Looking for the best video compressor for Mac to reduce file size? Check out our roundup list below.
It is a real bummer to get the “file too large” error when you are trying to upload the video to YouTube, Discord, Emails, etc.
sponsored message
While today’s iPhones and cameras usually allow us to shoot 4K and UHD videos, it’s not always easy for sharing.
Facebook Messenger sets a 25MB limit, Discord 8MB, email attachments 25MB, WhatsApp 16MB, and YouTube violently compresses your large videos without sophisticated settings.
Video compressors are applications to make a video smaller in file size, by changing bitrate, using an efficient codec to achieve a higher compression ratio, and altering other codec settings.
They help us to save storage space, enjoy faster uploading speed, and preserve the quality too. Below are the best video compressors for Mac under various situations.
sponsored message
The Best Video Compressors for Mac in 2023 – Overview
- VideoProc Converter AI — Overall best video compressor for Mac (Editor’s Choice)
- Handbrake — Best Mac Video Compressor for Skilled Users
- VLC — Compress Video on Mac for Occasional Usage
- FFmpeg — Best Mac Video Compressor for Code-Savvy Users
- QuickTime Video Player — Compress Video on Mac Quickly with a Trick
- 8MB Video Compressor — Compress Video on Mac Online
6 Best Video Compressors for Mac
1. VideoProc Converter AI (Editor’s Choice)
Get VideoProc Converter AI Lifetime License for Windows and Mac at 50% off with coupon code ‘JUST’ already embedded
Best Video Compressor for Mac Overall
VideoProc Converter AI is the overall best video converter for Mac, considering its feature set, ease of use, output quality, and robust performance.
sponsored message
Besides the existing compression options loved by its users (use a better codec, lower bitrate, alter frame rate and more), VideoProc Converter now has a time-saving Video Compress Tool built-in.
Any user can easily make a video smaller – from 10% to 90% of the size of the original file – by dragging the compressing slider, or simply entering the value for the intended size. No skills or compressing knowledge are required.
With the level-3 Hardware Acceleration tech, it can boost the compressing speed to 47x. This tool runs on Mac M1/M2 series/Intel and Windows PC and is lightweight for old and slow computers.
Get VideoProc Converter AI Lifetime License for Windows and Mac at 50% off with coupon code ‘JUST’ already embedded.
To Compress Videos on Mac with VideoProc Converter AI:
- Download and Install VideoProc Converter AI for Mac (and it also has a Windows version).
- Go to the Video module from the main UI, and import videos.
- At the bottom tab, go to Toolbox > Compress. Double click on the Compress tool.
4. Drag the slider to compress the video. You can also directly enter an intended size (MB).
Tips 1: As one of the best video compressors for Mac, VideoProc Converter supports batch compress videos to enhance your productivity. It even supports configuring different compression settings for each video.
For instance, you can set to reduce the file size of video 1 by 70%, and 50% for video 2, separately. Then click RUN to compress videos on Mac in bulk.
Tips 2: You can also compress a video easily by changing the codec in VideoProc Converter. The quickest way is to use MP4-H264 or MP4-HEVC. These are pre-configured output format profiles, thus you can simply apply them in 1-click.
VideoProc Converter AI Features:
- Built-in compressor to reduce the file size by percentage or intended value easily
- Advanced compressing algorithms to balance file size and video quality
- Ability to manage bitrate mode, GOP, FPS, codec, aspect ratio, and audio settings
- Worry-free profiles for YouTube, SNS sharing, TV, and device playback
- 370+ input/420+ output formats, best for 4K, 360 VR, HEVC, MOV, QuickTime, GoPro…
- Beginner-friendly toolkit to edit, convert, record, and save videos. No learning curve.
Meet the New Compressor Tool in VideoProc Converter AI – Up to 90% Compression
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ 7 ways to compress video for different scenarios | ➖ The free trial version is free for an unlimited number of videos under 5 minutes each |
| ➕ Reduce video file size by 10% – 90% as you wish | |
| ➕ Powered by High-Quality Engine and Adaptive Image Scaling algorithm | |
| ➕ Level-3 hardware acceleration and multi-core CPU processing | |
| ➕ Cheaper price with more features than its competitors |
2. Handbrake
Best Mac Video Compressor for Skilled Users
Handbrake is another nice choice in the list of best video compressors for Mac. Although it only supports compressing to three formats: MP4, MKV, and WebM.
The notable absence is the MOV support, which is widely used on Mac devices. Still, there’s not much to complain about since it is free.
Handbrake is designed with a geeky interface, daunting for beginners but powerful for professionals. For instance, there are RF value settings to balance video file size and quality, provided that the users have experience in manually adjusting the value based on video resolution, FPS, and other parameters.
