular social network.

Previously, we’ve introduced some of the best free video compressor apps for iOS and Android , as well as some video compression software for Windows 10 and Mac, in this article, we will take you through the ten best free online video compressors which allow you to compress videos wherever and whenever.

Top 10 Free Online Video Compressors for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome

There is no need to spend a lot of money on a professional video editing software if you are just looking for a quick way to downsize your videos. In fact, you can perform this task online for free regardless of the operating system you’re using. Let’s take a look at the ten best free online video compressors.

The software listed below are in no particular order.

2. Clipchamp

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9 per month

clipchamp online video compressor interface

This web-based video editing app , enables its users to optimize their videos for different purposes by using templates. Besides making the video editing process easier, Clipchamp converts, records and compresses video files. This video compressor lets you reduce the size without losing the quality of all videos saved in MP4, MOV or AVI file formats.

clipchamp compressed video interface

To change the size of a video with Clipchamp you just have to choose high, medium or low video quality option from the Customize Settings menu. Besides, you can alsocustomize the video resolution and format.

After compression, you can upload and share the video to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Google Drive directly or download it to computer. The free version of Clipchamp will watermark video you compressed at the beginning and ending frames, and if you want to remove the watermark from a video you have to upgrade to the Business version of the video editor.

Pros

  • Great batch conversion options
  • Offers a huge selection of templates
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities
  • Effortless video upload

Cons

  • The free version of Clipchamp watermarks videos
  • Modest video compression features
  • A limited selection of output video file formats

3. AConvert

Price: Free

Converting PDF files, word documents or videos with AConvert is a straightforward process that takes a minimum amount of effort. However, you should keep in mind that AConvert can only compress videos that are smaller than 200 MB.

aconvert online video compressor

To start compressing a video with AConvert you have to navigate to the Video window and then import a video from your hard drive or from a file hosting service like Dropbox. The Target Format drop-down menu lets you choose from a variety of output video file formats, like AVI, MP4 or MOV. Afterward, you should select to change Video Size, Bitrate, Frame Rate or Video Aspect settings from the Options drop-down menu and proceed to select the new resolution from the Video Size menu. AConvert offers a huge selection of preset resolutions, and it lets you adjust the bitrate which can reduce the size of your video even further.

Pros

  • Offers powerful video file conversion and video file compression tools
  • Lets you import videos from Dropbox or Google Drive
  • A wide selection of output video file formats
  • Rich resolution template library

Cons

  • No batch processing features
  • Maximum video size cannot exceed 200 MB
  • File sharing capabilities are limited

4. YouCompress

Price: Free

This is a simple video compressor that allows you to reduce the size of audio, video and image files. Moreover, you can reduce the size of an unlimited number of MP4, MP3, JPEG or GIF files using YouCompress. However, the entire video file compression process is automatic, so you can’t adjust the output video resolution, file format or bitrate.

YouCompress  online video compressor

You just have to import a video you’d like to compress from a folder on your computer into YouCompress and click on the Upload File & Compress button. This online video compressor doesn’t have a video file limit, so how long the file compression is going to last depends on the size of the original video file.

Pros

  • Quick and easy compression of audio, video and image files
  • The straightforward file compression process
  • Compressed videos are not watermarked

Cons

  • Selecting the output file format is not possible
  • Video compression settings are automatic
  • No file-sharing capabilities

5. Online Converter Video Compressor

Price: Free

In case you are looking for a video compressor that is both reliable and easy to use, you shouldn’t look much further than Online Converter. You can upload videos saved in MP4, MOV, WMV and other file formats from a URL or from your computer.

onlineconverter  video compressor

Online Converter lets you choose the final size of the video you are compressing and it offers a number of audio quality options. You should keep in mind that reducing a file’s size too much can cause the compression process to fail, and avoid compressing videos more than you need to. In addition, you can use Online Converter’s Resize Video tool to reduce the size of your videos online.

Pros

  • Supports a broad range of video file formats
  • Smooth upload
  • Allows users to set the desired output video size directly

Cons

  • Doesn’t let users choose the file format of the output video
  • No support for encrypted video files
  • The slow video compression process
  • File size limits to 200MB

6. PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor

Price: Free

Compressing a video file with this web-based video compressor can be completed in three simple steps in this tool. You can upload a file from a computer or use Dropbox or Google Drive for faster upload speeds and then proceed to select the output codec. As its names suggest this online video compressor can only create output video files in MP4 file format.

ps2pdf  online video compressor

There are several ways to reduce the size of a file with PS2PDF, so you can choose if you want to shrink videos by percentage, preset quality, variable bitrate or by using the constant bitrate. Opting for slower compression speeds will enable you to preserve the quality of a video while speeding up the compression process is going to save you time, but it may result in poor output video quality.

