Top 10 HandBrake Alternatives for Video Ripping & Conversion

As an open-source project, HandBrake can effortlessly help you rip DVDs or convert them to your preferred formats. However, it has some limitations that may disappoint you, as it can sometimes cause issues that prevent you from enjoying the DVDs you’ve just ripped. If you’ve had enough of these problems, you can use a HandBrake alternative to get the job done. Here, you’ll find alternatives along with their supported operating systems, making it easier to choose the better option for your needs.

Why Do You Need a HandBrake Alternative?

HandBrake can be very helpful when you want to rip your DVD or convert it into other formats. Since it is free to use, you can just download and use it right away. It offers great video and audio quality, and you can even import up to four videos at once without any issues.

However, there are some drawbacks from HandBrake that will hinder you from enjoying the resulting DVDs. Below are the aspects that may fail you:

When HandBrake works, it is a great piece of free transcoding software for DVDs and videos. However, if it malfunctions or you need more features, the following HandBrake alternatives can help you manage your digital life more effectively.

Best HandBrake Alternatives for DVD Ripping

DVDFab DVD Ripper

• Supported OS: Windows & macOS

DVDFab DVD Ripper

As a versatile and user-friendly DVD ripper, DVDFab can remove DVD copy restrictions and rip both regular and encrypted DVD discs/ISO files/DVD folders to common media file formats and devices.

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With its GPU acceleration, DVDFab DVD Ripper can rip DVDs as fast as 50x faster. It can easily rip DVDs to over 1000 video and audio formats while also allowing you to edit your DVD video with the built-in professional editor. You can crop, trim, and merge videos, add watermarks and captions, and even change the color of the video.

How to rip DVDs using DVDFab DVD Ripper as an alternative to HandBrake:

Step 1: Download, install, and launch DVDFab 13. Choose the Ripper option.

Step 2: Then, insert the DVD source to your computer drive or use the "Add button to navigate to it. If the source is a folder or an ISO file, you can just drag and drop it to the workspace.

Step 3: Choose the video title you want to rip and customize the output of the DVD video.

• To select an output format, click "Choose Other Profile". There are options not only for selecting audio tracks and subtitles but also for setting video and audio parameters.

Step 4: Finally, start ripping the DVD.

• Save the video to your hard drive or mobile device.
• When you press the "Start" button, the DVD ripping process will be clearly displayed.

StaxRip

• Supported OS: Windows

StaxRip is a free and open-source video converter that supports several formats, including HD and 4K content. It allows users to rip DVDs and convert files like AVI to MP4 or MKV while providing advanced encoding settings for experienced users. Its versatility and in-depth customization make it an appealing choice for those who want precise control over the encoding process.

However, StaxRip has some drawbacks. It doesn’t natively support encrypted DVDs, so additional tools or plugins may be needed for copy-protected discs. The software’s complexity can be overwhelming for beginners, and its resource-intensive nature may cause slowdowns or crashes on lower-end systems, especially when handling large video files.

iSuper DVD Ripper

• Supported OS: macOS

iSuper DVD Ripper rips handmade DVDs to MP4, AVI, MKV, WMV, M4V, and MOV formats quickly and efficiently. This Mac app is a reliable alternative to HandBrake and can be downloaded safely from the Mac App Store. Additionally, it offers basic video editing features, allowing users to adjust brightness, trim, merge, and add subtitles for a more customized output.

Yet, like StaxRip, iSuper DVD Ripper only works with unprotected DVDs, limiting its usefulness for those needing to rip encrypted discs. The free version also has fewer features than the paid one, restricting access to some advanced functionalities. Additionally, some users have reported occasional glitches or crashes, particularly during large or lengthy ripping tasks, which can be frustrating.

MakeMKV

• Supported OS: Windows, macOS

If you're looking for a HandBrake alternative to rip DVDs, you've probably heard about MakeMKV. It is perhaps the best free solution for ripping DVDs and Blu-rays, offering a major advantage over HandBrake. While HandBrake only works with unprotected DVDs, MakeMKV can copy almost any DVD or Blu-ray without issues. It also provides the fastest ripping speed by transferring video and audio streams directly into an MKV container without re-encoding, preserving the original video quality.

On the downside, MakeMKV produces significantly larger file sizes since it doesn’t compress videos, which can take up more space than tools like HandBrake. Additionally, it only supports outputting to the MKV format, so users needing other file types must convert files separately. Many users combine MakeMKV with HandBrake to compress the files afterward.

VLC Media Player

• Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android

VLC is another alternative to HandBrake. Besides serving as an all-format media player, it can convert videos to various formats and even bypass CSS encryption, making it a better solution than HandBrake for ripping DVDs. VLC also offers more functions, including video editing, streaming, audio conversion, and video downloading. Most importantly, it is free and available on more platforms, making it a versatile choice for many users.

Nevertheless, VLC lacks batch processing capabilities, making it less efficient for ripping multiple DVDs at once. Additionally, while it does support DVD ripping, its format support is more limited compared to dedicated tools like HandBrake. If not configured properly, VLC can also cause quality loss during the ripping process, particularly when converting to other formats.

