| MP4 | MKV | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Metadata | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open / royalty-free | - | ✓ |
| Defined by | MPEG / ISO | - |
| Since | 2001 | - |
| Best for | sharing video with anyone, anywhere | archiving films with multiple audio tracks and subtitles |
MP4
H.264 video and AAC audio. Plays on absolutely everything.
MKV
Holds any codec, any number of audio and subtitle tracks. Ideal for archiving.
Questions
MP4 or MKV: which is smaller?
It depends on the content; see our measured benchmarks on the conversion pages.
Can I convert MP4 to MKV?
Yes, in your browser, nothing uploaded.
And MKV to MP4?
Yes, as well.