Is this AVI to WMV converter really free?

Yes. Up to 5 files at a time, no signup, no catch. The free tier adds a small watermark to image output — Pro ($9.99/mo or $49/yr) removes it, raises the file size limit to 500 MB, and unlocks unlimited batch conversion.

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No — and you can verify it yourself. Open DevTools → Network tab, then convert a file. You'll see zero upload requests. Everything runs right in your browser. We never see your files.

How long does conversion take?

Usually 1–3 seconds for a typical file. The very first conversion on a fresh page load may take 5–20 seconds while the converter engine loads — after that it's instant. Your CPU does all the work locally.

What is the file size limit?

Free: up to 10 MB per file, 5 files per batch. Pro: up to 500 MB per file, unlimited batch. If you're working with large videos or RAW photos, Pro is built for that.

Can I batch convert multiple AVI files at once?

Yes — drop multiple files at once (or Ctrl/Cmd+click to select them) and they all convert in parallel. Free accounts handle up to 5 files per batch; Pro has no limit.

How large can my video files be?

Free accounts support files up to 10 MB — enough for short clips and GIFs. Pro raises that to 500 MB, which covers most 1080p videos. For files over 1 GB, a native app like HandBrake will be faster.

Will the video lose quality during conversion?

When only the container changes (e.g., MKV → MP4 where both use H.264), there's zero quality loss — it's a lossless rewrap. When the codec changes, we encode at CRF 23, which is near-transparent for most content.

Is there a quality difference between AVI and WMV?

Both are older formats. WMV uses Microsoft's VC-1 codec while AVI often contains DivX/Xvid or older MPEG-4. At the same bitrate, quality is comparable. For maximum quality, encode at a high bitrate.

Which is more widely supported: AVI or WMV?

AVI is more widely supported on non-Windows platforms (Linux, Mac, Android). WMV is better supported natively on Windows but requires codec packs or VLC elsewhere. Convert to WMV only for Windows-specific destinations.

How private is this converter?

Completely private — by design, not policy. There is no upload endpoint. Files are processed right inside your browser tab and disappear the moment you close it. We collect only anonymous page-view counts; your file content is never seen or stored.

AVI to WMV Converter — Free, Online, No Upload

How to convert AVI to WMV online

1
Drop your AVI file
Drag and drop your Audio Video Interleave file onto the converter, or click to browse your files. You can select up to 5 at once. Nothing leaves your device — conversion happens right here in the browser.
2
Hit Convert — it happens locally
Click Convert and watch it go. There's no upload, no server queue, no waiting. The converter runs Audio Video Interleave → Windows Media Video entirely in your browser tab. Most files finish in 1–3 seconds.
3
Download your WMV
Your Windows Media Video file is ready. Click Download, or grab a ZIP if you converted a batch. Close the tab and everything disappears — no copies kept anywhere.

AVI vs WMV: format overview

AVI

Audio Video Interleave

Microsoft · 1992

Compression: lossy
Transparency: No

✓ Universal Windows compatibility
✓ Simple container format — widely supported
✗ Large file sizes (minimal compression)

WMV

Windows Media Video

Microsoft · 2003

Compression: lossy
Transparency: No

✓ Good compression for Windows-native workflows
✓ DRM support for content protection

AVI magic bytes: 52 49 46 46 xx xx xx xx 41 56 49 20

WMV magic bytes: 30 26 B2 75 8E 66 CF 11

Why convert AVI to WMV?

AVI files are broadly compatible, but some corporate environments, legacy systems, and Windows-specific platforms expect video in Microsoft's own format. Enterprise media management systems, SharePoint libraries built before modern video standards, Windows-based training platforms, and some hardware video players all have WMV as their expected input format and may handle AVI inconsistently or reject it outright.

WMV was Microsoft's answer to the question of a standard corporate video format, and it remains embedded in many institutional workflows. Windows Media Player handles it natively. Older versions of PowerPoint support embedded WMV video. SharePoint and many Windows-based LMS platforms treat WMV as the preferred upload format. In environments where everything runs Windows, WMV is often the path of least resistance.

Converting AVI to WMV re-encodes the video to Windows Media Video codec and the audio to WMA inside the Windows Media container. This is a lossy transcode — not a conversion you do for quality, but for system compatibility. The resulting file integrates cleanly with Windows-native corporate tools. WMV is a less efficient codec than modern alternatives like H.264 or VP9, so the resulting file may be larger at equivalent quality. Use this conversion specifically when your target system requires WMV.

Quality & file size: AVI to WMV

Typical file sizes: AVI 200–600 MB → WMV 50–150 MB.

Both AVI and WMV use lossy compression. We transcode at high quality settings (equivalent to WMV's recommended web quality) to minimize generational loss.

Color depth: AVI supports standard color, WMV supports standard color.

Transparency: AVI does not support transparency. WMV does not support transparency — transparent areas become solid white.

Frequently asked questions

Privacy: how FormatDrop handles your files

Your AVIfiles are converted 100% inside your browser. They are never uploaded to our servers, never stored, and never seen by anyone other than you. This isn't a privacy policy claim — it's an architectural guarantee: our server has no endpoint that receives file bytes.