MKV vs FLV
How do MKV and FLVcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.mkv
Full guide →Matroska Video
MKV is the most flexible video container format available. It can hold virtually any codec and supports unlimited audio tracks, subtitles, and chapters. It's the format of choice for high-quality video enthusiasts.
.flv
Full guide →Flash Video
FLV was the dominant web video format during the Flash era. While Flash is dead, FLV files still exist in archives and legacy systems. Converting FLV to MP4 is one of the most common conversion needs.
| Specification | MKV | FLV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matroska Video | Flash Video |
| Extension | .mkv | .flv |
| MIME type | video/x-matroska | video/x-flv |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | Matroska.org | Adobe (Macromedia) |
| Year introduced | 2002 | 2003 |
MKV advantages
- Supports virtually any codec
- Multiple audio and subtitle tracks
- Chapter support
- Open source and free
MKV limitations
- Not natively supported by all players
- Not ideal for streaming
- Large files at high quality
- No hardware playback on some devices
FLV advantages
- Very small file sizes
- Fast to decode
- Was the web video standard
- Simple container format
FLV limitations
- Flash Player is discontinued
- Limited browser support
- Outdated codec support
- No modern features
Which should you use?
MKV and FLV target different use cases. MKV is ideal for movie collections and media servers, while FLV works best for converting old web videos.
Best uses for MKV
Best uses for FLV
Convert between MKV and FLV
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.