MOV to MKV converter
Convert MOV to MKV 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 MOV to MKV, add the MOV file to the iHateFiles MOV to MKV 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 MKV container.
Should you convert MOV to MKV?
Do this when something specifically needs MKV. 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
A MOV usually holds H.264, HEVC or ProRes video, usually from an iPhone or a Mac. This writes H.264 video with AAC sound into the MKV. 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 MOV artefacts rather than the original.
Where the MKV will play
MKV plays on VLC, Plex, most smart TVs and Android, but not the iPhone Photos app or QuickTime.
MOV and MKV side by side
| MOV | MKV | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | H.264, HEVC or ProRes video, usually from an iPhone or a Mac | H.264 video with AAC sound |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| Carries sound | Yes | Yes |
| Plays on | every Apple device, Windows 10 and later, and most editors | VLC, Plex, most smart TVs and Android, but not the iPhone Photos app or QuickTime |
| Here | Read and write | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the MOV. A MOV recorded on an iPhone is usually H.264 or HEVC and plays anywhere. A MOV exported from an editor may be ProRes, ten times larger, and rejected by the same places.
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.
How to convert MOV to MKV
- Add your MOV file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to MKV.
- Press convert and the MKV file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert MOV to MKV?
Open this page, add your MOV 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 MOV to MKV 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 MKV lose quality?
MKV 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 MOV files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.