MOV to MP4 Conversion Guide - Fast, Easy, and High-Quality Options

Converting MOV to MP4 is often necessary when you need broader compatibility, smaller file sizes, or faster sharing across devices and platforms. While MOV is common on Apple devices, it does not always play smoothly on Windows, Android, or certain media players. That is why knowing when and why to convert ensures your videos remain accessible, easy to share, and high in quality without technical headaches.

Part 1. Native Tools

1. QuickTime (Mac)

Every Mac has QuickTime Player, which, apart from being a video player, can convert MOV files to MP4s in a single step, as long as no additional software needs to be obtained.

Step 1Find the MOV file, right-click on it, select Open With, and then choose QuickTime Player to launch it.

Step 2Using the menu bar, click on the File button, then choose Export As to display the different types of files you can export.

Step 3Choose a 1080p resolution.

Step 4Change the format type to MP4.

Step 5Click the Save button, and QT will MP4 the video and save it in the directory of your choosing.

2. Microsoft Photos (Windows)

Windows 10 and 11 come with the free software MS Photos, which lets users open, watch and carry out minor edits on videos, and even convert MOV files to MP4.

Step 1Find the desired MOV file and right-click on it; click on the context option Open With and select Photos.

Step 2Click on the Photos, Videos, and once the video is open, select Edit or Create.

Step 3On the Save As option, select which downloads the video; exporting options will open.

Step 4Choose video type MP4.

Step 5Download as MP4 and save; select output location and click Save. Windows will process your video now.

3. iMovie (iPhone/iPad)

iMovie is an Apple video editing program. It will also make MOV to MP4 conversions a breeze, as well as Quick Edits.

Step 1Open iMovie on your iPhone/iPad and click on Create Project, which will require you to click on the Movie option to start.

Step 2On your Gallery, select the MOV video you want to add and click on Create Movie. You will now add the video to the editing timeline.

Step 3You may adjust the video by trimming the clips, applying filters, and adding text overlays, among others.

Step 4At this point, you will need to click Done on the top left side to set the project for export.

Step 5Select the Share button, click on Save Video, and iMovie will export the video to your Photos library as an MP4 file.

Part 2. Free Desktop Tools

4. AVAide Video Converter

AVAide Video Converter is an integrated multimedia platform that covers more than 300 types of files, i.e., MP4, MOV, MKV, MP3, etc. It is intended for people who want an easy as well as and efficient program to convert, edit and compress videos without any quality loss. It is capable of handling videos with 1080p, 4k, 5k and even 8k resolution and offers up to 30x faster conversion speeds owing to the use of hardware acceleration. In addition to conversion, it has an inbuilt movie maker, collage maker and a toolbox with a plethora of editing software.

Step 1Download and Install

Go to the official AVAide site, download the installer for Mac or Windows and follow the instructions to complete the installation. Once the installation is done, open the program.

Step 2Import Your File

Click the button that says Add Files to import your MOV or any other video file, or you may simply drag your video file to the main window of the program.

Step 3Set the File Type

Open the Output Format menu, and the default option is MP4, but you might want other formats. Considering other parameters like resolution 1080p, 4K, etc., encoders, and bitrate also serve to fine-tune performance.

Step 4Commence the Conversion Process

After the Convert All button is clicked, the video converter will be activated. It is important to note that the video will keep its original quality. The converted file will be saved to the folder of your choice.

5. HandBrake

HandBrake is simple and available on Windows, Mac and Linux. Its most popular feature is the ability to turn MOV files into MP4 files, which is done using versatile, advanced encoding and flexible presets.

Step 1Go to the official webpage and download and install HandBrake based on your operating system.

Step 2Launch the program. Click the Open Source option to add which MOV file you want to convert.

Step 3Set the desired export type by going to the Format tab and selecting format MP4.

Step 4Choose a preset such as Fast 1080p30 for quick conversions with good quality.

