Is HEVC Worth It? When to Use It and When to Stick with H.264

Deciding between HEVC and H.264 depends on your specific situation. This guide helps you make the right choice for your needs.

 

When HEVC Makes Sense

HEVC shines when storage space is limited.

If you're running out of phone storage, archiving family videos, or dealing with large video collections, HEVC's space savings are valuable.

The codec typically reduces file sizes by 25-50% compared to H.264 at similar quality levels.

HEVC is also beneficial for high-resolution content.

If you regularly work with 4K videos, HEVC handles the large file sizes much better than H.264. The quality improvements are more noticeable at higher resolutions.

Users with modern devices should consider HEVC.

If your primary devices were manufactured after 2017, they likely support HEVC playback well. This includes recent iPhones, Android phones, smart TVs, and streaming devices.
 

When to Stick with H.264

Choose H.264 when compatibility is your priority.

If you frequently share videos with others, upload to various platforms, or use older devices, H.264's universal support eliminates headaches.

H.264 remains better for live streaming and real-time applications. The encoding is less computationally intensive, making it more suitable for streaming software and video calls.

If you're working with professional video editing software, check your workflow first.

While newer versions support HEVC, some older systems or plugins might struggle with HEVC files, causing slowdowns or compatibility issues.
 

Consider Your Hardware

Modern computers with dedicated graphics cards handle HEVC well, but older systems might struggle.

If your computer was built before 2016, or if you notice choppy playback with HEVC files, H.264 might be more practical.
→ See Is my PC able to play H.265 / HEVC media files?

Battery life matters for mobile devices.

While HEVC decoding is more efficient on newer chips, older phones might drain battery faster playing HEVC content compared to H.264.
 

Hybrid Approach

Many users benefit from a mixed strategy.

Record or archive in HEVC for space savings, but convert to H.264 when sharing or uploading to platforms with uncertain HEVC support.

Consider your content type as well.

Simple content like presentations or talking head videos benefit more from HEVC compression than complex, high-motion content like sports or action videos.
 

Is HEVC Worth It? - Summary Table

Start by evaluating your primary use case. If storage space is your biggest concern and you use modern devices, try HEVC.

If you value simplicity and broad compatibility above all else, stick with H.264.

You can always test both formats with a few sample videos to see which works better for your specific situation and devices.