Compress AVI Online - Free
Shrink an AVI file without it falling apart. It comes back as a small MP4 that plays everywhere.
- Free to start
- In your browser
- Up to 1GB
Compress AVI in 3 steps
Upload your AVI
Drag and drop the AVI file, or click to browse. Anything under 1GB.
A balanced level is pre-set
Compression and resolution start at a level most people cannot tell from the original. Push either further in the panel if you need it smaller.
Compress and download
The smaller file downloads as MP4. Create a free account to download it, or keep editing in REQO.
Why AVI files are big, and what comes back
AVI is a Microsoft container from 1992. It still turns up in old archives, camcorder dumps and downloaded footage, but it predates modern compression and has no idea what a phone is.
Phones, browsers and social platforms do not play AVI at all.
The legacy codecs inside waste enormous amounts of space compared with H.264.
The compressed file comes back as MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio), not AVI. That is where most of the saving comes from: H.264 in MP4 is the most efficient format that every phone, browser and upload form accepts. If something downstream insists on AVI, convert the result back with the MP4 to AVI converter.
Container
Typical codecs
Plays on
File size
| Feature | Your AVI | The MP4 you get back |
|---|---|---|
| Container | Audio Video Interleave (Microsoft) | MPEG-4 Part 14 |
| Typical codecs | DivX, Xvid, MJPEG and other legacy codecs | H.264 video, AAC audio |
| Plays on | Desktop players with the right codec pack | Every phone, browser, TV and editor |
| File size | Very large for the quality | Small for the quality |
Before you compress an AVI
No browser plays AVI, so an AVI cannot be previewed or embedded on a web page without converting it first.
AVI files from older cameras and downloads often hold DivX, Xvid or MJPEG video, which modern phones and TVs frequently refuse even when the extension looks familiar.
compress avi: questions
Will my AVI stay an AVI?
No, it comes back as MP4. The compressor renders H.264 video with AAC audio, which is both smaller than most AVI files and playable everywhere. Use the MP4 to AVI converter afterwards if you need the original container.
Does compression ruin the quality?
At the pre-set level most viewers will not see a difference. Quality only falls apart when you compress hard AND keep a high resolution, which is why the panel pairs a level with a resolution.
Is compressing AVI free?
Yes. Compress and preview free, and a free account downloads the result. Free exports and share pages include a small REQO badge. Go Pro to remove it.
Other presets
Everything else you can do here.
All compress video presets
Crop for a platform
Crop to a ratio
Resize to a resolution
Rotate or flip
Subtitles in another language
Convert a caption file
Need more than compress avi?
REQO is a full browser video editor: record, edit by transcript, caption and export.