8 Best Free Open Source Video Compression Software For Windows

Here is a list of best free open source video compression software for Windows. As these are open source video compression software, thus you can download and edit respective source code of these freeware.

Through these software, you can easily compress or reduce the size of a video without heavily reducing the video quality. However, none of these compressors come with a dedicated video compression feature. To perform video compression, these software let you reduce the bitrate and frame rate of a video. By lowering the video bitrate, you can reduce the video quality a bit that translates into the reduction of video size as well. Similarly, by reducing the frame rate to around 24 FPS from the default 30 FPS, you can achieve some video compression. However, the level of video compression can vary from software to software even if you are using the same video bitrate and frame rate values. The process of video compression is not that hard. To help you out, I have included the video compression steps in the description of each software.

In some of these compressors, you can also edit videos by using provided editing tools like timeline editor, split, cut, join, etc. Plus, options to change the video format, resolution, aspect ratio, codec. etc., are also present in most software. Along with various features, these software also offer support form many video formats like MP4, AVI, MPEG, FLV, MOV, MKV, and more. Go through the list to know more about these software.

My Favorite Open Source Video Compression Software For Windows:

FFmpegYAG is my favorite software because it can highly compress a video by slightly reducing the video quality. Plus, it also supports video files of multiple formats.

You can also check out lists of best free Open Source Video Converter, Open Source Video Streaming, and Open Source Video Recording software for Windows.

FFmpegYAG

FFmpegYAG is a free open source video compression software for Windows and Linux. It is an FFmpeg based video compression software through which you can compress video files of MP4, MOV, OGG, MPEG, MOV, etc., formats. To compress a video through this compressor, you just need to reduce the video bitrate value. The good thing about this software is its ability to highly compress a video by slightly reducing the video bitrate value. Apart from video compression, you can also use it to change the video format and to modify default video parameters namely frame size, aspect ratio, and video codec.

How to compress a video using FFmpegYAG:

Launch this software and click on the Add Task button to load video file.
After that, reduce the video bitrate value in its Bitrate field.
Now, you adjust other video parameters if you want and specify the destination location path in the File field.
In the end, click on the Encode button to start the video compression process.

Additional Features:

Crop/Trim: Using it, you can trim any part of a video and also crop its borders.
Subtitle: Through this tool, you can add a subtitle file to a video.
Preview: This software also offers a preview player in which you can preview a video after making changes to its parameters.

Final Thoughts:

It is one of the best free open source video compression software because it can significantly compress a video.

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HandBrake

HandBrake is a free open source video compression software for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Using it, you can easily compress video files of various formats like MP4, M4V, MKV, MOV, MPEG, AV, and more. In it, you don’t get a direct feature to compress videos. Instead, you need to adjust the video frame rate and video bitrate to achieve the video compression without deteriorating the video quality too much. Apart from image format compression, you can also use it to change the video resolution, video format, aspect ratio, etc., video properties. In it, you also get a Batch Conversion feature that you can use to compress multiple videos at once.

How to compress a video using HandBrake:

Start this software and click on the File option to load a video to this software.
After that, go to the Video tab of this software and slightly lower the video quality using the quality slider and then reduce the frame rate to 24 or 25 FPS.
Now, you can change the video aspect ratio, video format, encoder, codec, etc., if you want.
Lastly, specify the destination location path and click on the Start Encode button to start the video compression process.

Additional Features:

Presets: This software offers multiple OS-specific presets (Android 480p30, Apple 720p30 surround, etc. ) through which you can quickly optimize a video according to a specific operating system.
Filters: In this compressor, you can find multiple video filters through which you can denoise a video, increase video sharpness, and grayscale a video.

Final Thoughts:

It is a very capable open source video compressor through which you can compress multiple videos at a time.

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OpenShot Video Editor

OpenShot Video Editor is another free open source video compression software for Windows, Linux, and macOS. As its name implies, it is mainly a video editor software through which you can make various modifications to a video. To edit a video, it offers a multi-track timeline editor along with editing tools like Razor Tool, Animate, Rotate, Transform, Video Effects, Transition Effects, and more.

To compress a video, you need to reduce the video bitrate and frame rate parameters. Besides video compression parameters, you can also adjust other video parameters through this software like video resolution, aspect ratio, pixel ratio, video codec, video format, etc. Now, follow the below steps to compress a video through this open source video compression software.

How to compress a video using OpenShot Video Editor:

Start this software and create a new project by clicking on the New Project button.
After that, use the Import Files option to load a video to this software.
Now, drag the loaded video from the Project Files section to its timeline editor.
Next, use the editing tools of this software, if you want to make any changes to this video.
Now, open up the Export section and go to its Advanced section to reduce the video bitrate and frame rate of the video.
After reducing the bitrate and frame rate, you can start the conversion process by pressing the Export Video button.

Final Thoughts:

Through this open source video compression software, you can compress and modify various aspects of a video.

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Shotcut

Shotcut is a free open source video editing software through which you can also compress videos. It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Before compressing a video, you can use its editing tools to edit input videos. To edit videos, it offers all essential video editing tools like timeline editor, cut, video, split video, append, video filters, video effects, etc. After editing, you can reduce the video quality and video frame rate by going to its Export section. From its Export section, you can also adjust video resolution, interpolation, codec, audio bitrate, and audio sample rate. Now, follow the below steps to compress a video using this open source video compression software.

