HandBrake vs Expi: Which Video Converter Should You Use?

HandBrake has been the go-to free video converter on Mac for over a decade. It's powerful, well-maintained, and doesn't cost anything. So why would you consider an alternative?

This is an honest comparison. HandBrake is a genuinely good tool and the right choice for a lot of people. But there are real cases where Expi does the job better — and knowing the difference will save you time.

What HandBrake Does Well

HandBrake is excellent at what it was designed for: compressing video files for playback and distribution. If you have a large video file and you need a smaller H.264 or H.265 MP4 that plays everywhere, HandBrake handles that reliably. It has a huge user base, extensive documentation, and has been battle-tested over years of updates.

Its preset system is genuinely useful. The "Fast 1080p30" and "HQ 1080p30 Surround" presets produce good results without requiring you to understand codecs. For straightforward compression jobs, HandBrake gets out of your way.

It's also completely free and open source, which matters.

Where HandBrake Falls Short

HandBrake's limitations become apparent when your needs go beyond basic compression.

Format support is narrow. HandBrake is focused almost entirely on H.264 and H.265 output. If you need to convert to ProRes, DNxHD, VP9, AV1, or any of the dozens of other codecs FFmpeg supports, HandBrake won't help you. It also doesn't handle image format conversion or audio-only conversions.

The interface is dated. HandBrake's UI hasn't evolved much in years. It works, but it's not a modern Mac app — it doesn't feel native, the layout is dense, and navigating the options requires some learning.

ProRes source files need care. Converting from ProRes in HandBrake can introduce subtle color space issues. HandBrake's color handling defaults aren't designed for professional intermediate codecs, and you may get slightly shifted colors in your output without realizing it.

Batch processing is limited. HandBrake has a queue system, but managing large batches of files with different output settings per file is cumbersome.

What Expi Does Differently

Expi is built on FFmpeg, which means it supports every format, codec, and container that FFmpeg supports — well over 200. Where HandBrake is a specialized tool for compression, Expi is a general-purpose media converter.

Format coverage. MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, ProRes, DNxHD, H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, FLAC, WAV, AAC, MP3, OGG, JPG, PNG, HEIC, WebP — if FFmpeg can handle it, Expi can convert it. This matters when you're dealing with camera formats, archival codecs, or delivery specs that HandBrake simply doesn't support.

Native Mac design. Expi is built as a proper macOS app. It supports light and dark mode, uses macOS UI conventions, and feels like software from this decade. If you spend your day in native Mac apps, Expi won't feel out of place.

Hardware acceleration is on by default. Expi uses Apple VideoToolbox on Mac for H.264 and H.265 encoding, which means much faster exports on Apple Silicon. HandBrake also supports hardware acceleration, but the defaults and interface around it are less polished.

Batch conversion with consistent settings. Drop a folder of files, set your output parameters once, and convert the whole batch. This is particularly useful for motion designers or editors dealing with large amounts of footage.

Local processing, no limits. Like HandBrake, Expi processes everything on your machine. No uploads, no cloud, no file size caps.

Where HandBrake Still Wins

HandBrake is the right choice if you need a free tool and your use case is primarily H.264/H.265 compression for playback. If you're ripping a Blu-ray, compressing family videos for storage, or preparing video for a streaming platform and you don't need broad format support, HandBrake does that job well at zero cost.

HandBrake also has a larger community and more tutorials available online. If you get stuck, there's a better chance someone has written about your exact problem.

The Honest Verdict

Use HandBrake if:

• You primarily need H.264 or H.265 output
• Free is a hard requirement
• Your source files are standard consumer formats (MP4, MOV, MKV)
• You don't need batch conversion with complex settings

Use Expi if:

• You need to convert to or from formats HandBrake doesn't support (ProRes, VP9, AV1, audio formats, images)
• You work with professional intermediate codecs like ProRes or DNxHD
• You want a native Mac app that feels modern
• You regularly batch-convert large numbers of files
• Color accuracy from professional source formats matters to you

Expi isn't free. If HandBrake covers your needs, there's no reason to pay for something you don't need. But if you've ever hit HandBrake's limits — output format not supported, interface too clunky for your workflow, color issues from ProRes source — Expi is the next step up.