Handbrake doesn’t have a 1-click compressor tool like that in VideoProc Converter. To use Handbrake as a video compressor for Mac, you need to have some pre-knowledge about video codec and compressing mechanism. Otherwise, for inexperienced users, one may have mixed luck with some video files becoming larger than the original file after compressing.
To compress a video on Mac via Handbrake:
- Download the proper Mac version of Handbrake from its official site. It works on Mac 10.13 and later.
- Choose a destination folder for the output video.
- Use a preset such as Fast 1080p 30.
If your source video is larger than 1080p resolution, this setting will reduce the file size by downscaling the resolution. So that you can maintain the quality to some extent (as indicated by the Video Quality RF value in Handbrake).
- If you don’t want to change the resolution to compress video on Mac, then you can select a preset with the same resolution as the source video. Then adjusting other parameters such as RF value or video codec to further compress the video.
- Larger RF value corresponds to lower quality, hence less bitrate and smaller video size.
Features:
- Compress and convert videos to different formats
- Support constant quality or average bitrate mode
- Offers Encoder Profile and Level settings for power users to compress video
- Compress multiple videos in the queue
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Support 2-pass encoding that takes a long time to compress | ➖ Only support MP4, MKV, and WebM output format |
| ➕ Select chapters from videos to compress and convert | ➖ No option to compress the video to the intended file size |
| ➕ Add filters to the video upon compressing | ➖ It will always re-encode the video because it doesn’t support video remux |
| ➖ Doesn’t support video-to-audio conversion |
sponsored message
3. VLC Media Player
Compress Video on Mac for Occasional Usage
It’s no secret that VLC Media Player can be repurposed as the best video compressor for Mac without paying anything.
The tradeoff is a not-so-smooth workflow and some learning curve. You need to check the resolution, FPS, and bitrate profiles of the source video, and then manually enter numbers to nudge them down. Alternatively, you can compress video with HEVC H265, which is more efficient than H264.
Since many of us already has VLC installed as a media player, it can be quite handy to compress video on Mac for temporary usage. You can check the detailed steps here to make videos smaller in VLC.
How to Use VLC as a Video Compressor for Mac:
- Launch VLC and go to the option Convert/Stream from its menu > File.
- Click Open Media to add the file into VLC, and select the profile Video – H264 + MP3 (MP4).
- Click Customise for more settings regarding video codec.
For instance, skilled users can adjust the bitrate according to the specific situations of a video, such as its resolution, and whether it involves high motion and complex scenes. However, since VLC doesn’t have multiple bitrate modes, it offers fewer controls.
If you want to further control bitrate mode (Auto Calculate, CBR, ABR), use 2-pass encoding, or change GOP values, you can resort to VideoProc Converter above.
Features:
- Convert and compress video to MP4, WebM, TS, ASF, etc.
- Support streaming videos and audio online
- Support non-commercial DVDs, CDs, and Blu-ray
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Free and open-source software | ➖ No 1-click profile to easily compress videos |
| ➕ Active communities and abundant tutorials online | ➖ Cannot estimate the compressed file size |
| ➕ Runs natively on M1/M2 Macs | ➖ Doesn’t support compressing to MKV out-of-the-box |
4. FFmpeg
Best Mac Video Compressor for Code-Savvy Users
FFmpeg is a command-line-based video processing tool. Its coding nature is a daunting front door that wards off many beginners. But once you get the hang of it, you will find FFmpeg the best video compressor for Mac.
sponsored message
You can specify the intended compressing codec, bitrate value, bitrate mode, and other parameters to reduce video file size. If the resolution isn’t a concern, you can compress large 4K to 1080p or 720p to make the video smaller.
If you don’t want to reduce the file size by altering the resolution, you can command FFmpeg to alter other parameters, such as CRF value or video codec. The choices have to be made based on the source video and your intentions.
For instance, if the source video is ProRes, then you can use FFmpeg to compress it into MP4-H264 as a smaller delivery format. If the source video is already a compressed H264, then you can try to transcode it to H265 to further compress the video on Mac.
To use FFmpeg as a video compressor for Mac, here are some command lines for your reference:
| ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec libx264 -crf 20 output.mp4 |
Tips: libx264 uses the H264 codec to compress. If you prefer HEVC (which offers a higher compression ratio for the same quality, or better quality at the same size), use libx265 instead.
| ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec libx265 -crf 26 output.mp4 |
Features:
- Free command-line tool without restrictions
- Compress MKV, MOV, MP4, FLV, and more formats with codes
- You can use the experimental builds on GitHub with more features
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Support a large range of video and audio formats | ➖ Not a graphical way to compress videos |
| ➕ Option to convert, trim, and split videos and audio files | ➖ The compressing can take a long time without proper settings |
| ➕ Support the latest AV1 video compressing |
5. QuickTime Video Player
Compress Video on Mac Quickly with a Trick
QuickTime Video Player can easily export a video into MP4 at several resolutions. So the trick is, when you export the video, the file size will be reduced, especially when you downgrade the resolution.