Step 5Click Browse to select an output folder, then press Start Encode to begin converting.

6. VLC Media Player

VLC is a free and versatile media player that also includes a file conversion feature. With VLC, you can convert MOV files into MP4 quickly and easily.

Step 1Install and open VLC Media Player on your computer.

Step 2Go to the menu bar and click Media > Convert/Save to open the conversion window.

Step 3Add your MOV file by clicking Add, then click Convert/Save at the bottom.

Step 4In the Profile dropdown, choose Video > H.264 + MP3 (MP4) to ensure proper encoding.

Step 5Select an output file destination, then click Start to begin the conversion.

7. Shutter Encoder

Shutter Encoder is a free, professional-grade tool often used in broadcast and post-production. It supports MOV to MP4 conversion with powerful customization.

Step 1First, click on the Shutter Encoder link and download the zip file. Open the zip file and click on the Shutter Encoder app. The installation will begin.

Step 2Once the system has loaded, add your MOV file by dragging it into the workspace or by clicking the Browse button.

Step 3Go down the function Chooser side, then select Rewrap/Transcode.

Step 4Choose the Output list and select MP4.

Step 5Hit the Start Function button and wait for the conversion process to finish.

8. Avidemux

Avidemux is free video editing software that is extremely easy to use. The software works nice and quick to convert formats for MOV, ASF to MP4, and more.

Step 1Download and launch the Avidemux software.

Step 2Use the drag-and-drop feature on your MOV file to load it into the application.

Step 3Change the Output Format to type and select MP4 Muxer.

Step 4Go to the File option, then click on Save and choose the Save Video option.

Step 5Avidemux will convert your video to MP4 upon completion of the processing.

Part 3. Professional Software

9. Adobe Media Encoder

This is an Adobe application made specifically to provide encoding capabilities. As such, it works seamlessly with Adobe products such as Premiere Pro and After Effects. Adobe has placed a preset for converting to MP4 for any MOV file.

Step 1Open up Adobe Media Encoder and click the plus sign in the queue to import your MOV file.

Step 2In the dropdown format tab, to ensure universal compatibility, make sure to select MP4 (G) (H.264) (H.264 Video) by selecting the H.264 (G) (H.264) (H.264 Video) setting.

Step 3Select sources and Match Source, High Bitrate to create a preset that strikes a good balance between quality and size.

Step 4Specify a file location to save the converted file, along with a specific name that will be easy to identify.

Step 5In the media encoder interface, hit the Start Queue button to process the video.

10. DaVinci Resolve

DaVinci Resolve is a professional video editing and color grading suite with advanced export capabilities. It may convert MOVs to MP4s with high accuracy.

Step 2Split the video if you want to edit it, and drag it onto a created timeline.

Step 3Go to the bottom of your computer and click on the Deliver part.

Step 4Next, go to the preset area and set it to H.264 or H.265 in an MP4 format on the process board.

Step 5Select to add the whole finished project into the Render Queue to then export the video by pressing Render All.

11. Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is one of the most advanced video editing tools available on a Mac computer. It can also convert and export a video to MP4, which is more convenient and easier to download and share.

Step 1Within Final Cut Pro, open the project associated with the MOV file.

Step 2Locate the menu bar, select the File option, and press Share Master File.

Step 3Under the Settings tab, select the option that says: Computer (MP4).

Step 4Choose your preferred settings for the resolution, codec, and quality.

Step 5Click Save As. Choose the file destination and export as MP4.

Part 4. Command Line Tools

12. FFmpeg

FFmpeg, well-known as a professional, open-source command-line tool, enables users to process videos. It is capable of converting MOV files to MP4 within seconds.

Step 1Download and install the FFmpeg application, making sure that it is added to the system path.

Step 2Open your Terminal on Mac, and locate the directory with the MOV file.

