Convert MP4 to MOV
To convert MP4 to MOV, add your .mp4 file below and press the button: it's processed on your own device and you download the result, with nothing uploaded. It's free, needs no account, and works with files up to 500MB.
About converting MP4 to MOV
MP4 (.mp4) files can be converted to MOV entirely in your browser — no software to install, no file upload, and no account required. The conversion runs on a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg directly on your device.
Technical comparison
| MP4 | MOV | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | video | video |
| Compression type | Lossy (H.264/H.265 video, AAC audio) | Lossy (codec-dependent, typically H.264; can wrap low-compression ProRes) |
| Typical file size | Moderate — a few MB per minute of 1080p video, varying with CRF/bitrate | Moderate to large — similar to MP4, larger when wrapping low-compression codecs like ProRes |
| Transparency support | No | No |
How to convert MP4 to MOV privately
Every step below runs on a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg inside this browser tab. Your .mp4 file is never uploaded to a server — there's no network request carrying it anywhere.
Add your MP4 file
Drag and drop, or click to select, a file (.mp4). It's read straight from disk into browser memory — no upload step exists.
Convert locally
FreePrivateConvert converts it to MOV using a WebAssembly build of ffmpeg, entirely within this browser tab.
Download the result
Save your converted .mov file. It only ever existed in this tab's memory — closing the tab without downloading discards it completely.
Convert MP4 to MOV with ffmpeg (command line)
Prefer the terminal? This is the exact ffmpeg command this page runs for you:
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -crf 23 -c:a aac output.mov- -i input.mp4
- Your MP4 file.
- -c:v libx264
- Encode the video as H.264, the format virtually every phone, browser and TV plays.
- -preset veryfast
- Encoding speed vs. file size trade-off: veryfast encodes quickly with a slightly larger file.
- -crf 23
- Constant quality level (lower = better quality and bigger file; 18-28 is the usual range, 23 is the default).
- -c:a aac
- Encode the audio as AAC.
- output.mov
- The MOV file to create. ffmpeg picks the container from this extension.
Don't have ffmpeg installed? You don't need it: use the converter at the top of this page. It runs the same conversion on your own device, and your file is never uploaded.
FAQ
- Is my file uploaded anywhere?
- No. Your file is read and processed inside this browser tab and never leaves your device. You can confirm it in your browser's developer tools: the Network tab shows no upload.
- Does converting MP4 to MOV reduce quality?
- The video is re-encoded as H.264 at CRF 23 (ffmpeg's default quality level, "veryfast" preset) with AAC audio. That looks very close to the source for most footage, but it is a lossy re-encode, so fine detail and grain can soften slightly.
- Is there a file size limit?
- Yes: 500MB per file. There's no account and no limit on how many files you convert.
- What's the difference between MP4 and MOV?
- MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) and MOV (QuickTime Movie) store data differently. MP4: lossy (H.264/H.265 video, AAC audio). MOV: lossy (codec-dependent, typically H.264; can wrap low-compression ProRes). MOV is Apple's QuickTime container — the default output of iPhone camera recordings and macOS screen recordings.
- Why convert MP4 to MOV?
- Common uses for MOV: iPhone-recorded video before editing; macOS screen recordings (QuickTime Player); Professional video editing intermediates. Supports high-bitrate, low-compression capture (e.g. ProRes) suited to editing without repeated generation loss.
- What MIME type does a .mov file use?
- video/quicktime, the standard type for QuickTime Movie.
- What is the ffmpeg command to convert MP4 to MOV?
- Run: ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -crf 23 -c:a aac output.mov. This is the exact command FreePrivateConvert runs for this conversion, so you can use this page instead of installing ffmpeg: it runs the same conversion inside your browser.
Learn more: What is a MOV file
Last updated
Looking for something else? Browse all conversion tools.