Pros

  • Quick upload speeds from Google Drive and Dropbox
  • No video file size limitations
  • Offers several different compression methods
  • Allows users to adjust the dimensions of the output video

Cons

  • Supports just MP4 output file format
  • No file sharing features
  • The quality of the output video depends on the speed of the compression process

7. Zamzar

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9,00 per month

Zamzar is a file conversion platform that lets change formats of videos, images, documents or audio files. Additionally, you can also choose from a variety of video presets that enable you to prepare your video files for the use on Vimeo, YouTube platforms, Smartphones, and other devices.

zamzar  online video compressor

To compress a video file with Zamzar you just have to upload it to the platform via the URL or directly from your computer. Afterward, you must select the output video file format from the Convert To drop-down menu and click on the Convert button to start compressing a video. How much you are going to compress a video depends on the video file format you selected.

Pros

  • Supports more than a thousand file formats
  • The smooth file conversion process
  • Unlimited daily file conversions
  • Online storage space is included in all pricing packages

Cons

  • Offers basic file compression features
  • The free version of Zamzar provides only limited file conversion options
  • The maximum file size of a video file you can convert with Zamzar depends on the subscription model you have

8. CloudConvert

Price: Free, subscriptions start at $8,00 per month

Converting audio, video or image files with CloudConvert is easy. The platform offers several different upload options that allow you to import files from a URL, Google Drive or OneDrive. There are over 200 file formats to choose from, which enables you to select the output video file format that best meets your needs.

cloudconvert online video compressor

CloudConvert lets you change a video’s resolution, its aspect ratio, the number of frames per second and bitrate. Moreover, you can adjust the audio settings for each video you compress, so you can either remove a video’s audio entirely or fine-tune its bitrate or frequency.

Pros

  • Powerful video and compression tools
  • Support a broad range of video files
  • Excellent batch processing options
  • Lets you save files to your Dropbox account after the compression is completed

Cons

  • The free version of CloudConvert has a 1GB file limit
  • You must purchase one of the pricing plans if you want to convert more than five files in a row
  • Prices of subscription models depend on conversion minutes

9. ConvertFiles Online File Converter

Price: Free

ConvertFiles isn’t the most powerful video compressor you can find on the market, but it can cater to the needs of most non-professional users. Its greatest advantage is that supports hundreds of presentation, eBook, drawing, image, audio, and video file formats. This enables you to change the file format of virtually any picture, sound recording, video clip or a document.

convertfiles online video compressor

To start converting a video file you just have to import it to the platform and then choose the output video file format you want. However, you won’t be able to convert or compress video files that are larger than 250MB with the ConvertFiles platform.

Pros

  • The simple file conversion process
  • Supports a broad spectrum of audio, image and video file formats
  • Lets users import videos via URL
  • No watermark on converted videos

Cons

  • Maximum video file size limited to 250MB
  • The file conversion process is slow
  • Provides only basic file compression tools

10. Clideo

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $6,00 per month

Clideo is a web-based video editing app that lets you perform basic video editing tasks with ease. Besides trimming, rotating or merging videos you can also use Clideo to compress video files. After you sign-in to the platform through your Google or Facebook account you just have to click on the Compress Video option.

clideo online video compressor

You can then upload a video file from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or via URL and Clideo will set all the compression parameters automatically. The free version of Clideo watermarks all videos you compress with it, and you have to opt for a subscription plan if you want to edit your videos or remove watermarks from them after the compression process is completed.

Pros

  • Offers several methods of reducing the size of video files
  • Provides video editing tools
  • The easy sign-in process through Facebook or Google
  • The quick video compression process

Cons

  • The automatic video compression process
  • Choosing the output video file format is not possible
  • The free version of Clideo watermarks videos

Conclusion

The size of a video you recorded with your digital camera or a Smartphone can sometimes prevent you from sharing them with your friends and colleagues. You can solve this problem by using any of the free online video compressors we featured in this article. Which free online video compressor are you going to choose? Leave a comment below and share your opinions with us.

