HEVCut vs Video Compress: Which App Is Right for You?
Running low on iPhone storage? You're not alone. Videos and photos are the biggest space hogs on most devices, and finding the right app to manage them can make a real difference.
Two popular options you'll find on the App Store are Video Compress - Shrink Vids and HEVCut. Both help you shrink video files, but they take very different approaches, and one offers a lot more than just video compression. This guide breaks down the key differences so you can pick the one that fits your needs.
Video Compress
Free with ads
HEVCut
Ad-free · iPhone, iPad, Mac
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Video Compress | HEVCut |
|---|---|---|
| Ads | Yes (removable with paid upgrade) | No ads |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Interface | Dated, technical | Modern, intuitive |
| Settings | Manual bitrate/preset selection | Smart automatic settings |
| Preview savings before compression | No | Yes |
| Find largest videos easily | No | Yes (sort by size) |
| Compression method | Resolution/bitrate reduction | Modern HEVC encoding |
| Keeps full resolution | Limited (max 1080p output) | Yes |
| Preserves all metadata | Partial | Yes (dates, GPS, camera info, etc.) |
| Photo compression | No | Yes |
| Find duplicates | No | Yes (photos and videos) |
| Delete unwanted media | No | Yes |
The Interface Problem
Let's start with something you'll notice immediately: Video Compress looks like it was designed in 2010.
The interface feels dated and clunky. You're presented with technical options like bitrate sliders and resolution presets (1080p, 720p, 540p, 480p, 360p) without much guidance on what to choose. If you're not already familiar with video encoding concepts, it's easy to pick the wrong settings and end up with a video that looks noticeably worse.
HEVCut was built for today. The interface is clean, modern, and designed for regular people, not video engineers. You don't need to understand bitrates or manually select presets. The app figures out the optimal settings for your video automatically, so you get the best balance of size and quality without guesswork.
See Your Savings Before You Compress
Here's a workflow problem that Video Compress doesn't solve: How do you know which videos to compress first?
With Video Compress, you have to select a video blindly, wait for it to process, and only then see how much space you saved. There's no way to browse your library and identify the biggest space hogs. You're essentially guessing.
HEVCut shows you potential savings before you compress anything.
You can browse your entire video library sorted by file size, instantly seeing which videos are taking up the most space. Before you even start compression, you know exactly how much space each video could save. This lets you make smart decisions about what to compress first, targeting the videos that will have the biggest impact on your storage.
HEVCut's smart workflow
- Sort your entire library by file size to find the biggest videos
- See estimated savings before you compress
- Target high-impact videos first
- Know exactly what you're getting before you commit
This alone saves hours of time compared to the blind trial-and-error approach of older apps.
The Big Difference: How Compression Works
This is the most important thing to understand when comparing these apps.
Video Compress: Resolution Reduction
Video Compress - Shrink Vids shrinks files by reducing resolution and bitrate. It offers presets like 1080p, 720p, 540p, 480p, and 360p. Have a 4K video? The maximum output is 1080p. There's no option to keep your original 4K resolution.
This works, and files do get smaller. But you're permanently losing quality. Fewer pixels means less detail. And if you shot in 4K for a reason, downgrading to 1080p defeats the purpose.
HEVCut: Smart HEVC Encoding
HEVCut takes a completely different approach. Instead of throwing away resolution, it re-encodes your video using HEVC (H.265), a modern codec that's simply more efficient than older formats.
The result? Same resolution, same frame rate, smaller file.
Your 4K 60fps video stays 4K 60fps. It just takes up less space because HEVC is smarter about how it stores the data.
Think of it this way
Reducing resolution is like shrinking a photo to make it smaller. You lose detail permanently. HEVC encoding is like using a better compression algorithm: same content, smaller file, no quality loss.
Settings: Technical vs. Intuitive
Video Compress: For Advanced Users
Video Compress gives you manual control over bitrate and resolution presets. That sounds good in theory, but in practice it means you need to know:
- What bitrate is appropriate for your video
- How resolution affects quality
- What tradeoffs you're making with each preset
Pick wrong, and your video looks blocky or washed out. The app doesn't guide you toward good choices. It just presents options and hopes you know what you're doing.
HEVCut: Smart Defaults That Just Work
HEVCut handles the technical decisions for you. The app analyzes your video and applies optimal compression settings automatically. You get excellent results without needing to understand video encoding.
If you want more control, it's there. But you don't need it to get great results.
Pro Tip
Most people don't want to become video encoding experts. They just want smaller files that still look good. HEVCut is designed for that reality.
Metadata: The Hidden Problem Most Apps Ignore
Here's something most people don't think about until it's too late: metadata.
