Source: https://mactoolbox.app/how-to-compress-a-video-on-mac

# How to compress a video on Mac

By Toolbox Team · Published November 3, 2026

## Quick answer

For one clip, open it in QuickTime Player and choose File > Export As with a lower resolution. To shrink many files, or to pick H.264 or HEVC and a quality level, use Compress Video in Toolbox. Both work offline.

## The built-in way: QuickTime Player

macOS can shrink a video without any extra software. It works well for a single file and gives you a few fixed sizes.

1. Open the video in QuickTime Player.
2. Choose File > Export As and pick a resolution such as 1080p, 720p or 480p.
3. Choose a name and a place to save it, then click Save.

The lower the resolution, the smaller the file. You cannot choose a quality level or a codec here, and you export one video at a time.

## The faster way: Compress Video in Toolbox

Compress Video is one of the tools in Toolbox. It runs on your Mac, so your videos are not uploaded anywhere, and you can drop in a whole folder at once.

1. Open Compress Video and drop one or more videos, or a folder.
2. Choose a quality (High, Balanced or Small) and a format (H.264 or HEVC).
3. Optionally set a maximum size, remove the audio or use the hardware encoder for speed.
4. Click Compress and find the smaller files in a new folder in Downloads.

Your original files are not changed, and a video is never enlarged when you set a maximum size.

## Which setting should you pick?

High gives a barely noticeable difference from the original. Balanced suits most uses. Small makes the smallest files. You can also cap the size at 1080p, 720p or 480p.

| Format | File size | Plays on | Encoding time |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| H.264 | Larger | Everywhere | Faster |
| HEVC | About half the size at similar quality | Newer devices; older ones may not play it | Longer |

## QuickTime Player or Toolbox?

Use QuickTime Player when you have one video and a fixed resolution is enough. Use Toolbox when you have several files, want to choose HEVC or a quality level, or want to keep the same resolution and only reduce the size.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I compress a video on Mac without losing quality?**

Choose the High quality setting in Compress Video, which gives a barely noticeable difference from the original. Choosing HEVC instead of H.264 makes files about half the size at similar quality.

**Should I use H.264 or HEVC?**

H.264 plays everywhere. HEVC files are about half the size but take longer to encode and may not play on older devices.

**Will compressing change my original video?**

No. Toolbox saves the smaller copies in a new folder in Downloads and leaves your original files as they are.

## Tools mentioned

- [**Compress Video**: Shrink video files while keeping them looking great.](https://mactoolbox.app/compress-video-mac)
- [**Resize Video**: Change the dimensions of videos to an exact size.](https://mactoolbox.app/resize-video-mac)
- [**Convert Video**: Change videos to MP4, MOV, WebM or M4V.](https://mactoolbox.app/convert-video-to-mp4-mac)
- [**Compress Images**: Make photos smaller without visible loss in quality.](https://mactoolbox.app/compress-images-mac)

## Keep reading

- [Compress Video](https://mactoolbox.app/compress-video-mac)
- [Video](https://mactoolbox.app/video-tools-mac)