Quick answer: To convert a video to 720p, open it here: the maximum resolution is set to 720p and the quality to Balanced, which gives about 12 MB per minute for 30 fps footage. Videos that are already 720p or smaller are never enlarged. The MP4 is made in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
720p is still HD, looks sharp on a phone and needs well under half the data of 1080p. Lower the resolution here and get a smaller MP4 without choosing bitrates yourself.
Convert video to 720p at a glance
| Price | Free, no sign-up, no watermark, no daily limit |
|---|---|
| Accepts | MP4 · MOV · WebM · MKV |
| Largest file | 2 GB per file |
| Where it runs | In your browser: files are never uploaded |
| Works on | Chrome and Edge, Safari 17+, Firefox 130+ on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux |
| Send the result | Download it, or send it free with a link or by email (up to 20 GB) |
How to convert video to 720p
- Choose the video: 1080p, 1440p or 4K.
- Keep 720p and Balanced, or choose High for a bigger, crisper file, or 480p for smaller still.
- Press Convert to 720p.
- Download the MP4 or send it with a link.
What 720p means
720p is 1280 × 720 pixels for a landscape 16:9 video, or 720 × 1280 for a vertical phone video: the shorter side becomes 720 and the other side keeps the shape. Compared with other sizes:
| Resolution | Pixels per frame | Balanced quality, 30 fps |
|---|---|---|
| 4K (2160p) | 8.3 million | very large |
| 1080p | 2.1 million | about 25 MB per minute |
| 720p | 0.9 million | about 12 MB per minute |
| 480p | 0.4 million | about 6 MB per minute |
When 720p is the right choice
- Videos watched on phones: the screen is small enough that 720p looks sharp.
- Recorded meetings, lectures and screen recordings of slides, where fine detail does not matter.
- Slow connections and limited storage: a smaller file uploads and plays faster.
Screen recordings with small text are the exception: keep 1080p for those, or the text gets hard to read.
Need an exact file size instead?
If an app or form has a size limit, use a size target rather than a resolution: compress to 25 MB, to 10 MB or for WhatsApp. Those pick the resolution for you.
How this compares
| This tool | Online converters (e.g. Clideo, FreeConvert or CloudConvert) | Desktop apps (e.g. HandBrake) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your file is uploaded | No | Yes, to their servers | No |
| Install or account | None | Account for some features | Install needed |
| Watermark or daily limits | None | Common on free plans | Depends on the app |
Plans of other services change; check their sites. More video tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is 720p still HD?
Yes. 720p is HD; 1080p is Full HD. On a phone the difference is hard to see.
How much smaller will the video be?
Going from 1080p to 720p at the same quality roughly halves the size, and from 4K the saving is much bigger. The estimate under the options shows the number for your video.
Does it work with vertical videos?
Yes. The shorter side becomes 720 pixels, so a vertical phone video becomes 720 × 1280 and keeps its shape.
Will a 480p video be enlarged to 720p?
No. Videos are never enlarged; smaller videos are only re-encoded at the chosen quality.
Need to send a big file?
Send files up to 20 GB with a download link or by email. Free, no account needed, original quality.
Send large files free