Posted by Jason Eatock - Mar 16, 2025 | Contact Author
Top 5 Alternatives to HandBrake for Mac/Windows/Linux
HandBrake, a popular open-source video transcoder, has long been a go-to tool for converting videos, ripping DVDs and apply basic edits such as cropping or de-interlacing across Windows, Mac, and Linux. While it's a powerful tool, a lot of users look for HandBrake alternatives owing to its limitations, drawbacks and errors associated with the software. Below are some of the major ones that may lead users to find an alternative to Handbrake:
- ● Handbrake takes a long time or even forever to a large videos.
- ● Handbrake won't run and it says you need to install missing frameworks for .NET.
- ● Handbrake can't rip copy-protected DVDs, only rips part of DVDs, or it says 'No valid source or titles found'.
- ● Handbrake always get crashed or stuck.
- ● Handbrake only supports M4V, MP4, MKV, and WebM as the output format.
If you've fed up with Handbrake and want to replace HandBrake outright, you've come to the right place. This following pages introduce 5 best free HandBrake alternatives for Windows and Mac to help you transcode video or DVD with ease. Please keep reading and choose the one that suits you best as per your needs.
Top 5 HandBrake Alternatives for Mac/Windows/Linux in 2025
Top 5 HandBrake Alternatives for Mac/Windows in 2025
No 1. Dumbofab Video Converter Ultimate
Considering the limitations of HandBrake, if you are looking for a program that allows converting DVDs and videos to an array of formats at a fast speed with no quality loss, Dumbofab Video Converter Ultimate is the best alternative. This Windows and Mac-based software is a powerful video toolbox with supports to a wide range of functions including but not limited to ripping, copying DVDs and Blu-rays, convert, transcode, remux, compress and edit any videos from any source.
As the best HandBrake alternative overall, Dumbofab VIdeo Converter Ultimate is better than Handbrake in many aspects, such as:
- ● Easier to use: Dumbofab provides a simple UI with known-at-a-glance tools and target formats to use. This saves beginners from Handbrake's busy interface.
- ● Faster processing speed: Dumbofab Video Converter Ultimate boasts the latest advanced GPU acceleration technologies, which can largely improve conversion speed while keeping original image quality.
- ● Stronger decryption algorithm: Dumbofab can rip DVDs protected by DVD CSS, region code, RCE, Sony ArccOS, UOPs, Disney X-project DRM and more independently. 99-title DVDs, workout DVDs and even commercial Blu-rays are fully supported. However, Handbrake requires additional libraries to be installed to rip commercial DVDs. Plus, it cannot digitize 99-title discs or fails to rip the full disc titles, let alone handle Blu-ray discs.
- ● More output formats and profiles: Dumbofab provides 400+ different output formats while Handbrake only supports MP4, MKV and WebM only. Moreover, Dumbofab comes with hundreds of optimized profiles for almost all devices including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Android devices, Xbox, etc.
- ● Easier batch tasks made: It supports converting videos in batch, digitizing DVDs with options to select multiple titles in batch.
- ● More fully-fledged features: Dumbofab provides a bulilt-in editor, which can help you trim, crop, merge, add external subtitles, remove and replace audio tracks, etc. Moreover, you can reply on it to extract subtitles, set codec, bitrate, etc.
★ For macOS 10.14 or lower, you're recommended to download 32-bit installer here ↓
No 2. Shutter Encoder
Shutter Encoder is a also free and open-source video encoder that can be used as a good alternative to Handbrake. Based on FFmpeg, this free video converter can convert videos between various formats, including MP4, AVI, MOV, and FLV. It can also help convert audio to WAV, AC3, OPUS, OGG, Dolby Digital Plus and turn video into intermediate format such as ProRes, DNxHD, CineForm for editing.
The advantage of Shutter Encoder over Handbrake is its wide support of various video formats, customization options, and editing features. This HandBrake alternative lets you encode your files, replace audio, burn to DVD, analyze audio Loudness, download web videos, make your own timelapse, and more.
This disadvantage is that it will get stuck converting videos in certain codecs. And there are too many buttons on the interface that make it confusing.
No 3. MakeMKV
If you're looking for a HandBrake alternative to rip DVD discs to digital files, MakeMKV is a good option. The difference is that MakeMKV itself can handle copy-protected discs while HandBrake can't. HandBrake can only export files in MP4 and MKV while MakeMKV can only export large MKV files. Besides DVD, MakeMKV can also handle Blu-ray discs protected with latest versions of AACS and BD+.
Actually, MakeMKV and Handbrake is a good combination for ripping and compressing discs. You can use MakeMKV to decrypt disc to MKV video and then use Handbrake to compress the large MKV file.
No 4. VidCoder
VidCoder is a free and open-source video transcoder for Windows users. This HandBrake alternative supports a wide range of video formats, allowing users to convert videos to various codecs and resolutions. With it, you can also extract movies and TV shows from physical DVD discs without copy protection. Just like Handbrake, the output containers are limited to MP4 and MKV.
