HEVCut vs video compressor apps
Search the App Store for a video compressor and you'll find dozens. We read the listings of 16 of them on the US App Store, including the top two results, and recorded what each one says about ads, platforms, output format, photos, cleanup and metadata.
The 16 apps
| App (rating) | Ads | Platforms | Output codec | Photo compression | Cleanup tools | Date and location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compress Videos & Resize Video, New Marketing Lab (4.7, 18K) | Yes (free tier) | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | Separate app | No | Not listed |
| Video Compress - Shrink Videos, Shenzhen Jinxixi (4.5, 12K) | Yes | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | No | No | Not listed |
| Video Compressor-Shrink videos, Icestudio (4.7, 9.7K) | Yes | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | Yes | Largest-files list | Not listed |
| Video compressor - save space (4.7, 4.6K) | Yes | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | Yes | "Clear album videos" | Not listed |
| Video Compress - Shrink Vids, Brachmann (4.7, 3.7K) | Yes | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | Separate app | No | Yes (date, time, GPS) |
| Video Compressor - HQ Compress, LightByte (4.7, 2.2K) | Says no ads | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | No | No | Release note: "fix metadata issue" |
| Video Compressor & Reduce size, Tran Thi Hong Thanh (4.6, 1.3K) | Yes | iPhone, iPad; Mac ("Designed for iPad") | HEVC | Yes | Duplicates, similar, blurry, screenshots, bursts | Not listed |
| Video Compressor - resize all, LANARS (4.8, 982) | Not listed | iPhone, iPad, Mac (build type not checked) | HEVC | Separate app | No | Date, time and "metadata" |
| Easy Video Compressor - Resize, Osawa Shunsuke (4.8, 830) | Yes | iPhone; iPhone app on Mac | H.264, HEVC | Separate app | Sort by size | Pro only |
| Panda Video Compress & Convert, Farluner Apps (4.8, 773) | Yes (free tier) | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | H.264, HEVC, VP9 | Separate app | No | Claimed |
| Compress: Video Compressor, Le Giang Nam (4.7, 578) | Not listed | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed (MP4, MOV) | No | No | Not listed |
| Video Compressor : Save Space, Inverse.AI (4.7, 491) | Yes | iPhone, iPad, Mac (build type not checked) | H.264, HEVC | Yes | Sort by size | "Keep Metadata" option |
| Video Compressor・Reduce Size, out thinking limited (4.3, 318) | Yes | iPhone, iPad | Not listed | No | No | Not listed |
| Video Compressor & Editor (4.4, 292) | Not listed | iPhone, iPad; last updated February 2020 | H.264, HEVC | No | No | Claims "all metadata" |
| Video Compressor - Shrink Vids, Art Mobile Apps (4.7, 282) | Not listed | iPhone, iPad; iPad app on Mac | Not listed | No | No | Not listed |
| Video Compressor Shrink Video, RAYO Innovations (4.8, 27) | Yes | iPhone; iPhone app on Mac | Not listed (hardware encoder) | No | No | Not listed |
| HEVCut | No ads | iPhone, iPad, native Mac app | HEVC (10-bit for HDR) | HEIC or AVIF | Duplicates, bursts, clutter, Swipe | Date, location, favorite, albums, filename |
As listed on the US App Store, checked 19 October 2026. Each app name links to its listing; ratings are the listing's average and number of ratings. “Not listed” means the source doesn’t mention it, not that the app can’t do it. Sources: HEVCut on the App Store.
"iPad app on Mac" and "iPhone app on Mac" mean the listing makes its iPhone or iPad version available on Mac rather than offering a separate Mac app; Compress Videos & Resize Video's listing labels it "Not verified for macOS". For two apps, Video Compress - Shrink Videos and Compress: Video Compressor, reviews on the listing mention metadata, such as the date or location, not being kept.
For longer head-to-heads with two of these apps, see HEVCut vs Compress Videos and HEVCut vs Video Compress - Shrink Vids.
What HEVCut adds
Photos and cleanup in the same app
15 of the 16 compressors stop at compression. HEVCut also compresses photos (HEIC by default, or AVIF, encoded on your device; none of the 16 listings mentions AVIF), and it has Duplicates, Clutter and Swipe for the things you'd rather delete than shrink.
Review before anything is replaced
Several compressors offer to delete or replace the original. HEVCut saves the compressed file next to it, lets you compare the two (a slider for photos, a synced player for videos), and then you tap Keep Compressed (the original goes to Recently Deleted) or Revert (the copy is deleted). For a whole batch, delete the originals from the dock once you're happy, or tap Undo to remove the compressed copies and keep your originals.
