MOV vs MP4: which is better, and does quality differ?

MOV and MP4 are sibling video containers: MOV is Apple's QuickTime format, and MP4 was built on it. Both can hold the same H.264 video, so the extension alone does not decide quality; the codec and its settings do. The practical difference is where the file plays: MDN lists the MP4 container as supported in all browsers, and MOV only in older versions of Safari and browsers with Apple's QuickTime plugin.

The format facts come from MDN's container guide, FFmpeg's formats and tool docs, Apple Support, and Shopify Help's product media types, read on 2026-09-28. What Sume returns comes from the Timeline 1.0 docs.

What is the difference between MOV and MP4?

Both are wrappers around compressed video and audio streams. MDN says QuickTime served as the basis for MP4 but that the two are not quite interchangeable; What codec does MP4 use? covers the structure they share.

Which has better quality, MOV or MP4?

Neither, as long as both hold the same streams. Moving video from one container to the other with FFmpeg's stream copy involves no decoding or encoding, and FFmpeg's docs say there is no quality loss. What codec does MP4 use? shows that command and when it fails.

Quality and size differ when the codec differs. Apple, for example, recommends capturing iPhone and iPad video in HEVC (H.265), which it calls space-saving. Its Most Compatible camera setting switches new videos to H.264, which Apple calls more broadly compatible with other devices and operating systems. So two phone videos can differ even with the same extension; check the codec, not the name.

Should I use MOV or MP4?

• A website: MP4. MDN's advice for a single file is the format available on the broadest selection of devices and browsers, such as MP4.
• Editing: MDN notes that playing back media is different from recording or editing it. Keep the camera's original for editing and deliver an MP4.
• A store or social upload: whatever the platform's upload page lists. Shopify accepts .mp4, .mov, or .webm product videos, and converts and serves all of them as .mp4 or HLS.
• A recipient whose device can't play HEVC: Apple's page says QuickTime Player's File > Export As can switch from Smaller File Size (HEVC) to Greater Compatibility (H.264). Convert HEVC to H.264 covers other ways.

Does Sume return MOV or MP4 files?

MP4. Sume's docs describe MP4 output, such as the one MP4 that Timeline 1.0 returns, and list no MOV option. Which codecs Sume's MP4 files use and Sume API output formats cover each endpoint, and WebM vs MP4 compares MP4 with the web's other common container.