Compare software

HandBrake vs x264: catalog facts
HandBrake	x264
Free Free and open source; there is no paid edition.	Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Built-in device presets get a usable conversion without learning encoder settings Writes MP4, MKV and WebM with AV1, H.265, H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VP8 and VP9 encoders	Fast real-time H.264 encoding on consumer hardware Psychovisual optimizations for visual quality
It cannot read discs that carry copy protection Every conversion re-encodes, so it costs time and some quality	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: GPL-2.0	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

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