Compare software

FFmpeg vs x264: catalog facts
FFmpeg	x264
Free Free and open source. The codebase is mainly LGPL 2.1 with some components under the GPL…	Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Handles practically every container and codec there is Remuxes without re-encoding, so a container change is instant and lossless	Fast real-time H.264 encoding on consumer hardware Psychovisual optimizations for visual quality
Command line only, with syntax that punishes guessing Argument order matters in ways that are not obvious	Command-line only, with no graphical interface Encodes H.264 only, not newer formats such as HEVC or AV1
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: LGPL-2.1	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.