H.264 and H.265 are video compression standards — codecs — that determine how efficiently video is compressed for streaming. The choice affects both quality and bandwidth needs.
H.264 (AVC)
The long-standing industry standard, supported by virtually every streaming device made in the last 15 years. It's reliable but less bandwidth-efficient than newer codecs.
H.265 (HEVC)
Roughly 40-50% more efficient than H.264 at similar quality, meaning smaller file sizes or higher quality at the same bitrate. The trade-off is higher decoding demands and slightly less universal hardware support on older devices.
| Factor | H.264 | H.265 |
|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | Nearly universal | Broad on modern devices |
| Compression efficiency | Good | Better |
| Hardware demand | Lower | Higher |
See our AV1 codec guide for an even newer alternative gaining adoption.