Online Video Compressor Max Video Size Supported formats Batch Conversion Options Watermark
Clipchamp Unlimited MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes
AConvert 200MB FLV, MOV, MP4… Yes No
Media.io Online Uniconverter 100MB MOV, MP4, FLV No No
YouCompress Unlimited MP4, JPEG, GIF… No No
Online Converter Unlimited AVI, FLV, MP4… No No
PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor Unlimited MP4 Yes No
Zamzar 150MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Cloud Convert 1GB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Convert Files 250MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… No Yes
Clideo 500MB MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes

Edit and Compress Video Size with Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

If you are using Filmora to edit video and want to compress the video size at export, you can adjust the frame rate, bit rate or resolution to compress the video size.

Free Download

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Filmora secure download Secure Download

Free Download

For macOS 10.12 or later

Filmora secure download Secure Download

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Videos you record with your iPhone, iPad or any other camera can often be larger than 1GB, especially if they were captured in high resolution. Some social networks have video size limitations, so if your video exceeds the platform’s video size limitation you have to compress that video to meet the specifications of a particular social network.

Previously, we’ve introduced some of the best free video compressor apps for iOS and Android , as well as some video compression software for Windows 10 and Mac, in this article, we will take you through the ten best free online video compressors which allow you to compress videos wherever and whenever.

Top 10 Free Online Video Compressors for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome

There is no need to spend a lot of money on a professional video editing software if you are just looking for a quick way to downsize your videos. In fact, you can perform this task online for free regardless of the operating system you’re using. Let’s take a look at the ten best free online video compressors.

The software listed below are in no particular order.

2. Clipchamp

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9 per month

clipchamp online video compressor interface

This web-based video editing app , enables its users to optimize their videos for different purposes by using templates. Besides making the video editing process easier, Clipchamp converts, records and compresses video files. This video compressor lets you reduce the size without losing the quality of all videos saved in MP4, MOV or AVI file formats.

clipchamp compressed video interface

To change the size of a video with Clipchamp you just have to choose high, medium or low video quality option from the Customize Settings menu. Besides, you can alsocustomize the video resolution and format.

After compression, you can upload and share the video to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and Google Drive directly or download it to computer. The free version of Clipchamp will watermark video you compressed at the beginning and ending frames, and if you want to remove the watermark from a video you have to upgrade to the Business version of the video editor.

Pros

  • Great batch conversion options
  • Offers a huge selection of templates
  • Excellent file-sharing capabilities
  • Effortless video upload

Cons

  • The free version of Clipchamp watermarks videos
  • Modest video compression features
  • A limited selection of output video file formats

3. AConvert

Price: Free

Converting PDF files, word documents or videos with AConvert is a straightforward process that takes a minimum amount of effort. However, you should keep in mind that AConvert can only compress videos that are smaller than 200 MB.

aconvert online video compressor

To start compressing a video with AConvert you have to navigate to the Video window and then import a video from your hard drive or from a file hosting service like Dropbox. The Target Format drop-down menu lets you choose from a variety of output video file formats, like AVI, MP4 or MOV. Afterward, you should select to change Video Size, Bitrate, Frame Rate or Video Aspect settings from the Options drop-down menu and proceed to select the new resolution from the Video Size menu. AConvert offers a huge selection of preset resolutions, and it lets you adjust the bitrate which can reduce the size of your video even further.

Pros

  • Offers powerful video file conversion and video file compression tools
  • Lets you import videos from Dropbox or Google Drive
  • A wide selection of output video file formats
  • Rich resolution template library

Cons

  • No batch processing features
  • Maximum video size cannot exceed 200 MB
  • File sharing capabilities are limited

4. YouCompress

Price: Free

This is a simple video compressor that allows you to reduce the size of audio, video and image files. Moreover, you can reduce the size of an unlimited number of MP4, MP3, JPEG or GIF files using YouCompress. However, the entire video file compression process is automatic, so you can’t adjust the output video resolution, file format or bitrate.

YouCompress  online video compressor

You just have to import a video you’d like to compress from a folder on your computer into YouCompress and click on the Upload File & Compress button. This online video compressor doesn’t have a video file limit, so how long the file compression is going to last depends on the size of the original video file.

Pros

  • Quick and easy compression of audio, video and image files
  • The straightforward file compression process
  • Compressed videos are not watermarked

Cons

  • Selecting the output file format is not possible
  • Video compression settings are automatic
  • No file-sharing capabilities

5. Online Converter Video Compressor

Price: Free

In case you are looking for a video compressor that is both reliable and easy to use, you shouldn’t look much further than Online Converter. You can upload videos saved in MP4, MOV, WMV and other file formats from a URL or from your computer.

onlineconverter  video compressor

Online Converter lets you choose the final size of the video you are compressing and it offers a number of audio quality options. You should keep in mind that reducing a file’s size too much can cause the compression process to fail, and avoid compressing videos more than you need to. In addition, you can use Online Converter’s Resize Video tool to reduce the size of your videos online.