When you take a video on your iPhone, it stores more than just the footage. It records:
- Date and time the video was taken
- GPS location where you recorded it
- Camera settings (exposure, lens, etc.)
- Device information
- Orientation data
This metadata is what lets you search "videos from Paris" or scroll to a specific date in your library. It's incredibly valuable.
The Problem with Most Compression Apps
Many compression apps, including Video Compress, don't preserve all this metadata. After compression, your video might show today's date instead of when it was actually recorded. The GPS location might be stripped. Camera information might be lost.
Your carefully organized photo library becomes a mess of files with wrong dates scattered in the wrong places.
HEVCut Preserves Everything
HEVCut preserves all metadata. Every single field. Your compressed video keeps:
- Original capture date and time (your timeline stays intact)
- GPS coordinates (location search keeps working)
- Camera and lens information
- Device model and settings
- Orientation and rotation data
- All custom metadata you've added
After compression, your video appears exactly where it should in your library: same date, same location, same everything. The only difference is the file size.
More Than Just Video Compression
Video Compress does one thing: compress videos. That's it.
HEVCut is a complete storage management toolkit:
What HEVCut can do
- Compress videos using modern HEVC encoding (keeps full resolution)
- Compress photos without visible quality loss
- Find and delete duplicate photos and videos
- Identify and remove unwanted media (blurry shots, screenshots, etc.)
- Works seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, and Mac
If you're serious about freeing up storage, videos are only part of the equation. Duplicate photos, forgotten screenshots, and uncompressed images can eat up just as much space. HEVCut handles all of it in one app.
Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
Video Compress is designed for iPhone and iPad only.
HEVCut runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and macOS. Same app, same interface, same features everywhere.
If you manage your photo library across multiple Apple devices, you can use HEVCut wherever you are. Start compressing on your iPhone, continue on your Mac. Your library syncs through iCloud Photos, and HEVCut works with it seamlessly.
One app, three platforms
Other Key Differences
Ads vs. Ad-Free
Video Compress is ad-supported. You'll see ads during use. A paid upgrade removes ads, but some users have reported issues with purchases not being recognized after reinstalling.
HEVCut has no ads at all. You open the app, do your work, and that's it.
4K Support
Video Compress can accept 4K videos, but the maximum output resolution is 1080p. If you want to keep your 4K footage in 4K, this app can't help.
HEVCut keeps your original resolution. 4K stays 4K. The file just gets smaller through smarter encoding.
Photo Compression
Video Compress doesn't touch photos. It's video-only.
HEVCut compresses photos too. Modern iPhones capture huge image files, especially with ProRAW or high-resolution modes. HEVCut can reduce photo file sizes significantly while maintaining visual quality.
Duplicate Detection
Video Compress doesn't help with duplicates.
HEVCut scans your library for duplicate photos and videos, showing you exactly what's taking up redundant space. Review them, keep the ones you want, delete the rest.
What Each App Does Well
Video Compress
- •Gets the job done for simple tasks
- •Manual bitrate control (if you know what you're doing)
- •Can delete originals automatically
HEVCut
- •Modern, intuitive interface
- •Preview savings before compressing
- •Sort by size to find biggest videos
- •Smart automatic settings
- •No ads ever
- •Works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- •Keeps full resolution (including 4K)
- •Preserves ALL metadata (dates, GPS, camera)
- •Compresses videos AND photos
- •Find and delete duplicates
- •Remove unwanted media
Who Should Use Which?
Choose Video Compress if:
- You only need to compress the occasional video
- You don't mind a dated interface
- You're comfortable with manual bitrate settings
- You're okay with downgrading 4K to 1080p
- You don't care about preserving metadata
- You only use iPhone or iPad
Choose HEVCut if:
- You want a modern app that's easy to use
- You want to see potential savings before compressing
- You want to easily find your largest videos first
- You want to keep full resolution (including 4K) while reducing file size
- Preserving metadata (dates, locations, camera info) matters to you
- You want one app that handles videos, photos, duplicates, and cleanup
- You use iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- You'd rather not deal with ads
The Bottom Line
Video Compress - Shrink Vids is an older tool with a dated interface that requires manual settings knowledge. It shrinks videos by reducing resolution (maxing out at 1080p), and you have to select videos blindly without knowing which ones will save you the most space.
HEVCut is built for how people actually use their phones today. Browse your library sorted by size, see exactly how much space you'll save before you compress, and let the app handle the technical settings automatically. Keep your full 4K resolution, preserve all your metadata, and manage your entire photo library from one modern app that works across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
If you want compression that actually fits into your life, HEVCut is the clear choice.
Try It Yourself
Download HEVCut on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Sort your videos by size, see which ones are eating your storage, and compress them with one tap. Same resolution, smaller file, all your metadata preserved. No ads, no guesswork, no messed-up dates.