What is HandBrake used for?

HandBrake is an open-source, multiplatform video transcoder that converts video from nearly any format to modern codecs. It is a good fit for converting videos for phones and TVs, and shrinking large video files for storage.

Is HandBrake open source?

Yes. HandBrake is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at HandBrake/HandBrake and is written mainly in C.

Yes. HandBrake is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.

Can I self-host HandBrake?

Yes. HandBrake can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What are some alternatives to HandBrake?

Similar open-source tools in the Video Editing category include OBS Studio, Shotcut and FFmpeg. SaaS products in the same category include Compresso, CaptionCreator and 5UGC.

Is HandBrake actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to HandBrake was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.11.2, published on 7 June 2026. The project has 25k stars on GitHub.

HandBrake: open-source video editing

About HandBrake

HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed, multiplatform and multithreaded video transcoder. It is built by volunteers and turns video from almost any source format into a choice of current, broadly supported codecs. The core code in this development repository is written in C, and the project runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

The project website offers downloads, news, documentation and a community area, and the current release is listed on the homepage. HandBrake is free to use. The repository metadata lists the license as Other, but the topics and the homepage both point to GPL licensing, so confirm the exact terms in the source before redistributing. As a desktop application, it runs on your own computer, and it is typically used to prepare video for particular devices or to reduce file size.

Key features

Converts video from nearly any format
Outputs to modern, widely supported codecs
Multithreaded video transcoding engine
Windows, macOS and Linux versions
Free and open source with volunteer development
Documentation and community support

Good fit for

→Converting videos for phones and TVs
→Shrinking large video files for storage

Built with: C
Tags: video-transcoder; video; converter; encoding; multimedia; gpl; cross-platform; desktop-app

HandBrake: questions and answers

What is HandBrake used for?: HandBrake is an open-source, multiplatform video transcoder that converts video from nearly any format to modern codecs. It is a good fit for converting videos for phones and TVs, and shrinking large video files for storage.
Is HandBrake open source?: Yes. HandBrake is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at HandBrake/HandBrake and is written mainly in C.
Is HandBrake free?: Yes. HandBrake is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
Can I self-host HandBrake?: Yes. HandBrake can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What are some alternatives to HandBrake?: Similar open-source tools in the Video Editing category include OBS Studio, Shotcut and FFmpeg. SaaS products in the same category include Compresso, CaptionCreator and 5UGC.
Is HandBrake actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to HandBrake was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.11.2, published on 7 June 2026. The project has 25k stars on GitHub.