No bigger files
HEVCut only offers videos and photos it estimates will shrink by at least 5%. If a result still comes out larger, it's discarded and the original stays.
Metadata, HDR and Spatial Audio
The compressed version keeps the capture date, location, favorite status, albums and filename. HDR video stays HDR (HLG or HDR10, in 10-bit HEVC), and Spatial Audio is passed through.
A native Mac app and external drives
Most of these apps run on Mac as their iPhone or iPad version. HEVCut is a native Mac app, and on iPhone, iPad and Mac it can compress a folder on an external drive or SD card, saving each result next to the original with the source file dates kept.
A queue that runs in the background
With Pro, HEVCut can compress everything that matches your filters in one run. On iOS 26 the queue keeps going after you leave the app, with progress shown by the system; iOS can pause it in Low Power Mode or when the device is hot, and it resumes when you return.
Curious what your own library would save? HEVCut scans it and shows the total before you compress anything.
Why HEVCut's defaults look the way they do
HEVCut picks settings for the biggest saving you won't notice, and lets you change them:
- 1080p by default. Most phone videos are watched on a phone, where 1080p looks nearly identical to 4K and takes a fraction of the space. Want 4K? Turn on Keep original resolution (free) and the bitrate scales with the pixel count. Photo presets resize to at most 3840 pixels on the long edge; Pro's Fine-tune can keep the original size.
- HEVC, always. It's the format Apple's own Camera records in, it plays on every recent Apple device, and it needs about half the bits of H.264 for the same picture. Picking H.264 would mean bigger files for no benefit in your library.
- HDR stays HDR. HLG and HDR10 are kept in 10-bit HEVC, and Spatial Audio is passed through. Other multichannel audio, such as 5.1, becomes stereo AAC.
- One video at a time. Videos go through Apple's hardware encoder one after another, so each one gets the encoder to itself and runs at full speed.
Why HEVCut is the better choice
- You get a smaller library, not a pile of copies. Most compressors save a new file and leave the cleanup to you: delete the original, then find the copy that landed at today's date. HEVCut replaces the original once you approve, with the date, location, favorite status, albums and filename intact.
- No ads, ever. 11 of the 16 compressors show ads. HEVCut shows none, free or Pro.
- You know what you're getting. 10 of the 16 don't name the codec they output. HEVCut uses HEVC (10-bit for HDR), and HEIC or AVIF for photos. None of the 16 mentions AVIF.
- Photos and cleanup in the same app. 15 of the 16 stop at video compression. HEVCut also shrinks photos and clears out duplicates, bursts, screenshots and messaging downloads, so one app covers your whole library.
- It never makes a file bigger. HEVCut only offers items it estimates will shrink by at least 5%, and throws away any result that comes out larger.
- It works where your files are. A native Mac app instead of a phone app on a big screen, and compression for folders on external drives and SD cards, which none of the 16 mentions.
Frequently asked questions
Which video compressor apps keep the date and location?
Six of the 16 listings say they keep metadata in some form: Video Compress - Shrink Vids (date, time and GPS), Video Compressor - resize all (date, time and metadata), Easy Video Compressor (Pro only), Panda (claimed), Video Compressor : Save Space (a Keep Metadata option) and Video Compressor & Editor (all metadata). HEVCut copies the capture date, location, favorite status, albums and filename to the compressed version.
Do any of these apps compress photos too?
Four include photo compression in the same app, and five sell it as a separate app. None of the 16 listings mentions AVIF. HEVCut compresses photos to HEIC or AVIF on your device, next to video compression and cleanup.
Does HEVCut keep 4K resolution?
Only if you ask it to. HEVCut's video presets cap the resolution at 1080p, and the Maximum preset at 720p. Turn on Keep original resolution, which is free, to keep 4K; the bitrate then scales with the pixel count.
Can HEVCut compress videos on an external drive or SD card?
Yes. Pick a folder and HEVCut saves a compressed copy next to each original, with _compressed added to the name and the source file dates kept. Deleting originals on a drive is permanent, so check each copy before you keep it. None of the 16 compressor listings mentions external drives.
Why doesn't HEVCut offer every video for compression?
It only offers items it estimates will shrink by at least 5%. If a finished file still comes out larger than the original, HEVCut discards it and keeps the original.
Why choose HEVCut over a free compressor?
Because a compressed copy is only half the job. Most free compressors show ads, don't say what codec they output, and leave you to delete the original and fix the date and location yourself. HEVCut compresses videos and photos to named formats, replaces the original only after you approve, keeps your metadata and albums, and cleans up duplicates and clutter too. It's free to download with free compressions to try; Pro comes as a subscription or one-time purchase.