Convert Always

Runs on your device

MOV to MP4 converter

Convert MOV files to MP4 straight in your browser. Drop the file in, download the MP4 version, and nothing is uploaded to a server along the way.

Drop files here

Up to 20 files, 100.0 MB each. Conversion happens on your device — nothing is uploaded.

What is MOV?

MOV is Apple's QuickTime container. It is what iPhones and professional Apple workflows record, and it can hold high-bitrate ProRes as well as ordinary H.264.

Introduced with QuickTime in 1991.

  • Supports high-quality editing codecs such as ProRes
  • Handles multiple tracks, timecode and alpha channels
  • Native to iPhone, macOS and Final Cut Pro

What is MP4?

MP4 is the universal video container, almost always carrying H.264 video with AAC audio. If a device plays video at all, it plays MP4.

Standardised by MPEG in 2001, based on Apple's QuickTime container.

  • The most compatible video format in existence
  • Hardware-accelerated decoding on virtually every chip
  • Streams progressively, so playback starts before the download finishes

Why convert MOV to MP4?

  • MP4 is the better fit for sharing, uploading and playing video anywhere, while MOV is built for Apple-native recording and professional editing.
  • It sidesteps the main drawback of MOV: files are often far larger than the MP4 equivalent.
  • You gain the most compatible video format in existence.
  • Compatibility improves where it counts: Every browser, phone, smart TV, console and editor.

Quality and file size after conversion

Both formats are lossy, so this is a re-encode rather than a copy. Quality is set by the target bitrate or quality level rather than by the source, and each additional round trip costs a little fidelity. Convert once, from the highest-quality file you have.

Compatibility

MOV opens in macOS, iOS, Final Cut, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Windows with codecs installed. MP4 opens in Every browser, phone, smart TV, console and editor.

If the file has to work for someone else, choose the format their software already understands rather than the one with the best specification.

Limitations to know about

  • MP4 is lossy — the conversion is one-way and re-editing the output repeatedly will degrade it.
  • H.264 is less efficient than modern AV1 or HEVC
  • Licensing costs apply to commercial encoders

When to keep MOV instead

MOV is still the right choice for Apple-native recording and professional editing. Keep the original alongside the converted copy whenever you might need to re-export at a different size or quality — conversion is quick, but recovering discarded detail is impossible.

How to convert MOV to MP4

  1. 1

    Drag your MOV file onto the drop zone above, or click to browse. Up to 20 files can be queued at once.

  2. 2

    MP4 is already selected as the output format — change it in the dropdown if you need something else.

  3. 3

    Press Convert and watch the per-file progress bar.

  4. 4

    Download the MP4 result, or grab everything as a single ZIP when you converted a batch.

Frequently asked questions

Is this MOV to MP4 converter free?

Yes. Every conversion on Convert Always is free, with no account, no watermark and no daily download cap. The site is funded by advertising rather than subscriptions.

Are my MOV files uploaded to a server?

No. MOV to MP4 runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so the file never leaves your device. You can even disconnect from the internet after the page loads.

Will converting to MP4 reduce the quality?

Both formats are lossy, so this is a re-encode rather than a copy. Quality is set by the target bitrate or quality level rather than by the source, and each additional round trip costs a little fidelity. Convert once, from the highest-quality file you have.

Can I convert several MOV files at once?

Yes. Add up to 20 files to the queue, convert them in one pass and download the results individually or bundled into a single ZIP archive.

What is the maximum MOV file size?

Files up to 100 MB each are accepted. Browser-side conversions are limited mainly by your device's memory, so very large video files convert faster on a desktop than on a phone.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes. The converter is built mobile-first and works in Safari and Chrome on phones and tablets. Heavy media conversions are slower on mobile hardware but still run locally.

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