6 Best Video Converters for Mac (Apple M1/M2 Included)

Looking for a video format converter? You’ve come to the right place.

Nowadays, videos make up a significant part of the consuming content in our daily life. But things can get tricky when you run into incompatibility issues, especially for Mac users. So to make things easier for everyone, we created a list of some best video converters for Mac, including M1/M2-compatible apps. Whether it’s for playback on multiple devices or further editing on a video editing software, these are some of the best video converters out there.

That said, if you’re interested in video editing why not check out our list of the best computers to use for video editing.

 

 

6 Best Video Converters for Mac (Apple M1/M2 Included)

1. VideoProc Converter (Editor’s Choice)

Best video converter for Mac overall

VideoProc Converter ranks first on this list for a reason. It supports 370+ input and 420+ output formats/codecs, almost all the usual formats you need. Besides the essential conversion features, VideoProc Converter is optimized for M1/M1 Pro/M1 Max/M1 Ultra/M2 architecture to ensure the best performance and compatibility on a Mac. It provides universal support for both Intel and Apple silicon Macs.

VideoProc Converter sees rapid video processing and maximum efficiency with quality-oriented media conversion. Thanks to its unique level-3 GPU acceleration, the program can convert videos up to 47x faster while keeping low CPU usage of 2%.

Features:

• 370+ codec and 420+ format conversion, including HEVC, Apple ProRes, MOV, etc.
• Smooth hi-res video processing for 4K/8K/5.3K HDR videos
• Auto Copy mode for remuxing
• Change advanced settings: codec, FPS, resolution, aspect ratio, bitrate, etc.
• 29 quick-edit tools to cut, merge, add effects, change playback speed and edit audio
• Built-in DVD converter, video compressor, downloader, and screen recorder

Pros:

• Compatible with both Intel and Apple silicon Macs
• High-quality engine & Auto Copy mode for remuxing
• GPU acceleration with low CPU usage
• Batch conversion supported
• Simple and intuitive interface; all-in-one solution
• Cheaper than its competitors with good customer support

Cons:

• The trial version is free for files under 5 minutes.

 

2. QuickTime Player

One of the best built-in video converters for Mac

If you have no desire to download any new software for one-off video conversion, the built-in QuickTime Player can get the job done. Although QuickTime is for playing videos, it does allow you to export them in specific formats and thus serve as a video converter. Since QuickTime is a native app, you don’t need to worry about the lack of optimization or compatibility.

Features:

• Open and play the video or audio file
• Output MOV (H264/HEVC) video or MPEG audio
• Make an audio-only recording or screen recording
• Simple editing features
• Create a video with an image sequence

Pros:

• Free and preinstalled
• Easy to use for beginners
• Support different resolutions up to 4K

Cons:

• Limited codec and format support
• High consumption of system resources
• Lack of support for batch conversion
• No advanced codec and format settings

 

3. CloudConvert

One of the best video converters for Mac available online

CloudConvert is an online converter for more than 200 file formats, including audio, video, ebook, etc. Most online converters are pretty straightforward to use. You only need to go to the website, choose the format you want, then upload and download the converted video. That’s all.

Features:

• Convert video, audio, documents, eBooks, etc.
• Support more than 200 formats
• Set parameters such as codec, resolution, aspect ratio, bitrate, etc.
• Simple editing features, including trimming and adding watermark

Pros:

• Clean and intuitive interface
• No need to download and compatible with almost any web browser
• Customizable video parameters
• Broad format support for video, audio, and other file formats

Cons:

• Limited upload file size to convert
• A time-consuming conversion process for large files
• Conversion speed will largely depend on your network conditions.

 

4. HandBrake for Mac

A video converter designed specifically for Mac OS

HandBrake is on almost every list of video converters if you search the internet. This program is not specifically designed for macOS. It’s multi-platform and can run on Mac, Windows, and Linux. HandBrake packs many encoders and decoders, making it support a wide range of input formats. However, HandBrake supports only three container formats: MP4 (M4V), MKV, and WebM.

Features:

• Transcode multimedia files
• Tweak basic and advanced video parameters
• Process DVD or BluRay sources without copy protection
• Title/chapter and range selection
• Batch scan and queueing of encodes

Pros:

• Free and open-source program
• Rich output presets for different devices
• Support adjusting various settings, including codec, audio/subtitle tracks, filters, etc.

Cons:

• The inevitable re-encoding process
• A limited number of container formats supported
• Beginners may struggle with the interface.
• The preview function is not convenient enough.

 

5. VLC

Best open-source video converter for Mac

Best known as a video player, just like QuickTime, VLC comes with many additional features, including converting multimedia file formats. This media player can handle almost any multimedia file you throw at it. Plus the conversion presets integrated with the program, VLC works just fine as a video converter on your Mac. It’s free and available in the App Store for Macs with both Intel processors and Apple silicon chips. So make sure to download the correct version to avoid degraded performance.

One of the most easily accessible software, this video player is one best video converters that are easy to install and free to use.

Features:

• Play audio, video, and other multimedia files
• Play DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs
• Hardware decoding for playback
• Support subtitle synchronization, video/audio filters
• Record desktop screen
• Perform simple edits, including trimming, cropping, rotating, etc.

Pros:

• Free and open-source program
• Relatively broad format support
• Extremely customizable conversion settings
• Support batch video conversion

Cons:

• The lack of support for AV1 and VP9 codec
• Potentially time-consuming conversion process
• Converting with VLC cannot promise there is no quality loss

 

6. FFmpeg

Best free video converter and open-source command line-based tool

Strictly speaking, this list should not include FFmpeg as an “app”, but it is the backbone of many other multimedia software projects. FFmpeg is a free and open-source command line-based tool. The project does not have a native GUI. You need to type commands with the keyboard to convert video or audio file formats.

Features:

• Transcode video, audio, subtitles, etc.
• Remuxing / demuxing
• Compress video/audio streams
• Capture the desktop and record a video of the screen
• Options for filters
• Stream selection, timeline editing, syntax

Pros:

• Free, cross-platform, and open-source
• Broad support for almost any codec and format
• Extremely customizable

Cons:

• FFmpeg does not have a native GUI.
• Novices users may find FFmpeg commands relatively complicated.

 

Related:

• Best Video Compressors for Mac
• Best FREE Video Editing Software
• Best Video Editing Courses
• Best Graphics Cards for Video Editing
• Best Desktop Computers for Video Editing
• Best Tablets for Video Editing
• Best Monitors for Editing Video

 

6 Best Video Converters for Mac (Apple M1/M2 Included)

That’s all for our best video converters for Mac. All of the above converters have their pros and cons. The important thing is to choose the software that works best for you. If curious, why not check out this review on free video editing software.

If you are a user like me, we recommend VideoProc Converter, which is one of the best video converters overall with rich features, high output quality, and a decent price tag. The full license will cost you $25.95, but for an all-in-one solution that includes a video/audio/DVD converter, online downloader, and screen recorder, I’d go for it.

If you have no plan to invest in a one-off task and your desired output format is among MP4, MKV, and WebM, HandBrake would do just fine. For experienced users, the Swiss Army Knife FFmpeg would be the best choice.