HandBrake vs XMedia Recode
Two of the top three video converters, compared rule by rule on published facts.
In short
- HandBrake has 87 points and XMedia Recode 69, 18 apart on our video converter software rules.
- HandBrake earns more on systems, formats, batch and tools and price and licence; XMedia Recode earns more on nothing.
- Cheapest full version: HandBrake $0, XMedia Recode $0.
- Only HandBrake meets: also runs on, HDR kept or tone-mapped, command line or watch folder and open source.
- Only XMedia Recode meets: audio-only conversion.
HandBrake87/100 #2 of 11
Best for: People who want a free converter with no watermark and a command-line option.
XMedia Recode69/100 #3 of 11
Best for: Windows users who want a free converter with many codecs and device profiles.
Points by group
| Group | HandBrake | XMedia Recode |
|---|---|---|
| Systems of 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Formats of 23 | 20 | 19 |
| Speed of 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Batch and tools of 23 | 19 | 14 |
| Price and licence of 36 | 30 | 24 |
| Total | 87 | 69 |
Rule by rule
What each vendor publishes, and the points it earns. Sources are on each product page.
| Rule (points) | HandBrake | XMedia Recode |
|---|---|---|
| Also runs on (6) | macOS, Linux 6 | None 0 |
| H.265 (HEVC) output (4) | Yes 4 | Yes 4 |
| AV1 output (6) | Yes 6 | Yes 6 |
| Editing codecs (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| HDR kept or tone-mapped (4) | Yes 4 | Not published 0 |
| Audio-only conversion (3) | Not published 0 | Yes 3 |
| Subtitles (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| GPU encoding (12) | NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync, AMD AMF/VCN 12 | NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync, AMD AMF/VCN 12 |
| Batch queue (5) | Yes 5 | Yes 5 |
| Device presets (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Command line or watch folder (5) | Yes 5 | Not published 0 |
| Compress to a set file size (4) | Not published 0 | Not published 0 |
| Trim, crop and rotate (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Reads DVD or Blu-ray (3) | Yes 3 | Yes 3 |
| Free version without a watermark (12) | Yes 12 | Yes 12 |
| Open source (6) | Yes 6 | Not published 0 |
| Pay once, keep it (6) | No 0 | No 0 |
| Cheapest full version (12) | $0 12 | $0 12 |
HandBrake
HandBrake suits anyone who wants a free, open-source converter with a job queue, device presets and a command-line version. It writes H.265 and AV1, keeps HDR10 metadata and has hardware encoders for all three GPU makers. The catch: its pages do not describe a target-file-size option or audio-only output.
XMedia Recode
XMedia Recode suits Windows users who want a free converter with hardware encoders for all three GPU makers, AV1 and H.265 output, and device profiles. It converts batches and unprotected discs. The catch: it is Windows-only, and its pages do not describe a command line, a target-size setting or HDR handling.
Both products are scored by the same rules: how we score video converters.