Compared to Handbrake, it offers a more simplified interface that's easier to navigate, even for beginners. Another advantage over Handbrake is the target file size option – it allows you to encode video to a specified file size, with bit rate calculator that shows values when changing parameters. You can also create preview segments out of the video, so that you can test and tweak settings before you start the whole conversion.
No 5. Any Video Converter Free
Any Video Converter, also known as AVC, is one of the best video format converters working with Windows 10 for years. This application does what it claims: free convert video to MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, and DVD, and does it quite well on Windows 11/10. In case you are unsure about the appropriate video format for compatibility with a particular device, the software provides diverse device presets for you to directly choose to convert a video to a specific device. It can also edit videos by cutting, cropping, download videos from YouTube and other 100+ sites, and record videos.
If you're looking for a HandBrake alternative for converting DVDs, the free version of Any Video Converter is not suitable since it doesn't support converting DVD, nor does it creating ISO, DVD folders. Moreover, the free version of Any Video Converter has ads and it will ask you to install additional software, such as browser hijacker. And it always ask you to upgrade when you convert video files.
After all, if you are looking for a free Handbrake alternative for converting videos, the AVC free version has some features that resemble Handbrake.
Comparison Chart of The 5 Best Handbrake Alternatives
HandBrake |
DumboFab Video Converter Ultimate |
Shutter Encoder |
MakeMKV |
VidCoder |
Any Video Converter Free |
|
Supported OS |
Windows, Mac, Linux |
Windows, Mac |
Windows, Mac |
Windows, Mac, Linux |
Windows |
Windows, Mac |
Ease of Use |
★★★★☆ |
★★★★★ |
★★★☆ |
★★★★☆ |
★★★★ |
★★★☆☆ |
Supported Inputs |
● Non-protected DVD ● Non-protected Blu-ray ● Video files |
● Home-made DVD & Blu-ray ● Commercial copy-protected DVD & Blu-ray ● ISO image ● VIDEO_TS folder ● Video files |
● Video files |
● DVD ● Blu-ray |
● non-protected DVD ● non-protected Blu-ray ● video file formats |
● Free version: video, audio, CD ● Ultimate version: DVD disc, folder, ISO image, video, audio |
Supported Outputs |
● File Containers: .MP4(.M4V), .MKV and WebM ● Video Encoders: H.264 and H.265 (Including hardware acceleration support), MPEG-4 and MPEG-2, VP8, VP9 and Theora ● Audio Encoders: AAC / HE-AAC, MP3, FLAC, AC3, E-AC3, Opus and Vorbis |
● File containers: MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI, MTS, M2TS, TS, MPEG2, FLV, M4V, etc. ● Video encoders: H.264, H.265, MPEG4, Xvid, DivX, ProRes, DNxHD, etc. ● Audio encoders: MP3, AAC, AC3, etc. ● Other formats: BDMV Folder, M2TS, VOB, VIDEO_TS |
● File containers: MP4, AVI, MOV, etc. ● Video encoders: H.264, H.265, VP8, VP9, AV1, ProRes, DNxHD, CineForm, etc. ● Audio encoders: WAV, AC3, OPUS, OGG, etc. |
● MKV |
● File Containers: .MP4(.M4V), .MKV and WebM ● Video Encoders: H.264 and H.265 (Including hardware acceleration support), MPEG-4 and MPEG-2, VP8, VP9 and Theora ● Audio Encoders: AAC / HE-AAC, MP3, FLAC, AC3, E-AC3, Opus and Vorbis |
● File Containers: .MP4(.M4V), .MKV and WebM ● Video Encoders: H.264 and H.265 (Including hardware acceleration support), MPEG-4 and MPEG-2, VP8, VP9 and Theora ● Audio Encoders: AAC / HE-AAC, MP3, FLAC, AC3, E-AC3, Opus and Vorbis |
Video Editing |
Trim, crop |
Trim, crop, merge, crop, add subtitles/effects/watermark, remove/replace audio track, etc. |
Trim, cut, add watermark |
No |
Decomb, detelecine, deinterlace, rotate, reflect, chroma smooth, colorspace filters |
Clip, crop, flip, merge, add special effects, add watermarks and subtitles. |
Support for adjusting quality |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Support for hardware acceleration |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Final Words
Above are our 5 picks for the best HandBrake alternatives for converting videos and rippinig DVDs, some are free and some are paid. For encoding videos, Shutter Encoder and VideCoder are nice choices for tech-savvy persons. For ripping DVDs, MakeMKV is a good alternative.
If you're looking for an easier solution with modern interface and faster processing speed, Dumbofab Video Converter Ultimate is the overall best choice. The all-in-one toolbox can decrypt and rip any DVD to Video_TS, MP4, MKV, MOV, MP3 and ore multimedia formats. And it supports video of any format and converts it to all popular formats. Besides these, you can compress and edit videos easily.
