Format comparison
MP4 vs WebM
How do MP4 and WebMcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.mp4
Full guide →MPEG-4 Part 14
MP4 is the most widely used video format in the world. It's the default for everything from YouTube to TikTok, smartphones to streaming services. If you need one video format that works everywhere, MP4 is it.
.webm
Full guide →Web Media
WebM is Google's open-source video format designed specifically for the web. It offers excellent compression and quality, especially with the VP9 and AV1 codecs, and is royalty-free.
| Specification | MP4 | WebM |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | MPEG-4 Part 14 | Web Media |
| Extension | .mp4 | .webm |
| MIME type | video/mp4 | video/webm |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | ISO / Moving Picture Experts Group | |
| Year introduced | 2001 | 2010 |
MP4 advantages
- Universal compatibility
- Excellent compression with H.264/H.265
- Supports subtitles and multiple audio tracks
- Streaming-friendly with progressive download
MP4 limitations
- Lossy compression
- Patent-encumbered codecs
- Quality varies greatly by encoding settings
- Large files at high quality
WebM advantages
- Royalty-free and open source
- Excellent web browser support
- Great compression with VP9/AV1
- Designed for HTML5 video
WebM limitations
- Limited support outside web browsers
- Fewer editing tools available
- Hardware decoding less common
- Less universal than MP4
Which should you use?
MP4 is the universal standard — it works everywhere. WebM has its niche: html5 web video. When in doubt, convert to MP4 for maximum compatibility.
Best uses for MP4
Video sharing and social media
Streaming platforms
Mobile video recording
Web video playback
Best uses for WebM
HTML5 web video
YouTube (internal format)
Web applications
Open-source projects
Convert between MP4 and WebM
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.