Step 3Enter the command:

ffmpeg -i input.mov -vcodec h264 -acodec aac output.mp4

Step 4Press Enter, and FFmpeg will process the file.

Step 5Open the directory to locate the new MP4 file.

13. MP4Box

MP4Box is capable of repackaging a MOV video file into an MP4 format file without any transcoding. It is a command-line software application specifically targeted towards MOV and MP4 file conversions and is known for its simplicity. MP4Box is free, the software is lightweight and converts files without hassle, which makes it perfect for any developer.

Step 1With the software installed, open the system command prompt.

Step 2Go to the directory that contains the MOV file.

Step 3With the command prompt open, enter the command.

MP4Box -add input.mov output.mp4

Step 4MP4Box will alter the format of the file from MOV to MP4 without any transcoding.

Step 5 You can find the MP4 file in the default directory.

Part 5. Online Converters

14. CloudConvert

For those looking to convert MOV to MP4 while online without the hassle of downloading an application, CloudConvert is a good web application to use. The platform is known for its simplicity when dealing with file conversions and hosts more than 200 different formats, including MOD to MP4.

Step 1Go to cloudconvert.com and select the Select File option.

Step 2Select the MOV file from your PC, your Google Drive, or Dropbox.

Step 3From the dropdown menu, select the output format MP4.

Step 4You can alter the resolution, codec and other optional features if you desire.

Step 5Click on the Convert option, and then, after a while, download the processed MP4 file.

15. Zight

Zight, earlier known as CloudApp, captures and shares screen recordings and provides an online video conversion service.

Step 1Start a web browser and log in to your Zight account.

Step 2In the media section of the platform, upload your MOV file.

Step 3Click on Set MP4 as a target format for the export file.

Step 4Click on the Export and upload file.

Step 5Please copy the link for file download and convert it to an MP4.

16. Canva

Canva is not only a platform for creating designs; it also allows users to edit videos, including uploading MOV and exporting them as MP4s. Additionally, it can be used to convert FLV to MOV, giving users more flexibility with different file formats.

Step 1Access your account on Canva and initiate a new video project.

Step 2Head to the media library and upload the MOV file.

Step 3Locate the video on the canvas and apply the changes to edit if required.

Step 4Select the top right corner Share button, then Download.

Step 5Choose Download File and set the format to MP4 Video.

Part 6. Mobile Apps

17. Mov To MP4 Converter (Android)

Mov To MP4 Converter, an Android application, can convert MOV files straight to the MP4 format for mobile.

Step 1Acquire Mov To MP4 Converter from the Play Store, then proceed to install the app.

Step 2Launch the app and locate the MOV file present in your storage.

Step 3Tick the format MP4 from the output options.

Step 4Click on Convert, and the app will upload the file and begin processing.

Step 5The updated MP4 file can be either saved or directly shared from the device.

18. Convert MOV to MP4 4+ (iOS)

Convert MOV to MP4 4+ is an application in the iOS operating system designed for easy and quick conversions. It is used on an iPhone or iPad and does not need a computer for it to function. Aside from MP4, it can also handle tasks like converting MOV to GIF.

Step 1Access the Apple App Store and look for Convert MOV to MP4 4+.

Step 2Open the application and follow the instructions to upload the MOV file from your gallery.

Step 3Of the presented options for conversion, select Convert to MP4.

Step 4For now, you must wait until the LAN is completed. The application will notify you of the completion.

Step 5You can choose to directly share it on the supported apps or save it on your device.

Part 7. Performance Comparison

Summary

Using the photos or the Quicktime application is free and relatively simple. For professionals, Adobe and Final Cut are more expensive and complex, but they offer an endless amount of customization. Online and mobile apps are user-friendly, but don't work well with large or high-resolution files.

AVAide Video Converter is faster and easier than professional software, more powerful than free tools, and more reliable than online converters. That balance makes it the best all-around converter for MOV to MP4.

By Sylvie Hyde on Sep 19, 2025