HandBrake is a free open source video converter for Windows, Mac and Linux. Read our 2026 review of features, formats supported, pros, cons and alternatives.
Category
Video Editing
Pricing
Open Source / Free, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2003
Free PlanWindowsOpen SourceMac
Overview
HandBrake is a free, open source video transcoder that converts video from nearly any format into modern codecs such as H.264, H.265, AV1 and VP9, distributed under the GPLv2 license and available on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Originally created in 2003 by Eric Petit for BeOS, HandBrake was later revived and extended by community developers who added H.264 support, reaching its first stable 1.0.0 release in December 2016 after more than a decade of volunteer-driven development.
Key Features
HandBrake accepts nearly any video source as input and offers device-specific presets, a batch queue for converting multiple files, and a filter chain for deinterlacing, denoising, cropping and scaling.
Hardware-accelerated encoding via Apple VideoToolbox, Intel Quick Sync and NVIDIA NVENC speeds up conversion, while a separate command-line interface, HandBrakeCLI, supports scripting and automated batch workflows.
Pricing
HandBrake is completely free to download and use, with no paid tiers, subscriptions, watermarks or feature restrictions.
As a volunteer-maintained open source project, it relies on donations rather than sales, and its source code is publicly available on GitHub for anyone to inspect or modify.
Key Features
Broad format support — Accepts nearly any common video container or file as input and converts to modern codecs like H.264, H.265, AV1 and VP9.
Device presets — Built-in presets simplify encoding for specific devices, web upload, or archival quality without manual tuning.
Batch queue encoding — Queue multiple files for unattended conversion in one session.
Video filters — Deinterlacing, denoising, cropping, scaling and rotation filters improve output quality.
Hardware-accelerated encoding — Supports Apple VideoToolbox, Intel Quick Sync Video and NVIDIA NVENC for faster conversion on supported hardware.
Subtitle and chapter support — Handles subtitle passthrough and burn-in along with chapter markers and multiple audio tracks.
Command-line interface — HandBrakeCLI enables scripting and automation of video conversion pipelines.
Cross-platform availability — Runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open source with no ads or paid tiers
Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS and Linux
Wide codec and container format support
Active development and community since 2003
Hardware-accelerated encoding speeds up conversions
Cons
Interface can feel technical for complete beginners
No built-in DVD or Blu-ray decryption, requiring a separate library for encrypted discs
No official mobile apps for iOS or Android
Encoding speed depends heavily on available hardware
No cloud storage or collaboration features
Pricing
HandBrake Free Free, open source, no billing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HandBrake free?
Yes, HandBrake is completely free and open source, with no paid tiers, subscriptions or feature restrictions.
What video formats does HandBrake support?
HandBrake accepts nearly any common video source as input and can output to modern codecs including H.264, H.265, AV1, VP8 and VP9, typically wrapped in MP4 or MKV containers.
Does HandBrake work on Mac and Linux?
Yes, HandBrake runs natively on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Can HandBrake rip encrypted DVDs?
HandBrake does not include DVD or Blu-ray decryption logic by default to remain legally distributable, so encrypted discs typically require a separate library such as libdvdcss.
Is there a command-line version of HandBrake?
Yes, HandBrakeCLI is a separate command-line interface that supports scripting and automated batch video conversion.
Who maintains HandBrake?
HandBrake is maintained by volunteer open source contributors rather than a company, with development ongoing on GitHub since the project's creation in 2003.