Capsai Smart Compress at No. 1
use Capsai’s AI‑optimized compression presets to shrink file size with perceptual quality retention - no manual bitrate guessing.

• Upload your video at https://capsai.co/
• Select “Smart Compress” and choose target size or device profile
• Preview quality slider (HD, SD, Mobile), then click “Compress All”
• Download your compressed file ready for upload

HandBrake CLI
scriptable encoder with RF‑based quality control.

for f in *.mp4; do
HandBrakeCLI -i "$f" -o "compressed/${f%.*}-hb.mp4" \
--preset="Fast 1080p30" --quality=20
done

• RF 18–22 yields near‑lossless results; lower RF = higher quality
• Use --two-pass for better bitrate distribution if file size target matters

FFmpeg Two‑Pass Encoding
industry‑standard CLI for fine‑tuned compression.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -b:v 2000k -pass 1 -an -f mp4 /dev/null && \
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -b:v 2000k -pass 2 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

• Adjust -b:v (video) and -b:a (audio) to match your bandwidth/size needs
• Add -preset slow or -preset medium for better compression efficiency

VLC Media Player
GUI‑driven tool with simple conversion profiles.

1. Open VLC → Media → Convert/Save → Add your file
2. Click “Convert,” choose “Video – H.264 + MP3 (MP4)” profile
3. Click the wrench icon → Video codec → set Bitrate (e.g. 2000 kb/s)
4. Save profile and export compressed clip

Avidemux
lightweight editor with fast recompression.

• Open video, set Video Output to “Mpeg4 AVC (x264)”
• Click Filters → Transform → Crop/Resize if needed
• Under Output Format, choose “MP4 Muxer” → Save → enter filename
• In Configure: set bitrate or use “Constant Rate Factor” ~23 for quality

Shotcut
cross‑platform NLE with export presets.

• Import your clip, then click Export → Advanced → Codec tab
• Select H.264, set Rate Control to “Quality-based VBR,” Quality slider ~30%
• In Audio, choose AAC, Bitrate 128k → Export File

Shutter Encoder
free GUI leveraging FFmpeg & x264/x265.

• Launch Shutter Encoder, drag your video into the window
• Under Mode, pick “Codec,” then choose “H.265 – HEVC (x265)” or “x264”
• Click the gear icon → adjust CRF (18–23 for near‑lossless)
• Press Start Encoder and grab compressed output

Vikoders’s MPEG‑4 Compressor
web‑based quick compress with drag‑and‑drop.

• Go to https://www.compressvideo.online
• Drop your file, select target resolution (720p, 480p) and quality slider
• Click Compress, then download the result

Pick the workflow or tool that suits your batch size and tech comfort - each delivers high‑quality compression without visible degradation.