Side by side
Bitmovin Encoding vs FFmpeg
Both stand on video converter software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+3
Bitmovin Encoding offers a broad set of streaming outputs, codec support and deployment choices for VOD workflows. Check minute-based billing and Cloud Connect requirements against your intended setup.
Visit Bitmovin Encoding
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1
FFmpeg provides broad media conversion and streaming capabilities across desktop platforms, with hardware acceleration options. Its command-line format and workload-dependent parallel performance are worth considering before choosing it.
Visit FFmpegThe facts
| Bitmovin Encoding | FFmpeg | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, API, iPhone, Linux, Self-hosted, Web | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | See the plans | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Maker | Bitmovin Encoding | Not published |
| Website | bitmovin.com | ffmpeg.org |
| On video converter software | #3 of 75 | #1 of 75 |
Bitmovin Encoding: what it does well
- Supports output resolutions up to 8K.
- Includes batch conversion and hardware acceleration.
- Per-Title bitrate ladders have configurable bounds and rungs.
- Runs on five listed cloud providers.
- Includes 2,000 free VOD minutes monthly.
What to know first
- Outputs under 10 seconds are billed as 10 seconds.
- Rates vary by codec, resolution and encoding features.
- Cloud Connect requires a commercial agreement and account activation.
- Pay-as-you-go support tickets receive best-effort handling.
FFmpeg: what it does well
- Free and open source
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
- Converts media through a command-line tool
- Supports hardware-accelerated encoding and decoding
- Offers multiple streaming output protocols
What to know first
- Vulkan compute applies only to parallelizable codecs
- Parallel processing may not help every workload
- Version 7.0 removed APIs deprecated before version 6.0
Alternatives to Bitmovin Encoding Alternatives to FFmpeg The whole list