It's not a surprise that the largest files on your Mac are probably your videos. So, whether you're running out of space on your hard drive or you're trying to send a movie that's too large, compressing videos is a great way to reduce their file size. And with no shortage of options, figuring out where to start with it all can feel overwhelming.

Compress large HD & 4K videos. 500+ video formats supported: MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, MKV, MPEG, etc. Compress multiple videos in bulk, keeping the original quality. Reduce file size of movies to fit a disc or upload as an email attachment. Freemake Compressor is the best solution to compress videos FREE, easily & fast. The 4.5.4 version of Compressor for Mac is available as a free download on our website. Our antivirus analysis shows that this Mac download is clean. The bundle identifier for this application is com.apple.compressor.Compressor. The most popular versions of the application are 4.1, 4.0 and 3.5. Compressor for Mac lies within Audio & Video Tools. Apr 05, 2021 Best for: those looking for free, open-source MP4 video compression software for PC or Mac. While beginners should have no issues carrying out simple conversions, the more advanced features are probably best suited to those with some experience. However, choosing the right video compression software can be a tiresome task, especially when you don’t have a big budget. Worry not, though. In this article, we have created a list of the 4 best free video compression software for Windows and Mac.

But don't worry, if you keep reading, this article will explain video compression and how to compress a video on a Mac.

What is compression and how does it work?

Before you just compress all of your videos, it's important to understand what it is and what happens to a video when it's compressed.

Since a video is just a series of photos rapidly playing in succession, the process is actually very similar to compressing an image. Whatever data can be stripped out of each frame is taken away, making the overall file smaller.

Is it possible to compress videos without visible quality loss?

Compressing videos on Mac is a balancing act. Because even if you compress a video ever so slightly, there will still be some quality loss. It's all about finding how much you can compress it to reduce the file size without noticing that the video is actually of lower quality.

Clean up duplicate videos to save space

It’s easy to accidentally end up with duplicate videos on your Mac. Those duplicates don’t do anything except clutter your hard drive and waste space. Thankfully, you can use an app like Gemini 2 to scan your entire hard drive for duplicate videos and help you quickly remove them.

It’s so simple and straightforward, all you need to do is follow these three steps:

1. Download and install Gemini 2 on your Mac.
2. Open Gemini 2.
3. Click + > Home folder > Scan for duplicates.

Then, when the scan is finished running, you can click Smart Cleanup to let Gemini’s algorithm decide which files to keep. Or, you can click Review Results to view the files for yourself.

How to compress videos with iMovie

One of the most popular ways to compress your videos is with the iMovie app. It comes standard with macOS, but if for some reason it's not on your computer, you can download it from the Mac App Store.

After you've found iMovie in your Applications folder or re-downloaded it, follow these steps to compress a video.

1. Open iMovie.
2. Click Create New > Movie.
3. Then, click File > Import and select the video you want to compress.
4. Your video will appear in the browser window. Drag it into the timeline window.
5. Click File > Share > File…
6. Choose your export settings. Adjusting the Resolution and Quality will have the most impact on your file size, but you can also set the Compress dropdown to Faster. Now, click Next.
7. Name your video and choose where you want to save it. Hit Save.

How to compress videos with Quicktime Player

Another default macOS app you can use to compress your videos is Quicktime Player. Because Quicktime's primary use is to playback videos, people often forget that it has some basic editing tools built-in as well. Here's how you use Quicktime to compress your video files:

Best Free Video Compression Software For Mac

1. Open Quicktime Player.
2. A popup should appear asking you to select your video. If it doesn't, click File > Open File.
3. Then, click File > Export As…
4. You'll see a list of video resolutions. Choose the next lowest resolution.
5. Name your video and choose a location to save it.

Tip: If you don't know your video's original resolution, you can find out by clicking Window > Movie Inspector.

Best free video compressors

While Apple's default apps are great and easy-to-use, they do leave very little room for control over your compression settings. So if you want to adjust your compressions a little more, take a more in-depth look at the apps Handbrake and Clideo.

Handbrake

Arguably the most popular compressor, Handbrake has been around for years. And it's popular for a reason. It's a simple, free video compressor for a Mac. Once you have Handbrake downloaded and installed in your Applications folder, you can follow these steps to compress a video:

1. Open Handbrake.
2. In the popup window, navigate to your video and click Open.
3. At the top, you can choose from one of the Presets in the dropdown menu, or you can make your adjustments in the tabs above your video.
4. Then, you can rename your video and select where you want to save it at the bottom of the window.
5. After you've adjusted all of your settings, click the Start button at the top.

Clideo

Another option you have is the free online compressor, Clideo. As long as the video you want to compress is already under 500 MB, you can upload it using your browser, and Clideo will do the rest. And the best part is there's no software to install. Here's how you compress your videos with Clideo:

1. In your browser, go to Clideo.com.
2. Click Compress > Choose file and select the video you want to compress.
3. Preview the video and if you want to make any adjustments, click Edit result.
4. When you're happy with the quality of the video, click Download.

Free Convert

Browser-based converters—like Free Convert—make it really easy to compress your videos because there’s no app you need to install. The brightside about Free Convert is that you can upload videos up to 1 GB. But the downside is that although you get a little more control over the conversion settings, it does tend to compress your video a little more Meaning you’ll probably notice some of the compression in the video quality.

