MKV to AVI converter
Convert MKV to AVI in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your video never leaves your device.
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Quick answer: To convert MKV to AVI, add the MKV file to the iHateFiles MKV to AVI converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. Re-encodes the picture and sound into a AVI container.
Should you convert MKV to AVI?
Do this when something specifically needs AVI. The picture is re-encoded, so it costs a little quality; if all you need is a file that plays everywhere, MP4 is usually the better target.
The picture is re-encoded
An MKV usually holds almost any codec, often H.264 or H.265 with several audio and subtitle tracks. This writes MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid) video with MP3 sound into the AVI. Both sides are compressed with loss, so this is a second generation: leave the quality at its default or higher, because the encoder is working from MKV artefacts rather than the original.
Expect a larger AVI
AVI uses MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid) video, an older and less efficient codec than an MKV normally holds. Matching the look takes more bytes, so the file grows. Do it for compatibility with whatever needs AVI, not to save space.
Extra tracks may not survive
An MKV can carry several audio tracks and subtitle tracks. AVI holds one picture and one sound, so this conversion keeps the main video and the first audio track. If you need the subtitles, save them first with Extract Subtitles.
Where the AVI will play
AVI plays on Windows Media Player, VLC and old DVD players with DivX support.
MKV and AVI side by side
| MKV | AVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | almost any codec, often H.264 or H.265 with several audio and subtitle tracks | MPEG-4 Part 2 (Xvid) video with MP3 sound |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Carries sound | Yes | Yes |
| Plays on | VLC, Plex, most smart TVs and Android, but not the iPhone Photos app or QuickTime | Windows Media Player, VLC and old DVD players with DivX support |
| Here | Read and write | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the MKV. MKV and WEBM share a signature because WEBM is a restricted Matroska, so tools sometimes report one as the other. What matters is the codecs inside.
About the AVI. Audio drifting out of sync partway through an AVI is common, because the container assumes a fixed frame rate that the source did not actually have. Re-encoding to MP4 corrects the timing.
How to convert MKV to AVI
- Add your MKV file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to AVI.
- Press convert and the AVI file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert MKV to AVI?
Open this page, add your MKV file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this MKV to AVI converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to AVI lose quality?
AVI is a lossy format, so some detail is discarded. The quality control on this page decides how much. The default is set high enough that most people cannot see the difference.
Can I convert several MKV files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.