You might have considered starting a YouTube channel inspired by millions of dollars your favourite YouTubers earn and make high-quality audio-visual content to boost your social media presence that would help you connect with potential employers and act as a crowning extra-curricular activity, or even start to take video editing as a hobby during these lockdown moments to kill your couch-potato inveteration and speak in front of a global audience to know about what others think about you. Well, the task of making movies out of your apartment room has been made easier by the wide availability of online free video converter (apps as well as websites) for platforms ranging from android, iOS, Windows, macOS and even Linux-and you would find the best video editor suiting your need in the most objective and tunable manner. Read on to find out!
Ever since the launch of YouTube in 2005, videos have revolutionized the way people get and share information and entertainment. If you are brainstorming your way through producing high-quality videos that would hook up anybody to their screen, what you need is a free video converter.
So, let’s hound you with a Wikipedia definition of what is a Video Converter: these ‘…are computer programs that change the storage format of digital video by recompressing it to another format in a process called transcoding, or may simply change the container format without changing the video format…’
Although most blogs tend to keep iOS and other swanky Apple platforms into mind when recommending technologies, here you will find some best options for free Android video converter Apps too. Some really helpful video converter applications and websites with different features and pricing to suit all your needs according to your requirements follows:
Any Video Converter
Ah, the name! Convert video and audio files with this software without any sounds like s%#* in the middle. Metaphorically a Bugatti Veyron and a Hyundai Santro to operate, and so is its price. Don’t worry about bugs; enjoy the simple interface and every file you put inside to convert should work perfectly(as per my personal experience folks!). It is no doubt the best video converter for Android APK.
• Supported input container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4,MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SuperVideo CD, TS, TOD, VideoCD, Webm, WMV
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
Avidemux
Avidemux is available at the cost of earth’s oxygen well-suited for non-linear video editing and transcoding multimedia files. In the developers’ words it is “a simple tool for simple video processing tasks” which allows users “to do elementary things in a very straightforward way”. Coded using C++, and its graphical user interface takes the help of Qt,; its multimedia functions are accomplished with FFmpeg, however. Later versions like 2.4 also offers a command-line interface, ‘and since version 2.6, the original GTK port has not been maintained and is now discontinued.’
• Supported input container formats: FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, DVD video
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SuperVideo CD, TS, VideoCD, WebM
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
Dr. DivX
It has been two decades and DivX has never disappointed with its innovative technology to provide stunning entertainment experiences for the globe. The free version of the video converter offers ‘so-so’ conversion speeds, beastly output, including 4K. You can upgrade to the paid version by buying individual features, such as Cloud Connect, a Video Pack, a DFX Audio Enhancer, or maybe a DTS-HD Plug-In.
BONUS EDGE: Dr. DivX is a great option as a video converter for Android online.
• Supported input container formats: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DVD, AVI, WMV, AVS and live capture from a capture card or webcam, Matroska
• Supported output container formats: AVI/DIVX,, MPEG-4 ASP, MP3, AC3, MKV,H.264, AAC, H.265, AAC
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
DVDVideoSoft Free Studio
it has a good design with a modern look with pretty intuitive interface. This video converter boasts a three-step easy to convert dynamic along with a lot of conversion profiles. The option hierarchy doesn’t pose a bother much like most video converters. Hate your iPhone ringtone? Not only video, you can also convert audio from one format to other. And of-course, the output option is flexible to suit your desired device.
• Supported input container formats: QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SuperVideo CD, Video CD, Webm, WMV
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Samsung mobile phones
FFmpeg
It is a whole package- cross-platform solution to record, convert and stream audio and video all in one. Feature-wise it’s dynamic and great with presets and allows convenient extraction of music from video files. Although totally free, but might be difficult for beginners to master the complex interface.
• Supported input container formats: Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, VCD, WMV, Webm
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
Format Factory
There you go another ‘factory’. Format Factory is a free video converter; don’t worry it doesn’t format anything. It provides an audio and video conversion facility along with clipping, joining, splitting, mixing, cropping, and de-logo“ing”. Video player, screen recorder, and video downloader are also valuable tools the product managers were generous to include. It also supports a wide range of file formats(listed below) including iPod’s multimedia.