Pros

  • Supports a broad range of video file formats
  • Smooth upload
  • Allows users to set the desired output video size directly

Cons

  • Doesn’t let users choose the file format of the output video
  • No support for encrypted video files
  • The slow video compression process
  • File size limits to 200MB

6. PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor

Price: Free

Compressing a video file with this web-based video compressor can be completed in three simple steps in this tool. You can upload a file from a computer or use Dropbox or Google Drive for faster upload speeds and then proceed to select the output codec. As its names suggest this online video compressor can only create output video files in MP4 file format.

ps2pdf  online video compressor

There are several ways to reduce the size of a file with PS2PDF, so you can choose if you want to shrink videos by percentage, preset quality, variable bitrate or by using the constant bitrate. Opting for slower compression speeds will enable you to preserve the quality of a video while speeding up the compression process is going to save you time, but it may result in poor output video quality.

Pros

  • Quick upload speeds from Google Drive and Dropbox
  • No video file size limitations
  • Offers several different compression methods
  • Allows users to adjust the dimensions of the output video

Cons

  • Supports just MP4 output file format
  • No file sharing features
  • The quality of the output video depends on the speed of the compression process

7. Zamzar

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $9,00 per month

Zamzar is a file conversion platform that lets change formats of videos, images, documents or audio files. Additionally, you can also choose from a variety of video presets that enable you to prepare your video files for the use on Vimeo, YouTube platforms, Smartphones, and other devices.

zamzar  online video compressor

To compress a video file with Zamzar you just have to upload it to the platform via the URL or directly from your computer. Afterward, you must select the output video file format from the Convert To drop-down menu and click on the Convert button to start compressing a video. How much you are going to compress a video depends on the video file format you selected.

Pros

  • Supports more than a thousand file formats
  • The smooth file conversion process
  • Unlimited daily file conversions
  • Online storage space is included in all pricing packages

Cons

  • Offers basic file compression features
  • The free version of Zamzar provides only limited file conversion options
  • The maximum file size of a video file you can convert with Zamzar depends on the subscription model you have

8. CloudConvert

Price: Free, subscriptions start at $8,00 per month

Converting audio, video or image files with CloudConvert is easy. The platform offers several different upload options that allow you to import files from a URL, Google Drive or OneDrive. There are over 200 file formats to choose from, which enables you to select the output video file format that best meets your needs.

cloudconvert online video compressor

CloudConvert lets you change a video’s resolution, its aspect ratio, the number of frames per second and bitrate. Moreover, you can adjust the audio settings for each video you compress, so you can either remove a video’s audio entirely or fine-tune its bitrate or frequency.

Pros

  • Powerful video and compression tools
  • Support a broad range of video files
  • Excellent batch processing options
  • Lets you save files to your Dropbox account after the compression is completed

Cons

  • The free version of CloudConvert has a 1GB file limit
  • You must purchase one of the pricing plans if you want to convert more than five files in a row
  • Prices of subscription models depend on conversion minutes

9. ConvertFiles Online File Converter

Price: Free

ConvertFiles isn’t the most powerful video compressor you can find on the market, but it can cater to the needs of most non-professional users. Its greatest advantage is that supports hundreds of presentation, eBook, drawing, image, audio, and video file formats. This enables you to change the file format of virtually any picture, sound recording, video clip or a document.

convertfiles online video compressor

To start converting a video file you just have to import it to the platform and then choose the output video file format you want. However, you won’t be able to convert or compress video files that are larger than 250MB with the ConvertFiles platform.

Pros

  • The simple file conversion process
  • Supports a broad spectrum of audio, image and video file formats
  • Lets users import videos via URL
  • No watermark on converted videos

Cons

  • Maximum video file size limited to 250MB
  • The file conversion process is slow
  • Provides only basic file compression tools

10. Clideo

Price: Free, pricing plans start at $6,00 per month

Clideo is a web-based video editing app that lets you perform basic video editing tasks with ease. Besides trimming, rotating or merging videos you can also use Clideo to compress video files. After you sign-in to the platform through your Google or Facebook account you just have to click on the Compress Video option.

clideo online video compressor

You can then upload a video file from your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox or via URL and Clideo will set all the compression parameters automatically. The free version of Clideo watermarks all videos you compress with it, and you have to opt for a subscription plan if you want to edit your videos or remove watermarks from them after the compression process is completed.

