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H.264 vs HEVC vs AV1: Which Video Codec Should You Care About?

2/1/2026 · Video · 7 min

H.264 vs HEVC vs AV1: Which Video Codec Should You Care About?

TL;DR

  • H.264 is the most compatible option. It decodes everywhere, encodes fast, and is fine for streaming and broad device support.
  • HEVC (H.265) offers about 25% to 50% bitrate savings over H.264 at the same visual quality, but hardware and licensing can be inconsistent.
  • AV1 provides the best compression efficiency for many scenes, often beating HEVC, but encoding can be slower and hardware decoding support is still growing.
  • Choose H.264 for maximum compatibility and low encoding cost.
  • Choose HEVC if you need better compression now and target devices with good HEVC support.
  • Choose AV1 if bandwidth savings matter, you can afford slower encoding, or you target modern devices and browsers that support it.

Compression and Quality

  • Codecs trade off bitrate, visual quality, and compute. Modern codecs use more advanced prediction and transforms to reduce file size.
  • Roughly speaking: H.264 is least efficient, HEVC is more efficient, and AV1 is most efficient for many types of content. Actual savings depend on content type and encoder settings.
  • For high motion or complex detail, the efficiency gap can widen. For simple content, improvements are smaller.

Encoding Speed and Workflow

  • H.264: Fastest to encode on CPUs and GPUs. Many fast presets produce acceptable quality, which is why it remains popular for live workflows and editing exports.
  • HEVC: Slower than H.264 at equivalent quality, though hardware encoders can speed things up. Expect longer export times on software encoders.
  • AV1: Software encoding is significantly slower at comparable quality. Recent hardware encoders and optimized software builds reduce that gap, but encoding speed remains the biggest practical drawback for many creators.

Hardware Acceleration and Playback Support

  • H.264: Universal hardware decode and wide hardware encode support on nearly all devices and browsers. Best choice for broad compatibility.
  • HEVC: Widely supported on modern phones, TVs, and some browsers, but some platforms restrict HEVC for licensing reasons. Hardware decode/encode exists on many devices, but support is not as universal as H.264.
  • AV1: Native hardware decode is becoming common in new TVs, GPUs, and mobile SoCs, and modern browsers are adding support. Older devices often lack AV1 hardware decoding and fall back to software, which increases battery use and can drop performance.

Bandwidth and Storage Considerations

  • If bandwidth or storage cost is a bottleneck, choosing a more efficient codec can reduce expenses. AV1 gives the best long term savings in many cases, followed by HEVC.
  • For streaming services, even modest bitrate savings multiply across many viewers, so migration to HEVC or AV1 is attractive despite transition costs.

Licensing and Ecosystem

  • H.264: Patent pools exist, but its licensing is mature and broadly handled by platforms and hardware makers.
  • HEVC: More complicated licensing landscape with multiple patent pools. Some vendors and platforms avoid HEVC due to royalty complexity.
  • AV1: Designed to be royalty free, but patent uncertainty exists. Broad industry support from major streaming and browser vendors has accelerated adoption.

Editing, Color, and HDR

  • For professional editing and HDR workflows, codec choice affects color fidelity, bit depth, and intra-frame behavior. Many editors use mezzanine formats (ProRes, DNxHR) for editing, then transcode to delivery codecs.
  • For final delivery, HEVC and AV1 handle HDR and wide color well when encoders are configured correctly. H.264 can work for SDR and simpler HDR workflows, but may require higher bitrates.

Which Should You Use?

  • For compatibility and speed: Use H.264. It ensures the widest playback support and fast encoding for uploads and live streams.
  • For better compression now where devices support it: Use HEVC. Good option for 4K delivery to modern TVs and devices that support HEVC hardware decode.
  • For long term bandwidth savings and future proofing: Use AV1 when your target audience has AV1 decode support or when you control the playback environment. Ideal for streaming platforms and archiving at reduced storage cost.

Practical Checklist

  • Target devices: Check whether viewers have hardware decode for HEVC or AV1.
  • Encoding resources: If you need fast turnaround, favor H.264 or hardware HEVC encoders.
  • Bandwidth vs quality: If saving bandwidth is critical, prioritize AV1 or HEVC and test quality at target bitrates.
  • Licensing and platform constraints: Confirm any licensing limits for HEVC on your platform or CDN.
  • Playback apps and browsers: Test files across the browsers and devices your audience uses.

Bottom Line

H.264 remains the safest choice for compatibility and speed. HEVC delivers meaningful compression improvements now if your audience uses modern devices and you can navigate licensing. AV1 offers the best efficiency and may be the best long term choice for streaming and storage, but encoding speed and legacy device support are the main adoption hurdles. Pick the codec that matches your audience, infrastructure, and production timeline.

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