HandBrake: the free video transcoder that makes files play anywhere

HandBrake is a GPL-2 video transcoder. It takes video you already have and re-encodes it into a format a phone, TV or browser will play, using presets, a preview of the result and a batch queue. A command line version covers servers.

How it works

You point it at a source file and choose a preset. A preset is a bundle of decisions: container, video codec, quality setting, audio tracks and subtitles. HandBrake shows you a preview of what those choices produce, so you can check a clip before committing two hours of processing to a feature film.

Add more files to the queue and it works through them unattended. Titles, chapters and audio tracks are selectable per file, which matters for discs and for anything with multiple language tracks.

What you need

• The desktop build for Windows, macOS or Linux, or the jlesage/handbrake image on a server, which serves a web interface on port 5800.
• A CPU worth using. Transcoding is heavy work, and a queue of 4K files overnight is a thermal and electricity decision as much as a software one.
• Free disk space for the outputs, roughly the size of the inputs until you delete the originals.

What it does well

• Presets that map to actual devices, so a phone or TV encode is two clicks rather than a codec argument.
• A preview before you commit, which most command line tools do not give you.
• Batch queue for a whole folder, and HandBrakeCLI for the same job on a headless machine.
• Subtitles, chapters and audio track selection handled in the interface.
• Output that plays. The point of the tool is compatibility, not archive quality.

Where it falls short

• It converts, it does not edit. There is no timeline, no compositing and no cuts beyond chapter selection.
• Device presets lag new hardware. When a new phone lands, the preset you want arrives a release later.
• Unusual containers, filters or two-pass scripting are faster to express in a command line encoder than to fight through a GUI.
• Re-encoding always costs something. If you only need a container change, a stream copy avoids the question entirely.

How to install HandBrake

Option 1, one-click install: Hostinger deploys HandBrake as a preconfigured Docker app on a managed server, so there is no command line and nothing to configure. It runs browser based transcoding with watch folder automation.

Option 2, install it yourself: download the build for your platform from handbrake.fr, or run the Docker image with docker run -d --name handbrake -p 5800:5800 -v /path/to/config:/config -v /path/to/watch:/watch jlesage/handbrake and open port 5800.

FAQ

Is HandBrake free? Yes. GPL-2.0 with no paid tier, trial or watermark.

Does it work on a server without a desktop? Yes. HandBrakeCLI converts from a terminal, and the Docker image gives you a browser interface on a headless machine.

Can it convert a whole folder overnight? Yes. Add the files to the queue, set the destination and preset, and let it run. Check the disk space first, because the outputs roughly double what you are storing.

Will converting reduce quality? Every re-encode does. A higher quality setting costs file size instead of detail, and a stream copy avoids the loss entirely when you only need a different container.

Why is my output bigger than the input? Usually a preset with a higher bitrate than the source, or an upscale. Match the source resolution and use quality-based rate control instead of a fixed bitrate.

Do I need anything else? Not for converting files you own. If you need a full filter graph or a pipeline, that is a job for a command line encoder rather than a GUI.

Last checked: November 2026. Licence read from the project's own licence file, which places most files under GPLv2 with the details in COPYING.