Pros

  • Offers several methods of reducing the size of video files
  • Provides video editing tools
  • The easy sign-in process through Facebook or Google
  • The quick video compression process

Cons

  • The automatic video compression process
  • Choosing the output video file format is not possible
  • The free version of Clideo watermarks videos

Conclusion

The size of a video you recorded with your digital camera or a Smartphone can sometimes prevent you from sharing them with your friends and colleagues. You can solve this problem by using any of the free online video compressors we featured in this article. Which free online video compressor are you going to choose? Leave a comment below and share your opinions with us.

Online Video Compressor Max Video Size Supported formats Batch Conversion Options Watermark
Clipchamp Unlimited MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes
AConvert 200MB FLV, MOV, MP4… Yes No
Media.io Online Uniconverter 100MB MOV, MP4, FLV No No
YouCompress Unlimited MP4, JPEG, GIF… No No
Online Converter Unlimited AVI, FLV, MP4… No No
PS2PDF Online MP4 Video Compressor Unlimited MP4 Yes No
Zamzar 150MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Cloud Convert 1GB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… Yes No
Convert Files 250MB MP4, DOCX, JPEG… No Yes
Clideo 500MB MOV, MP4, AVI… No Yes

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Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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The Great DVR Debate: TiVo vs Comcast Xfinity

TiVo vs Comcast, Who Wins the DVR Battle?

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

tivo comcast interface

Comcast interface

comcast-menu

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

iphone app

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

x1 remoteerer

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

comcast remotes

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

tivo menu

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

tivo remote

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

tivo comcast interface

Comcast interface

comcast-menu

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

iphone app

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

x1 remoteerer

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

comcast remotes

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

tivo menu

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

tivo remote

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

Download Filmora9 Win Version Download Filmora9 Mac Version

author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

tivo comcast interface

Comcast interface

comcast-menu

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

iphone app

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

x1 remoteerer

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

comcast remotes

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

tivo menu

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

tivo remote

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

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Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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Ollie Mattison

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Cable, satellite, over the air broadcast, streaming internet video – never before have we had so many choices of how to receive television programming. DVR, PVR, computer hard drive, external storage device; now we have choices in how to store programs for viewing later to consider as well. So what is true and what is hype when it comes to what’s the best device? Let’s peel back the layers and look at the information.

First, what is a DVR? A DVR, or digital video recorder, is a device that records video from a source for playback at another time. It often comes with a television programming guide included so you can easily locate shows you want to record. Most DVRs come with large capacity hard drives, though some have flash memory cards as their storage medium. There are a variety of types that range from small storage capacity and two tuners, up through several tuners and massive hard drive storage ability. You also can pause and rewind live TV, which is great when you want to create your own sports instant replays. Most DVRs also allow you to watch one program that was previously recorded while two others are recording, though some have greater capacity.

A TiVo is a particular kind of DVR that was first introduced in 1999. It requires a subscription to its own programming guide that can be purchased month to month, or as a “lifetime” subscription (that means the life of the TiVo, not your life, by the way). TiVos, like cable company DVRs, can record just one show or an entire season. TiVos have a smart feature which notices which shows you are watching and recommends similar ones to you based on how you rate current programs. It also uses these ratings to suggest shows to other viewers.

Let’s look at a few of the main features of both so you can do a comparison. We’ll look at five factors.

1. TiVo vs Comcast: Cost and rent versus own

With a Comcast DVR, you are renting it from the cable company at a cost of $10 to $16 a month, depending on your market. There are no upfront costs, and should the device fail, you can swap it at no cost at your local Comcast service center. Some folks have found that the new X1 boxes are prone to crashes, so that free swap is handy.

A TiVo is yours to keep as long as it lasts or as long as you want it, whichever comes first. It has an initial cost of between $200 and $600, depending on the model. Plus, you have the subscription cost on top of the unit price, which is $15 a month or $500 for a “lifetime” subscription, which TiVo may or may not give you partial credit for should your device fail and you need a new one. Like the Comcast DVRs, some TiVo boxes are less than stable. It’s the nature of electronics. TiVos also have advertising on them, which some Comcast channels do also, like MusicChoice, but not on all of them.

