Best Video Format for Discord: MP4 vs WEBM vs MOV
Choosing the right video format can make a huge difference in quality, file size, and compatibility. Here's everything you need to know.
Quick Answer
MP4 (H.264) is the best format for Discord. It offers the best balance of quality, file size, and universal compatibility across all devices and browsers.
Format Comparison
| Feature | MP4 | WEBM | MOV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codec | H.264/H.265 | VP8/VP9 | H.264/ProRes |
| File Size | Small | Very Small | Large |
| Quality | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Discord Support | Full | Full | Limited |
| Mobile Playback | Universal | Most Devices | iOS Only |
| Compression Speed | Fast | Slower | Fast |
MP4 (H.264) - The Best Choice
MP4 with H.264 encoding is the gold standard for sharing videos online. It's the format we recommend for Discord because:
- Universal compatibility — plays on every device, browser, and operating system
- Hardware acceleration — most devices can decode H.264 using hardware, saving battery
- Excellent compression — great quality at small file sizes
- Fast encoding — compresses quickly compared to newer codecs
When you compress a video with VidCompressor, MP4 is the default format for this reason.
WEBM (VP9) - Best Compression Ratio
WEBM with VP9 encoding offers the smallest file sizes, making it ideal when you need to fit a longer video into Discord's file limits:
- Best compression — 30-50% smaller files than MP4 at the same quality
- Open source — royalty-free format developed by Google
- Great for longer videos — fit more content in fewer megabytes
The downside? VP9 encoding is slower, and some older devices may struggle to play WEBM files.
MOV - Apple's Format
MOV is Apple's container format, commonly used on iPhones and Macs. For Discord, it's not ideal:
- Large file sizes — typically bigger than MP4 for the same quality
- Limited compatibility — may not play properly on all Android devices
- Best for editing — great for Final Cut Pro, not for sharing
Our Recommendation
For Most Users: MP4
Maximum compatibility, fast compression, plays everywhere.
For Longer Videos: WEBM
When you need to squeeze a 5-minute video into 10MB.
For iPhone Recordings: Convert to MP4
iPhone records in MOV — convert to MP4 for smaller files.
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