Using Free Convert is so simple, just follow these steps:

1. In your browser, go to FreeConvert.com.
2. Click Choose Files > Select the File > Upload.
3. Adjust your Output settings.
4. Then, click Compress Now!

Compressing your videos is a great way to save space on your Mac’s internal hard drive. But, cleaning up the clutter on your computer is also a surefire way to free up storage. That’s why it’s a good idea to get into the habit of regularly checking for duplicate files. Not just videos either, but all types of files. And that’s where Gemini 2 can really help you out. Since it makes it so simple to scan your hard drive and quickly remove the similar and duplicate files it finds.

While it might feel like a daunting task at first, reducing video file size on Mac doesn’t have to be scary. And the good news is you have a couple of different options. Whether you decide to use one of the default apps or one of these free tools, hopefully, you're feeling confident in compressing your videos on Mac after reading this article.

Have you decided that you have had enough of not being able to upload video files because they are too big? If you are actively looking out for a video compression software, free download, here’s an overview of 10 of the more capable ones that are currently available online.

We recommend that you read through this short presentation before deciding to download one. We don’t want you to click on a random choice and then become equally frustrated that it is taking too much of your lunchtime (at work) only to find out it’s not up to par.

10. Stoik Video Converter Video Compression Software

Stoik Video Converter Pro is not free as you may have surmised. But, there is a free version that you can use to compress your recorded copy of the most recent boxing match you’ve seen on pay-per-view. (We understand the urgency and why you think that there are not enough angles of that fateful right uppercut uploaded in the cloud yet). If you choose to update to pro, video filters and editing function becomes available to you. And that might just give your video that chance to be liked more than others.

Best Video Compressor For Mac

9. Squeeze 5 Pro

If you are ever-loyal to Windows, we recommend Squeeze. It’s very easy to use and encompasses a wide array of file formats. And you can expect that the quality of the video and the resolution is preserved despite the compression if you have the heart to spare 90 MB on your PC. This might just work if you need to do some editing on your current favorite (horse) dance video for that year-end party you’re preparing for.

8. Microsoft Expression Encoder

Are you familiar with the freeware Windows Media Coder? Its updated and upgraded version is the Microsoft Expression Encoder. It’s becoming well-known for its ability to produce compressed but very smooth streaming videos. Video playback is in VC-1 format, and that’s the best you can do these days. You can have other video compression and input formats but you have to shell out some money for those. Our advice is that you consider very well if that video of you singing your favorite videoke song in a videoke bar is worth a few hundred US Dollars.

7. Videozilla Video Compression Software

Here is one more of the ubiquitous Windows-based video compression applications available today, and it is called Videozilla. (We’re not sure on the origins of the name.) It’s competitive enough such that it is has adjustable settings, and can compress a variety of output and input formats. Videozilla must have spent significant resources on that green icon/mascot because you have to pay for it. Its trial version is free, though and that is what we recommend you try out first.

6. XVid Video Codec

XVid Video Codec is an open-source tool has got the solution to make your dense video files. Video quality is retained while the file is compressed in order to accommodate bandwidth requirements. It may have Codec in its official name, but it is a whole toolbox of options and worth checking out.

5. 3D-DCT Video Compression Software

If you’re partial to using mobile platforms and wish to explore the technology called 3D-DCT, then this is the software to download. We won’t go into an explanation of the 3D-DCT algorithm because we don’t really understand it. Anyway, the only thing that matters really is that with this tool, you have at your hands the most innovative technology on the palm of your hands.

4. Sorenson Squeeze Video Compression Software

Sorensen Squeeze is another kind of squeeze from what we presented earlier. And for many, this is the worthy tool to use when compressing home videos, wedding videos, and potentially award-winning four-minute short films. They say the program guarantees the smallest size possible without sacrificing quality and were bound to believe it because it tends to land on the top five of lists similar to what we have here.

3. iSkysoft Video Converter

The iSkysoft Video Converter is designed to respond adequately to the many demands of Mac users. It provides a variety of codecs, including WMV, FLV, and Divx. The options and settings available to the user are varied and there are editing features as well. This tool is also capable of audio compression and is generally lauded for its wide range of applications for Mac.

2. Total Video Converter

Mac Video Compressor

There’s a very good reason why this one has “Total” on its name. It compresses, coverts, burns, downloads, plays, and edits, for starters. It is very powerful and is the software of choice by those who prefer HD video playback. The best part about this tool is probably not the new updates related to Windows 7 and Internet Explorer, but its capability to convert videos for mobile viewing.

1. Blaze Media Pro

Compress Video File Mac

Blaze is widely used and quite popular because it is simple to use and powerful at the same time. With just a click of the mouse and few more adjustments on compression settings (don’t forget the output format you prefer), you can deal with one or a set of bulky videos without having to burn more than one doughnut worth of calories. If you like the free version, you’ll probably love the Pro “all-in-one media tool.”

Best Free Video Compression Software For Mac 2020

Some video compression software, free downloads may fail to rise to expectations. But you can always take a risk and download one or two (they’re free anyway) and see for yourself whether they adequately meet your requirements.