Best HandBrake Alternatives for Video Conversion

Freemake Video Converter

• Supported OS: Windows

To easily convert videos and DVDs, you can use Freemake Video Converter as an alternative to HandBrake. It is more powerful than HandBrake because it supports additional output formats and can copy encrypted DVDs. However, it lacks the conversion speed of HandBrake. By using Freemake Video Converter, you can quickly edit and compress large video files. It also supports converting audio and photos and downloading media from online links.

Even though Freemake is user-friendly and straightforward to use, be cautious during installation, as it may come with bundled software that you could accidentally download. And also note that the free version of Freemake Video Converter has certain limitations, including a watermark on exported videos and slower conversion speeds.

Movavi Video Converter

• Supported OS: Windows, macOS

Movavi Video Converter is a user-friendly alternative to Handbrake. It is designed to be simple to use, especially for those new to video converting. It supports multiple video and audio formats, including popular ones like MP4, AVI, and MKV. It also allows you to rip unprotected DVDs, making it an excellent tool for converting and organizing your media library.

Movavi's straightforward interface makes it simple to upload files, select output formats, and edit films using basic tools such as trimming and cropping. It also provides pre-set choices for a variety of devices, providing excellent video quality and functionality. Furthermore, hardware acceleration enables rapid conversion of huge files. While Movavi Video Converter may not provide as many customizing possibilities as HandBrake, it is an excellent alternative for individuals who value simplicity and convenience of use.

Any Video Converter

• Supported OS: Windows, macOS

If you're looking for a free HandBrake alternative, the AVC free version shares some features with HandBrake. It allows you to convert videos and perform basic editing. Also, it supports input formats like MP4, 3GP, MKV, MOV, and MTS, while the output options include around 20 video formats, 15 audio formats, PNG images, and GIF animations.

However, if you need a HandBrake alternative primarily for DVD conversion, the free edition of Any Video Converter isn’t the best option. It does not support DVD conversion, nor does it allow the creation of ISO files or DVD folders.

Format Factory

• Supported OS: Windows

This HandBrake alternative is an open-source, all-in-one media converter. Besides converting videos, it can also handle audio, image, and PDF conversions, as well as Blu-ray, DVD, and CD conversions. Additionally, it offers a range of video editing features, including clipping, joining, splitting, and cropping. It can also delogo video, download and record videos, making it an incredibly versatile tool.

However, like HandBrake, Format Factory cannot decrypt copy-protected files. Despite this limitation, its fast conversion speed, wide range of supported formats, and additional video editing features make it a powerful media conversion tool. Its user-friendly interface also ensures a smooth experience for users of all skill levels.

Ffmpeg

• Supported OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

FFmpeg is a free to use, cross-platform, and maintained utility that can do a variety of multimedia activities such as video/audio decoding and encoding, transcoding, muxing, demuxing, and remuxing. It is command-line based, making it the most versatile and powerful, but also the most complex to use.

In fact, FFmpeg is the background of HandBrake. FFmpeg can accomplish almost everything that HandBrake can do, but at a significantly faster speed and with higher-level output. But FFmpeg does not rip DVDs. However, if all you want is video conversion, FFmpeg is one of the best HandBrake alternatives you should not overlook.

Comparison Table: HandBrake vs. Alternatives

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best Alternative to HandBrake

When selecting the best alternative to HandBrake, the right choice depends on your specific needs. Consider factors like conversion speed, format support, and additional features such as video editing or the ability to handle encrypted DVDs. Some alternatives offer faster conversion times with the use of GPU acceleration, while others may provide a broader range of output formats or extra editing tools. It's important to evaluate how each tool fits your workflow, whether you need something simple and straightforward or a more feature-packed solution for advanced tasks.

FAQs

What is the best HandBrake alternative Mac users can try?

If you're seeking a HandBrake for Mac alternative, the best Mac option is FFmpeg, which is both free and open-source. A robust, open-source multimedia framework capable of decoding, encoding, transcoding, muxing, demuxing, streaming, filtering, and playing virtually any sort of video. It is highly customizable, but takes some command-line expertise.

Which alternative to HandBrake supports hardware acceleration?

DVDFab DVD Ripper can be the answer. DVDFab DVD Ripper is equipped with cutting-edge 50x GPU acceleration technologies, including multi-core CPU, NVIDIA CUDA, AMD, Intel Quick Sync (IQS), and Video ToolBox (macOS), enabling it to rip a DVD movie in only 5 minutes.

Is there a completely free HandBrake alternative?

Yes. Several HandBrake alternatives are entirely free, including FFmpeg, StaxRip, Avidemux, and VLC Media Player.

Which alternative is best for converting large video files?

The best alternative for converting large video files is Movavi Video Converter. It offers hardware acceleration for fast processing, supports a wide range of formats, and provides easy-to-use editing tools while ensuring high video quality.