• Supported input container formats: MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, VCD, WMV
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune
Freemake Video Converter
This is the option when you are confused what to do in life-it makes you more confused and annoyed. Although a perfectly good DVD ripper and video converter, with plenty of device-specific presets and when given an update to be able to support h265 and some changes to the GPU support, and the removal of the ads(ads are everywhere folks!) and confusing pricing-it even pops one up when you try to close the program. Oh by the way, it constantly pops-up ads, has a confusing payment structure and desperately needs an update. It is the all-rounder among all video converters.
• Supported input container formats: MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, WMV
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Samsung mobile phones
HandBrake
Although the features of this online video converter are lucid enough to understand, it requires an advanced computer user is required to use HandBrake for its full purpose. If you know the basics, you should be able to figure out to navigate through the main steps. It is a small file and the installation process is easy and so is its setting up i.e., no any extra downloads or offers hidden within the installation process to lure the customer into some weird subsidiary windows. The catch, it is not an easy and efficient converter. Some previous reviewers reported to have the video converter taken ‘a couple tries to correctly convert a 15-minute video file the first time. It seemed to shut down without finishing, but eventually it worked.’
The new version 1.3.3 comes with some fixed ISO 639-2/B language codes not set correctly in MKV (affects Hebrew, Indonesian, Javanese, and Yiddish) and [not so important] miscellaneous bug fixes and improvements. Well, what’s important is its improved support for sources where pixel format cannot be quickly identified, e.g. due to delayed video track start.
• Supported input container formats: FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video
• Supported output container formats: Matroska, MP4, Webm
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox
MediaCoder
MediaCoder allows its lucky users to enhance and improve the clip content by using filters. Like the AVS video converter, this software also supports the acceleration of GPU encoding, icing on the cake. I can assure you this is the best free Android video converter App you can have in your ROM.
• Supported input container formats: MP4, WebM, F4V, FLV, Matroska, AVI, MPEG-PS, MPEG-TS, ASF, MTS/M2TS/AVCHD, Quicktime/MOV, PMP, RealMedia, OGM. Streaming (Input) and Storage Media, Bluray, CD, DVD, VCD, SVCD, FTP, RTSP, UDP, HTTP, CUESheet
• Supported output container formats: Opus, AC-3, MPEG Audio, MusePack, Speex, AMR, Windows Media Audio, ADPCM, MPEG Audio, MusePack, Speex, AMR, Windows Media Audio, ADPCM, mp3PRO, H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, Bluray, DVD, VCD, SVCD, CD, CUESheet, VP8/VP9, MPEG 1/2/4, Flash Video, XviD, DivX, Theora, Dirac, H.263, RealVideo, Windows Media Video, Huffyuv, MJPEG, MP4, WebM, F4V, FLV, Matroska, AVI, MPEG-PS, MPEG-TS, ASF, MTS/M2TS/AVCHD, Quicktime/MOV, PMP, RealMedia, OGM, HTTP, FTP, RTSP, UDP, MP3, Vorbis, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, Opus, AC-3, FLAC, WavPack, Monkey’s Audio, OptimFrog, ALAC, TTA, PCM, MP3, Vorbis, LC-AAC, HE-AAC, mp3PRO(was that too much? Read till to the end to find a useful comparison methodology)
• Supported target devices: All smartphones and tablets, iPads, PSP, Personal Media Players, VOD(good for karaoke)
MEncoder
Ok, I am going to give you a perspective from multiple people for this. Some said they don’t seem to notice much difference between MEncoder and FFmpeg except that some complains that ‘Mencoder seems to make audio out of sync with the video’ where FFmpeg jumps in. But, some say that the sync anomaly can be fixed with some brainstorming in the internet. Some report of ‘never using a command line with them, and instead substitute it with acidrip, handbrake, or some other front end utility. They usually set the timings automatically.’
Users who have been referred to this should know that ‘the command-line version of handbrake doesn’t support AVI format anymore.’
