HandBrake review

HandBrake is the free option for video. It is an open-source transcoder built by volunteers and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, so files never leave your computer and there are no upload limits. It reads most common multimedia files plus DVD and Blu-ray sources without copy protection, and writes MP4, MKV and WebM files using AV1, H.265, H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VP8 or VP9, with optional hardware-accelerated encoding. Device presets get beginners started, while constant quality or average bitrate encoding, filters such as deinterlacing and denoise, chapter markers, subtitles and HDR pass-through cover advanced needs. Batch scanning and an encode queue handle whole folders. The trade-off is scope: HandBrake converts video only, so it will not turn a PDF into Word or a HEIC into JPG, and the number of settings can slow down first-time users. We compared documented features and published prices.

Who it is for

anyone converting or shrinking video files for free

Price

Free and open source.

Free and Open Source Multi-Platform (Windows, Mac and Linux)
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Outputs MP4, MKV and WebM files
• Video encoders include AV1, H.265, H.264, VP8 and VP9, with optional hardware acceleration
• Built-in device presets plus advanced settings
• Batch scan and queueing of encodes
• Reads DVD and Blu-ray sources without copy protection

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Completely free with no file size limits or watermarks, and runs offline on your own computer
• Strength: Modern codecs such as AV1 and H.265 for smaller files
• Strength: HDR pass-through and constant quality encoding
• Weakness: Video only: no documents, images or audio-only output formats
• Weakness: Only three output containers: MP4, MKV and WebM
• Weakness: More settings than casual users need; presets help

Key facts

• Price: Free, open source (GPL v2)
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux
• Output containers: MP4, MKV, WebM
• Latest version: 1.11.2

Where it ranks

HandBrake is No. 3 in our Best File Converters verdict.