MOV vs MKV
How do MOV and MKVcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.mov
Full guide →QuickTime Movie
MOV is Apple's video format, native to macOS and iOS. iPhones record video in MOV format by default. It supports high quality and professional features but works best within the Apple ecosystem.
.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.
| Specification | MOV | MKV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | QuickTime Movie | Matroska Video |
| Extension | .mov | .mkv |
| MIME type | video/quicktime | video/x-matroska |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | Apple | Matroska.org |
| Year introduced | 1991 | 2002 |
MOV advantages
- High quality video support
- Native Apple ecosystem format
- Professional-grade features
- Supports ProRes codec
MOV limitations
- Large file sizes
- Less compatible outside Apple
- Requires QuickTime on Windows
- Not ideal for web streaming
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
Which should you use?
MOV and MKV target different use cases. MOV is ideal for iphone and ipad video recording, while MKV works best for movie collections and media servers.
Best uses for MOV
Best uses for MKV
Convert between MOV and MKV
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.