2. TiVo vs Comcast: Services available

With a DVR from Comcast, you can only record shows that are broadcast on one of Comcast’s channels or play shows that are loaded into its On Demand section. A TiVo can be connected to a number of sources, including cable via a cable card, and allow you to combine all of your viewing sources into the one box. It even connects to a high definition antenna.

The TiVo with cable card has access to all of the cable On Demand services, so in that sense it can replace all of the Comcast DVRs. However, the cable card is not free. It typically runs $1.50 per card per month, up to $2.50 per card on the Frontier system.

The menus are slightly different, as you can see below.

tivo comcast interface

Comcast interface

comcast-menu

TiVo interface

TiVos also recognize SD and HD as just different versions of the same show, instead of different channels like Comcast does, so you can set your DVR to just record HD. This makes it somewhat harder to just record HD on a TiVo.

Down the road, Comcast is planning the X2 system which would have cloud recording capacity, thus ending the need for a box in your house at all. TiVo has not yet announced such a plan.

3. TiVo vs Comcast: Connection to a network

TiVos can be connected to your home computer network, and the newest one, the Roamio, comes with built-in wifi, for total freedom of use. Because it’s on the network, you can stream shows from your computer through the TiVo box for later playback. It supports channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant. You can also stream shows to your Apple portable devices and then take the shows with you on the plane or to the gym, or use the device as a remote control. (Android devices will have the same capacity soon.) The network capacity also means you can use your computer to control the TiVo box and view content wherever you are.

Some reviewers have also noted that the network set up is not as simple as it might be, and it requires some computer knowledge and ability. Unless you have a tech person nearby, novice computer users may not wish to set up the network.

The iPhone app remote screen looks like this:

iphone app

A TiVo does have limitations of who can access which channels. For instance, it does not stream HBOGo, nor does it interface with Apple’s TV programming. For that you still need an AppleTV device.

Comcast boxes simply do not network well. They are designed to broadcast the cable signals through your TV, but not on a home network. They are often easier to connect, however, just requiring a cable from the box to be plugged into the TV.

4. TiVo vs Comcast: Recording capacity

The new TiVo, the Roamio, has as many as six tuners that can record at the same time with up to 150 hours of high definition programming. You’ll never have another scheduling conflict again!

TiVos have recording capacities that range from 75 to 450 hours, depending on whether it is standard definition or high definition, and which device you are using. You can choose from three models of the Roamio. The base model costs $200 and has 75 hours of capacity. The menu and features are more limited on this one than on the others. There is a middle model priced at $400 that has the same six tuners as the high-end one but can only hold 150 hours of recordings. Then the top tier model costs $600 and has 450 hours of recording capacity, all of it in high definition.

The Comcast X1 DVR has four tuners and it can record them simultaneously. You can watch a prerecorded program while it’s recording, too. It can hold 120 hours of HD or 600 hours of SD programming.

5. TiVo vs Comcast: User interface

The Comcast X1 DVR system has a voice-activated interface and a completely different look and layout than their standard system has.

x1 remoteerer

The basic Comcast remote is a multi-function remote and capable of controlling all functions, but it does not have the ability to connect to a portable device like a tablet or a smartphone to have connectivity that way like a TiVo can through an app. The remote has to be line of sight in order to work.

comcast remotes

The TiVo device menu is in standard definition, so for those who have a high definition set up, you may find this a bit distraction or fuzzy. It does come with apps for extending what the box can do, including games for kids.

Many reviewers liked the interface on the TiVo better than the grid used on the Comcast service. The TiVo programming guide allows you to delete channels you don’t watch so you’re only looking at the channels you like. Comcast’s guide covers every channel they offer, even ones that are not available on your tier of service.

tivo menu

With the TiVo Roamio, connecting to a tablet allows you to be in another room and still operate the “remote” for the TiVo DVR. Download the app onto your device and you’re ready to go.

TiVo’s device remote has a sleek layout called the “peanut”.

tivo remote

Summary

What it all comes down to is looking at how you use your TV, where you get your sources from, and what your budget is. Each device has its own set of things that are appealing, and its own drawbacks. For flexibility of being able to use multiple sources and devices, the TiVo is the clear winner. For cost in the long run, it’s almost a draw. For ease of connection to a TV, the Comcast box comes out on top. No matter which one you pick, you’ll never run out of great programs to watch.

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author avatar

Ollie Mattison

Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Ollie Mattison

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New In This Article, We Will Show You How to Blur Faces with some of the Best Video Editing Software for Free and Paid for 2024