HEVC vs H.264: which video codec should you use?
HEVC (H.265) makes video files about half the size of H.264 at the same quality, but far fewer devices can play it. Which to use for recording, sharing and uploading.
HEVC (H.265) makes files roughly half the size of H.264 at the same quality. H.264 plays on everything. That is the whole trade-off: use HEVC to record and store, use H.264 to share — and convert between them when a video will not play.
HEVC vs H.264 at a glance
| H.264 (AVC) | HEVC (H.265) | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2003 | 2013 |
| File size at the same quality | Baseline | About 40–50% smaller |
| Plays on | Practically everything | Apple devices, recent PCs and phones, some TVs |
| Windows built-in apps | Yes | Only with the $0.99 HEVC extension |
| Web browsers | All | Safari; Chrome and Edge on supported hardware |
| Encoding speed | Fast | Slower, needs more processing power |
| Best for | Sharing, uploading, editing | Recording, storing, 4K and HDR |
Both are codecs — ways of compressing the picture. Neither is a file type: an .mp4 or .mov file can contain
either one, which is why two MP4s can behave completely differently. (More on that in
MOV vs MP4.)
Why HEVC files are smaller
H.264 cuts each frame into blocks of at most 16 × 16 pixels and describes each block by reference to what it already knows. HEVC uses blocks up to 64 × 64, so it can describe a large flat area — sky, a wall, a dark background — in far fewer bits, and it has more ways to predict motion between frames. The result is the same picture from less data. The saving is largest in 4K and in calm scenes; in busy, noisy footage it is smaller.
That is why phones use it. A minute of iPhone 4K at 30 fps is roughly 170 MB in HEVC and about 350 MB in H.264, according to Apple’s own camera settings screen.
Why H.264 is still the default for sharing
HEVC’s catch is decoding. It is covered by patents with expensive, messy licensing, so support arrived slowly and unevenly:
- Windows plays it in Photos and Media Player only with the paid HEVC Video Extensions.
- Smart TVs, older Android phones and set-top boxes often have no HEVC decoder at all.
- Browsers: Safari plays it; Chrome and Edge do on computers with hardware support; Firefox support is limited.
- Editors and upload forms sometimes refuse it or play it back slowly.
H.264 has none of these problems. If you are not sure what the other person has, send H.264.
Which should you use?
- Recording on a phone: HEVC. Half the storage, and some modes (4K at 60 fps) require it.
- Sending to someone, or to Windows / Android: H.264.
- Uploading to YouTube, Instagram, TikTok: either — they re-encode everything anyway. Upload whichever you have.
- Uploading to a form, course platform or an older site: H.264.
- Archiving lots of footage: HEVC, to save space.
- Editing: H.264 if your editor stutters on HEVC.
Converting HEVC to H.264
If an HEVC video will not play somewhere, re-encode it to H.264. Our converter does it in your browser with your computer’s hardware encoder, so nothing is uploaded and a short clip takes seconds:
HEVC to MP4Convert HEVC (H.265) videos to H.264 MP4 that plays on Windows, TVs and every editor — no codec to buy.Convert HEVC to H.264Expect the H.264 file to be larger. If it ends up too big to send, the Video Compressor brings it under an exact size.
Going the other way: making a file smaller with HEVC
If size matters more than compatibility — archiving, or sending to someone you know has an iPhone or a Mac — the Video Compressor can encode with a more efficient codec. In its settings choose Better picture, smaller file: it uses AV1 or HEVC where your browser supports encoding them, and at the same target size the picture comes out sharper than H.264.
Video CompressorShrink any video to an exact size, by a percentage, or to a quality level. Hardware-accelerated, 100% in-browser.Open the Video CompressorTools used in this guide
Free, and they run in your browser — nothing is uploaded. See every tool on the Video Tools page.
Frequently asked questions
Does HEVC look better than H.264?
At the same file size, yes — HEVC packs in more detail, which shows most at low bitrates and in 4K. At the same quality, HEVC files are smaller instead. At the high bitrates phones record at, the two look the same; the difference is the file size.
Does HEVC reduce quality?
No more than H.264 does. Both are lossy codecs, and quality depends on the bitrate you give them. HEVC needs less bitrate for the same quality, so if anything it loses less at a given size.
Is H.264 still relevant?
Very. It is still the format that plays everywhere — every phone, PC, TV, browser, editor and upload form — and the default for sharing. Most video sent between people is H.264.
What are the disadvantages of HEVC?
Compatibility and licensing. Windows needs a paid extension to play it in its own apps, many TVs and older phones cannot decode it, some editors and upload forms reject it, and encoding it takes more processing power than H.264.
Which is better for iPhone, H.264 or HEVC?
Keep HEVC (High Efficiency) for recording: files are about half the size and some modes such as 4K at 60 fps require it. Convert a video to H.264 when you need to send it to someone on Windows or Android, or upload it somewhere that rejects HEVC.