How to compress a video using Shotcut:

Open the interface of this compressor and click on the Open option to load a video to this software.
After that, drag and drop the loaded video from its preview player to its timeline editor.
Now, you can modify the video if you want through available editing tools and video effects.
Next, click on the Export option to open up the Export section from where you need to reduce the frame rate and video bitrate of the video.
After making all necessary changes click on the Export File button to start the compression process.

Additional Features:

Properties: In it, you can view various properties of a video like video format, codec, frame rate, color range, and more.
History: In it, you can view and jump to any previous editing steps that you have taken during the video editing process.

Final Thoughts:

It is another decent open source video compression software that you can try if you also want to edit your videos before compressing them.

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QWinFF

QWinFF is the next free open source video compression software for Windows, Ubuntu, OpenSUSE, Fedora, Arch, Chakra, and FreeBSD. It is mainly a video converter software through which you can compress and convert a wide range of video file formats like MP4, AVI, MOV, DV, FLV, and more. Another good thing about this software is its ability to batch convert videos that also enables batch video compress. Like most other similar software, it uses the video bitrate parameters to compress a video.

How to compress videos using QWinFF:

Start this video compressor and click on the Add Files button to load one or more videos.
After that, press Next to open up the Add tasks window and then specify the same or a different output format if you also want to change the format of the video.
Now, click on the Edit button and then specify the new video bitrate video by going to the video tab. From the Edit section, you can also change the video resolution, audio sample audio bitrate, audio channel, and volume.
After making all necessary changes press Finish to save changes and then click on the Start button to initiate the compression process.

Additional Feature:

Video Cutting and Cropping Tools: Through these tools, you can easily cut a portion from a video and crop the video.

Final Thoughts:

It is a simple and effective open source video compression software through which you can easily compress multiple videos at a time.

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Vidiot

Vidiot is another free open source video compression software for Windows and Linux. Using it, you can compress videos of various formats like MP4, AVI, MKV, QT, WebM, and more. To compress a video, this software lets you reduce the video bitrate value. To achieve more compression, you can also reduce the video frame rate. Apart from video compression, it also offers video editing tools through which you can perform editing tasks like cut video, split video, join video, adjust video playback speed, rotate video, etc. Now, follow the below steps to compress a video through this converter.

How to compress a video using Vidiot:

Start this software and go to the File > New option to create a new video project. At the time of creating a new project, you can specify the video resolution and video framerate.
After that, go to the File menu and click on the Add Files option to load one or more videos to this compressor.
Now, open up the Sequence tab and select Render Settings and then specify a new reduced video bitrate value.
Lastly, specify the output video path and then hit the OK & Render Now button to initiate the conversion process.

Final Thoughts:

It is another easy to use open source video compression software through which you can compress videos of various formats.

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VLC media player

VLC media player is a free open source media player software for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, and iOS. You can also use this media player as a video compressor software. To compress a video, it offers a Convert/Save option from where you can reduce the video bitrate that results in lesser video size. Besides this, it also gives you the option to reduce the video frame rate to further reduce the video size. Through this compressor, you can also adjust many other video parameters like video format, video quality, video resolution, audio bitrate, audio channels, and more. However, the main advantage of this software is its ability to support almost all video formats such as AVI, MP4, MPEG, MOV, FLV, WAV, WebM, and more.

How to compress a video using VLC media player:

Launch this software and go to the Media section and click on the Convert/Save option to open up the Open Media window.
After that, click on the Add button to load a video that you want to compress and hit the Convert/Save button.
Now, enter the destination location path in the Destination file field and then press the Edit selected profile button to launch the Profile Edition window.
Next, move to the Video Codec tab and enter a reduced video bitrate and video frame rate values in respective fields.
Lastly, click on the Apply button and then press the Start button to start video compression.

Additional Features:

Stream: Using it, you can stream online videos within this player.
Capture Device: Through this feature, you can record desktop and capture online streams.

Final Thoughts:

It is another decent open source video compressor software through which you can achieve good compression levels without much video quality deterioration.

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FFmpeg

FFmpeg is yet another free open source video compression software for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is a popular media manipulation utility through which you can perform many other tasks like video joining, video cutting, audio mixing, audio joining, video format conversion, and more. However, unlike other similar software, it does not come with a graphical user interface thus, it is also slightly unintuitive to use. To perform any media manipulation task through this software, you need to use specific commands.

Through this software, you can easily compress and manipulate video files of almost every format including MP4, AVI, MOV, MPEG, FLV, and MKV. Now, check out the below steps to compress a video through this software.

How to compress a video using FFmpeg:

First copy the video that you want to compress and then paste it to the FFmpeg folder.
After that, launch this software in the command prompt.
Now, write this command ffmpeg.exe input_video.mp4 -b 1000 out_video.mp4.
Lastly, press the Enter button to start the compression process.

In the above command -b represents the video bitrate and 1000 represents the new video bitrate value. You can further reduce the video bitrate to achieve more video compression.