MKV vs MP4
A quick, plain-English comparison of the MKV and MP4 file formats — and how to convert between them, free and in your browser.
| MKV | MP4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | video | video |
| Extension | .mkv | .mp4 |
| MIME type | video/x-matroska | video/mp4 |
| Converts to | 31 formats | 31 formats |
| Direction here | read & write | read & write |
Convert between MKV and MP4
MKV vs MP4: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between MKV and MP4?
Matroska open multimedia container. MPEG-4 video container; the web/mobile default.
Should I use MKV or MP4?
Both are video formats — the right one depends on compatibility, quality and file size for your use. Whichever you have, you can convert it to the other below in seconds.
How do I convert MKV to MP4?
Open the MKV-to-MP4 converter, drop your MKV file in, and download the MP4. We auto-detect the real format from the file's bytes, so a mislabeled file still works.