• Supported input container formats: 3G2, 3GP, ASF/WMV, AVI, Adobe Flash, HLS(MPEG-2TS), IMF, Matroska, MPEG-PS, MPEG-TS, MPEG-1 System Streams, MPEG-4, MXF, QuickTime, WebM
• Supported output container formats: Xvid, MPEG-4 ASP, MPEG-4 AVC, AVI, lavf, raw video and audio stream (no muxing-one video stream only), WAV, swf, SUN AU, dv, mkv
• Supported target devices: All smartphones and tablets, iPads, PSP, Personal Media Players, VOD
Oggconvert
Lovers of this video converter literally took the burden off the Windows users. Although experimental version has been deployed for Windows, it works better in Linux. According to my favourite reviewer ‘OggConvert is a Gnome and GTK utility for converting media files to the patent-free Vorbis format.’ Its flexibility compared to its counterparts is its unique quality. It handles the latest variations available formats including Theora, Dirac and VP8. And please mind that OggConvert and Ogg Converter are different products. OggConvert isn’t alone to use GStreamer to convert media files to Theora and Vorbis formats, SoundConverter, Arista Transcoder also do.
An only potential demerit with this converter is that it only converts to Ogg and Matroska files.
• Supported input container formats: QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV
• Supported target devices: All smartphones and tablets, iPads, PSP, Personal Media Players, VOD
SUPER
Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer or SUPER Video Converter is where file converting is not a problem with this program, that is why many people continue to use this tool. Its cons? Well, It doesn’t give the option of using it before downloading and installing it. If you are not a green hand user, don’t use it! And given the large portion of CPU it uses, it freezes during the conversion process. This is not the best option for macOS. Moreover, the conversion rate is sometimes slow. Apowersoft Free Online Converter is the best alternative converter for SUPER users with the same features but the issues addressed. SUPER’s fab for newbies!
• Supported input container formats: Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, VCD, WMV, Webm
• Supported target devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
VirtualDub
It is a non-linear video converter where noise reduction, real-time downsizing, compression, and video segmentation are some of the crown-jewels of video converter stockpile. Although easy to learn and use, the user-interface looks outdated. Performance-wise, its a beast even inside your low-end PC. The best thing about this is ‘VirtualDub Video Editor is completely Free and Open-source. Whether you want to use it for commercial, educational, or business purposes, you do not have to pay anything.’ But not suitable for professionals, and there aren’t much user guides. Since its a free video editor, you gotta try it for some basic editing tasks for getting your hands dirty for learning. Got a small editing project which you want to get done using free software? VirtualDub is here for your rescue.
• Supported input container formats: anm, asf, avi, bik, dts, dxa, flv, wmv, ts, vob, mts, m2ts, m2t, .mxf, .ogm, qt, tp, dvr-ms, amv, mjp, mlp, mov, mp4, 3gp, 3g2, mj2, fli, mvi, pmp, rm, rmvb, rpl, smk, swf, vc1 flc, flx, h261, h263, h264, m4v, mkv
• Supported output container formats: ac3, asf, avi, codec, convertor, divx, editor, encoding, ffdshow, ffmpeg, format, frame, h264, mkv, movie, mpeg, mpg4, video,virtualdub, xvid
• Supported target devices: PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones. Do remember that VirtualDub requires a Video for Windows(VFW) compatible device to capture video. Windows Driver Model driver is also a good option
14. XMedia Recode: Transcoding and remuxing the original video or audio codec doesn’t need to be changed, just change the container format with ease. The greatest advantage of XMedia Recode is that the converted video can fully maintain the original video quality. MKV format is respected very well by this video converter. And not to forget rich customize settings including frame-rate, rate control mode, bitrate, display mode, and DC precision it provides.
Annoyingly, video editing functions keep showing “disabled”. Generally fails to load disc, long-bug-list and ignored by developers.It does not offer profile retrieval. The procedure of converting video with XMedia Recode makes beginners stay away!
• Supported input container formats: QuickTime, SVCD, TS, TOD, VCD, WMV, 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg
• Supported output container formats: 3GP, AVI, Blu-ray video, DVD video, FLV, Matroska, MP4, MPEG-PS, Ogg, QuickTime, SVCD, TS, VCD, WMV, Webm
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
MPEG Streamclip
Along with being a versatile player and editor, MPEG Streamclip is a powerful free video converter. Not only MPEGs, but it can also convert many movie files; also convert MPEG files between demuxed/muxed formats for authoring; it can encode movies to many formats, including iPod; it can cut, trim and join movies. Oh hey YouTubers, MPEG Streamclip can also download videos from YouTube and Google, just enter the page URL. So,…yeah!
