How much smaller will my video get?

It depends entirely on the source. A clip straight from a phone, recorded at a high bit rate, often comes down by half or more at the Balanced setting. A video that has already been compressed — something downloaded from the web, say — has little left to remove and may only shrink a little.

Will the quality drop?

Some, because the saving comes from re-encoding rather than magic. Balanced is visually very close to the original and right for almost everything. Compact is for when the file has to be small and will be watched on a phone. High keeps the most detail for the smallest saving.

Can I make it smaller still?

Yes — lower the resolution. Dropping a 4K clip to 1080p, or 1080p to 720p, shrinks it far more than the quality setting alone, and on most screens the difference is hard to see. Combine a lower resolution with the Compact setting for the smallest file.

Will it still play everywhere?

Yes. The video is encoded as H.264 in an MP4 container with the index moved to the front, which is the combination that plays on effectively every phone, computer, browser and upload form — the same output as our MOV and AVI converters.

Yes. The soundtrack is re-encoded as AAC and kept in sync. A video with no audio stays silent; nothing is added.

Is this converter free?

Yes. Every conversion on ConvertNicely is free to use, with no account and no watermark on the result. Everyone can run 50 jobs and upload 2 GB a day, with or without an account.

What happens to my files?

Your uploaded file is deleted from our servers the moment the conversion finishes, whether it succeeded or failed. The converted result is deleted automatically one hour later, and you can delete it yourself at any time with the Delete button.

Is there a file size limit?

Files up to 95 MB are accepted for this conversion. Larger limits apply to paid plans in future, but the free limit is generous enough for the overwhelming majority of MP4 conversions.

Do I need to install anything?

No. ConvertNicely runs entirely in your browser and on our servers, so there is nothing to download or install. It works the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The whole site is built mobile-first, so you can upload from your camera roll or files app, convert, and download the result without leaving your browser.

Free

Compress Video Files

Phone cameras record at a high bit rate, so a short clip can be hundreds of megabytes — too big to email, slow to upload, awkward to share. This re-encodes the video with modern H.264 settings and, if you want, a lower resolution, which brings the size down a long way while keeping it playable on every device and platform. The audio is kept.

Also known as: compress a video · video compressor · reduce video size

Files up to 95 MBTypically under a minute

Drop your file hereor choose a file from your deviceMP4 · up to 95 MB

Encrypted upload · deleted right after conversion

Your files are deleted automatically

Uploads are removed as soon as processing finishes, and converted files are deleted after 1 hour. Read our privacy policy.

How to compress video files

Step 1
1. Add your MP4 file
Drag your MP4 file into the box, or choose it from your device. It can be up to 95 MB.
Step 2
2. Choose your settings
Adjust Video quality (Balanced), or keep the starting values in brackets, which suit most files. More are under Advanced options.
Step 3
3. Press Compress video
The work happens on our servers, and you can follow its progress. Long recordings take longer.
Step 4
4. Download your MP4 file
Your upload is already deleted, and the result is deleted after one hour.

Worth knowing

The saving comes from re-encoding, so a video straight off a phone shrinks a lot while one that has already been compressed hard may barely change — and may even grow, in which case a stronger setting or a lower resolution is the answer. Compression is not lossless: Compact trades visible detail for the smallest file, Balanced is right for almost everything, and High keeps the most detail. The output is H.264 in an MP4, which plays on effectively every device and platform.

Why compress video files?

Getting a video under an email or upload size limit
Shrinking a phone recording before sharing it
Making footage light enough to post to a website
Freeing up space without deleting a video

What changes

What compress video files changes, and what it leaves alone
Property	Before	After
Format	MP4	MP4 (H.264), plays everywhere
File size	Original	Smaller, by the amount you choose
Resolution	Original	Kept, or lowered if you choose
Audio	Original	Kept

Frequently asked questions

Page updated 21 October 2026

All Video converters

Compress Video Files

How to compress video files

1. Add your MP4 file

2. Choose your settings

3. Press Compress video

4. Download your MP4 file

Why compress video files?

What changes

Frequently asked questions

MOV to MP4

AVI to MP4

MP4 to GIF

MP4 to MP3

Compress Video Files

How to compress video files

1. Add your MP4 file

2. Choose your settings

3. Press Compress video

4. Download your MP4 file

Why compress video files?

What changes

Frequently asked questions

How much smaller will my video get?

Will the quality drop?

Can I make it smaller still?

Will it still play everywhere?

Is the audio kept?

Is this converter free?

What happens to my files?

Is there a file size limit?

Do I need to install anything?

Does it work on a phone?

Related conversions

MOV to MP4

AVI to MP4

MP4 to GIF

MP4 to MP3