Best Free Audio-Video Format Conversion Program [1]
Read this article in Spanish [3]Introduction
There are many different audio and video formats out there, and most devices (such as iPhone, iPad, Android phones, etc.) and programs (such as Windows Media Player) are only compatible with a few specific formats. An AVI or WMV movie will not play on an iPhone, for example, without being converted into an MP4 file first.
There are quite a few programs that will do this for free, with more popping up all the time. They tend to fall into a few general categories:
- To gain control over basic settings (such as framerate, frame size and bitrate) and experience a quick conversion where most guesswork is done for you, try our General Converter Picks.
- To convert without fiddling with any settings, using as few clicks as possible, try our Device-Specific Picks, especially suited to conversions for a portable device.
- To have complete control over every detail of conversion and fine-tune your output using settings for advanced users, look at our Custom-Oriented Picks.
- To convert audio files with more audio-specific functionality, then try our Audio-Only Picks.
While some are better than others overall, which one is best for you will depend on what sort of program you need.
General Converter Picks
Our Rating:
License: Free
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [7] | [8]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
Summary:
Read more... [6]
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [7] | [8]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 5/5 |
|
Great interface, very flexible, support for almost every type of conversion, easy to use.
Bundled toolbar (you can opt out, but it's a multi-click process), bundled OpenCandy.
Read more... [6]
License: Free
Great interface, very flexible, support for almost every type of conversion, easy to use.
Bundled toolbar (you can opt out, but it's a multi-click process), bundled OpenCandy.
Read full review... [6]
Our Rating:
License: Free
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [12] | [8]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
Summary:
Read more... [11]
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [12] | [8]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Stable with many device presets. Supports all video file formats. Rips DVD's & Music CD's. Very powerful software.
Installer is bundled with a toolbar (you are able to opt out), interface is non-linear and somewhat confusing.
Read more... [11]
License: Free
Stable with many device presets. Supports all video file formats. Rips DVD's & Music CD's. Very powerful software.
Installer is bundled with a toolbar (you are able to opt out), interface is non-linear and somewhat confusing.
Read full review... [11]
Also recommended:
- YouTube Downloader HD [13]: This program is a gem in the world of YouTube ripping. It allows you to copy/paste a YouTube link, choose your video quality, and download it to your computer for future viewing. In the latest version, you can now choose to have it automatically convert the .FLV file to an iPod/iPhone compatible .MP4 file, or an XViD .AVI for playback on many devices.
Device-Specific Picks
Our Rating:
License: Free
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [16] | [17]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
Summary:
Read more... [15]
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [16] | [17]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 4.5/5 |
Excellent presets, easy to use, custom profiles.
Looks intimidating, separate programs for each output type, no advanced tweaks. Contains unwanted bundled components. Take care to avoid these during the install process.
Read more... [15]
License: Free
Excellent presets, easy to use, custom profiles.
Looks intimidating, separate programs for each output type, no advanced tweaks. Contains unwanted bundled components. Take care to avoid these during the install process.
Read full review... [15]
Our Rating:
License: Free (Open source)
Platforms/Download: Linux [20] | Mac OS [20] | Windows (Desktop) [20] | [17]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
Summary:
Read more... [19]
Platforms/Download: Linux [20] | Mac OS [20] | Windows (Desktop) [20] | [17]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Brutally easy-to-use device conversion.
Only one file at a time, no profile or generic tweaking, only MP4.
Read more... [19]
License: Free (Open source)
Brutally easy-to-use device conversion.
Only one file at a time, no profile or generic tweaking, only MP4.
Read full review... [19]
Also recommended:
- Handbrake [21]: A long-time favorite of mine, when I need to convert from just about any format to a nice, no-nonsense iPod/iPhone compatible video (encoded in H.264). It has a queue, and supports multiple Apple presets including Apple TV.
- WinX Video Converter [22]: More up-to-date than iWisoft. Support converting videos to 100+ devices including newest iPhone 6/Plus, S5, HTC, PS4 with many preset profiles. Adjustable video audio parameters. Clean and simple. Please note though on the top there's YouTube URL entry, it is just an upgrading recommendation which can be skipped easily. This freeware doesn't support converting YouTube videos.
Custom-Oriented Picks
[23]
FFCoder [23] [24]
An audio-video converter with highly advanced configurations and rendering settings
Our Rating:
License: Free
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [25] | [17]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
Summary:
Read more... [24]
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [25] | [17]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [9]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Solid preset list, highly advanced tweaks, sleek interface.
Dependencies, no installer.
Read more... [24]
License: Free
Solid preset list, highly advanced tweaks, sleek interface.
Dependencies, no installer.
Read full review... [24]
Also recommended:
- XVID4PSP [26]: Supports very many tweaks. Impossibly fragmented interface. Solid AviSynth support.
- MediaCoder [27]: Great for tech obsessive because of the tons of customizable features to convert from and to video audio formats. Support MP4, AVI, MP3, WMA, WAV, etc. and allow to adjust parameters. But if you're not familiar with the jargon and just want a hassle-free, simple-to-use free video converter, you may turn to others.
Audio-Only Picks
Pazera Free Audio Extractor [28] is the audio-only program in the above-mentioned Pazera Free Audio Video Pack. It supports both video and audio input and output to many audio formats, and is slightly simpler than some of its sibling programs. Otherwise, it is perfectly identical.
Notes: Tested and not recommended:
- MPEG Streamclip [29]: very powerful for MP4, but single-file, ugly/laggy, has dependencies
- Avidemux [30]: great video editor, lousy video converter
Related Products and Links
You might want to check out these reviews too:
- Zamzar [31], an excellent online conversion tool when you're on the run.
- Best Free Audio Editing Software [32]
- Best Free Software to Cut, Split or Merge Audio Files [33]
- Best Free CD Ripper [34]
- Best Free MP3 Tag Editor [35]
- Best Free Video Encoder [36]
Editor
This software category is in need of an editor. If you would like to give something back to the freeware community by taking it over, check out this page [37] for more details. You can then contact us from that page or by clicking here [38].
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