It is the best video compressor for Mac when you only need to convert one file, in a hurry, and not to think much about bitrate or other codec settings that can enhance the quality.
To compress a video on Mac using QuickTime Player:
- Find QuickTime Player from Mac Launchpad and open it.
- Go to File > Open File (cmd+O) to import the video.
- Go to File > Export, and select a downscale resolution.
For instance, if your source video is 1080p, then you can go with 720p. If you don’t want to compress a video on Mac by altering its resolution, use VideoProc Converter, Handbrake, or FFmpeg instead.
Features:
- Compress MOV, FLV, MPEG4 and many more to MP4 for free
- There is also a hidden video recording option in QuickTime
- Option to trim a video to make it smaller
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ No need to install it, the application is free and safe to use | ➖ No advanced settings to preserve video quality |
| ➕ Support open image sequences | ➖ Not a dedicated video compressor |
| ➖ High CPU usage for 4K, HEVC, and large videos |
6. 8MB Video Compressor
Compress Video on Mac Online
8MB Video Compressor is the best video compressor for Mac online. Unlike some other tools that compress your video to an unpredictable size, this online tool does exactly what its name says – reducing your video file to less than 8MB.
This video compressor for Mac also comes in handy in many scenarios: compressing video to 25MB as an email attachment, reducing video files to a certain size to meet the requirements of forums, or messaging and social media sharing. It also offers other options such as 50MB and 100MB.
You can further reduce the size by removing the audio tracks inside. Though the change will only be noticeable if the original video contains multiple audio tracks that occupy significant storage space.
Features:
- Option to remove sounds from the video
- Compress the video by trimming off the start and end parts
- Support a wide range of input formats
Pros |
Cons |
| ➕ Quick and handy for occasional usage with small files | ➖ Severe quality loss if you squeeze it too much |
| ➕ Compress video to a specific size range | ➖ The free tool only supports videos under 5 minutes |
| ➕ Free for videos under 2GB, no watermark | ➖ The server crashes on demanding videos such as HEVC |
How to Choose the Best Video Compressor for Mac
Depending on your scenarios and use case, one or some of the applications on this list will be your best video compressor for Mac for specific tasks.
The overall best choice is VideoProc Converter. It is lightweight and powerful, with the largest formats, a 1-click compressing tool, and advanced settings to balance quality level and file size. It is time-saving, efficient, and has far more features than free tools, and a cheaper price tag than other paid software – nearly half of the price with a similar feature set.
For a detailed test with compression ratio, CPU usage, and processing time, you can refer to this blog on best video compressors, which included applications for Mac and Windows OS with a comprehensive review.
For a one-time task, Handbrake and VLC are both nice choices. If you want to compress specifically to 8MB, 25MB, and so on, you can use the online 8MB video compressor or the 1-click compressing tool in VideoProc Converter.
Below is a quick wrap-up of the best video compressors for Mac. At the end of the day, the one that most suits your needs will be the best option, considering its feature set, easiness, compress modes, pricing, and so on.
| Tools | Ease-of-use | Overall Performance |
| VideoProc Converter | Easy | ★★★★★ |
| Handbrake | Require learning | ★★★★☆ |
| VLC Media Player | No 1-click mode | ★★★☆☆ |
| FFmpeg | Hard to learn | ★★★★★ |
| QuickTime Video Player | Easy | ★★★☆☆ |
| 8MB Video Compressor | Easy | ★★★☆☆ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a third-party app to compress a video on Mac?
Is there a video compressor on Mac?
Does video compressing reduce the video quality?
Yes, while compressing a video, specific data is removed to make the file size smaller. This results in loss of clarity and detail in the images. However, choosing the right compression method and settings will help in preserving the quality to an extent .
Is there a way to make a video smaller other than compression?
Yes, you can opt to trim down your video or choose a lower resolution(720p or 480p) to reduce the file size.
The Best Video Compressor for Mac – Summary
It’s time to narrow down your selection of the best video compressor for Mac. Our list includes the features, benefits, and drawbacks of each video compressor to help you choose the one that best fits your needs.
If you are a professional video editor and looking for a video compressor, we recommend the VideoProc Converter. It offers rich features at a reasonable cost and produces results of the highest caliber.
If you do not intend to choose a subscription plan, Handbrake is an ideal choice for you. This tool is capable of compressing and converting videos to different formats (MP4, MKV, and WebM).
Whereas, QuickTime Video Player is a great alternative if you’re looking for a simple way to export your videos quickly.
What is your favorite video compressor on this list? Let us know in the comment section.
