Adobe Media Encoder vs HandBrake
Adobe Media Encoder
adobe.com
HandBrake
handbrake.frSide by side
| Figure | Adobe Media Encoder | HandBrake |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 4 | 1 |
| Spec score · Video Converter Software | 7.1 (#70) | 8.9 (#7) |
| Batch conversion | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 1982 | 2003 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Hardware acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| Maximum output resolution | 8k | 4k |
| Output formats | H.264,HEVC (H.265),MPEG-2,MPEG-4,QuickTime,MXF OP1a,AVI,Windows Media,Apple ProRes,DNxHR/DNxHD,JPEG 2000,P2 Movie,Wraptor DCP,AAC,AIFF,MP3,WAV | MP4,MKV,WebM; video codecs include H.264,H.265,MPEG-4,MPEG-2,VP8,VP9,AV1,Theora,and FFV1 |
| Supported platforms | cross-platform | cross-platform |
Plans
Adobe Media Encoder
- Creative Cloud Single AppPrice not published
- Creative Cloud Single AppPriced on request
- Creative Cloud ProPrice not published
- Creative Cloud ProPriced on request
In their own words
Adobe Media Encoder
Adobe Media Encoder has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
HandBrake
HandBrake is a free, open-source video transcoder for converting video from nearly any format. It can produce MP4, MKV and WebM files using codecs such as H.264, H.265, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VP8, VP9, AV1, Theora and FFV1. Batch conversion and hardware acceleration are supported, and output resolution can reach 4K. HandBrake runs on Windows, macOS and Linux; the listed macOS requirement is version 10.13 or later. The listed release is HandBrake 1.11.2, and the project says volunteers build it. The tool's stated scope is video conversion, not audio extraction. Community and documentation resources are available, along with a GitHub repository, a privacy policy and a way to report problems. HandBrake is free to use, with no paid plan listed.