Is this MOV to AVI 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 MOV 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.

Why doesn't old Windows software open MOV files?

MOV is Apple's QuickTime format and requires QuickTime Player (or compatible codec) to decode on Windows. Software built before QuickTime for Windows became common — or after Apple discontinued it — won't open MOV natively.

Does MOV to AVI reduce video quality?

Re-encoding always introduces some quality loss. Use a high-bitrate setting to minimise visible degradation. If the source MOV is high-quality, the AVI output at 10+ Mbps will be visually identical for most content.

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.

MOV to AVI Converter — Free, Online, No Upload

How to convert MOV to AVI online

1
Drop your MOV file
Drag and drop your QuickTime Movie 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 QuickTime Movie → Audio Video Interleave entirely in your browser tab. Most files finish in 1–3 seconds.
3
Download your AVI
Your Audio Video Interleave file is ready. Click Download, or grab a ZIP if you converted a batch. Close the tab and everything disappears — no copies kept anywhere.

MOV vs AVI: format overview

MOV

QuickTime Movie

Apple · 1991

Compression: lossy
Transparency: No

✓ High quality, preferred by Apple ecosystem
✓ Supports ProRes codec for editing
✗ Poor Windows/Android compatibility without QuickTime

AVI

Audio Video Interleave

Microsoft · 1992

Compression: lossy
Transparency: No

✓ Universal Windows compatibility
✓ Simple container format — widely supported

MOV magic bytes: 00 00 00 xx 66 74 79 70 71 74

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

Why convert MOV to AVI?

Your MOV video won't open in the Windows software you're using — an older version of Sony Vegas, VirtualDub, Windows Movie Maker, or a legacy DVD authoring tool. These applications predate or exclude QuickTime support, and MOV is QuickTime's container. AVI has been Microsoft's video standard since 1992 and is the format these older tools understand without installing plugins or codec packs.

AVI (Audio Video Interleave) is one of the most universally recognized container formats in video history. Every Windows video application, no matter how old, can open an AVI file. Legacy hardware encoders, older capture cards, and vintage DVD authoring software all work with AVI. If your workflow involves tools more than five years old, or if a client is using software from an era before MP4 became universal, AVI is frequently the safe choice.

Converting MOV to AVI requires full transcoding — the video and audio are both re-encoded, which introduces some quality loss. Use a high bitrate (8–15 Mbps for HD content) to keep visible artifacts minimal. The output will be H.264 video in an AVI container with MP3 audio — a combination that every AVI-capable tool handles cleanly. Note that AVI files tend to be significantly larger than equivalent MP4 or MOV files at comparable quality.

Quality & file size: MOV to AVI

Typical file sizes: MOV 150–500 MB → AVI 200–600 MB.

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

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

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

Frequently asked questions

Privacy: how FormatDrop handles your files

Your MOVfiles 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.