How do WebM and MKVcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
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.
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 | WebM | MKV |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Web Media | Matroska Video |
| Extension | .webm | .mkv |
| MIME type | video/webm | video/x-matroska |
| Category | Video | Video |
| Developer | Matroska.org | |
| Year introduced | 2010 | 2002 |
WebM and MKV target different use cases. WebM is ideal for html5 web video, while MKV works best for movie collections and media servers.
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.