MPEG Streamclip uses: open and play movie formats including MPEG files or transport streams with utmost fluidity; set In/Out points and convert them into muxed or demuxed files. Exporting them to MPEG-4, QuickTime, AVI, DV files is also feasible, so you can import them in a DVD authoring tool, and use many other applications or devices. You won’t be disappointed with the ‘flow’.
MPEG Streamclip is a dynamic and robust software worth mentioning in utmost detail.
• Supported input container formats: MPEG, VOB, PS, M2P, MOD,VRO, DAT, MOV, DV, AVI, MP4, TS, M2T, MMV, REC, VID, AUD, AVR, VDR, PVR, TP0, M2V, M1V, MPV, AIFF, M1A, MP2, MPA, AC3, and many more…
• Supported output container formats: mov, avi, wmv, flv, mpeg, vob, MPG, ps, MOD, dcm, pvr, m2t, REC, vid, avr, m2v, tp, aud, mmv, mts, dat, m2p, tpo, divx, trp dv, avi, mp4, divx, mov. encode capability
• Supported target devices: Apple-TV, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, PSP, PS3, Xbox, HTC, Nokia mobile phones, BlackBerry, Zune, Nintendo DS, Samsung mobile phones
Conclusion
The above list of free and paid online and offline video converter has been chosen keeping into consideration all the properties those softwares are meant to be used for. The various subsidiary features are to be chosen according to the users’ needs. One should be very aware of the expertise hierarchy, her/his budget, and all the amenities necessary for the applications to function smoothly. Also, what’s more important is not the comprehensive review, but rather the listed and tabulated ‘supported input container formats’, ‘supported output container formats’, ‘supported target devices’, ‘licensing scheme’, ‘supporting platform(s)’ which can be found after every comprehensive review and below.
BONUS TIP: Search ‘on page’ to look out for the best option by typing the keyword rather than skimming through all the 15 of them. It is going to save you a lot of time.
Here’s a tabular list of the licensing schemes available extracted from our good-old pal Wikipedia for the above options along with the developer names(which I know you rarely care!) and the supported platforms(which I know you care the most!):
| PRODUCT | LICENSING SCHEME | SUPPORTED PLATFORM | DEVELOPER |
| Any Video Converter | Freeware | Mac OS X, Windows | Anvsoft Inc. |
| Avidemux | Free and open-source | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux | Mean,Gruntster,Fahr |
| Dr. Divx | Adware bundled 15-day trial | Mac OS X, Windows | DivX, Inc. |
| DVDVideoSoft Free Studio | Shareware (requires paid membership for basic operation) | Windows | DVDVideoSoft |
| FFmpeg | Free and open-source | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux | FFmpeg project |
| FormatFactory | Freeware (ad supported) | Windows | Chen Jun Hao |
| Freemake Video Converter | Freeware (ad supported, requires payment to remove watermark) | Windows | Freemake |
| HandBrake | Free and open-source | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux | Handbrake Project |
| MediaCoder | Freeware (ad supported) | Windows | Stanley Huang |
| MEncoder | Free and open-source | Mac OS X, Windows, Linux | The MPlayer Project |
| OggConvert | Free and open-source | Windows(experimental), Linux | Tristan Brindle |
| SUPER | Freeware (ad supported) | Windows | eRightSoft |
| VirtualDub | Free and open-source | Windows | Avery Lee |
| XMedia Recode | Freeware | Windows | Sebastian Dörfler |
| MPEG Streamclip | Freeware | Mac OS, Windows | SQUARED 5 |
AUTHOR BIO
Deep Pathak was born in 2000 in Guwahati, India. Deep ranked 14th all over India in the CITDEE engineering entrance exam in 2019. Deep is an incrementalist and learns by undertaking ambitious self-challenging projects. Criticisms and rejections are his metaphorical shadows and so are his high ambitions and persistent effort. He is a voracious reader and writer of various subjects and has won recognition in international essay competitions; a firm devotee of the enlightenment; and believes in the potential of constructive amalgamation of science and arts to increase the scientific knowledge base and start new areas of research. Culture matters a lot for him and he is the most efficient in a calm and serene environment. Deep wants to light sustainable and the brightest torches of enlightenment: the case for reason, science, humanism, liberty, and progress.
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