8 Best Ways to Convert MTS to MP4 on Windows and Mac

I’ve spent the past few weeks knee-deep in file formats, watching progress bars crawl and codecs clash, all in the name of finding the best ways to turn those stubborn MTS videos into sleek, playable MP4s. Somewhere between my fifth “conversion failed” error and VLC’s cryptic settings, I realized this isn’t just about software but it’s about patience, caffeine, and a little bit of nerdy satisfaction.

After testing every major option myself – from quick web converters to heavyweight desktop tools – I narrowed it down to the ones that actually work without wrecking your footage or your mood. Below is my shortlist of the best MTS-to-MP4 converters, ranked not just for speed and features, but for how painless (or occasionally hilarious) the experience can be.

Best overall: Movavi Video Converter
Movavi is sleek, fast, and incredibly easy to use, pairing GPU acceleration with AI upscaling for lightning-quick, high-quality results. It’s the rare app that feels both powerful and friendly.

Best free software: VLC
VLC is completely free, open-source, and probably already sitting on your computer. It may not have fancy presets, but it gets the MTS-to-MP4 job done without fuss or fees.

Best for professionals: FFmpeg
FFmpeg is the command-line powerhouse for anyone who wants total control. It’s scriptable, precise, and perfect for batch conversions or custom workflows that most GUI tools can’t touch.

Best for mobile users: CloudConvert
CloudConvert runs directly in your browser, with integrations for Google Drive and Dropbox – making it a breeze to convert MTS files to MP4 from anywhere, on any device.

Best quick online conversions: FreeConvert
FreeConvert is perfect for one-off tasks: it’s fast, requires no downloads, and its recent GPU boost makes large HD conversions surprisingly smooth for a web app.

One of the benefits of paying for a tool to convert an MTS file is that you access the best features, and picture quality loss is minimal, if any. However, depending on your needs, a free MTS-to-MP4 converter may do just fine. If that's the case for you, the following tools will help you convert MTS to MP4 for free.

Why I picked it: Movavi Video Converter stands out for its blend of speed, quality, and ease of use.

Best for: ultra-fast conversions

OS: Windows 10/11, macOS 12.0 or higher

When it comes to MTS to MP4 conversions, only a few, if any, can compare to Movavi Video Converter. This multimedia converter has been designed to suit all your conversion needs. Along with MTS and MP4, it supports over 180 media formats such as DVD, MP3, GIF, and RAW, among others. Regardless of your target use-device, you do not have to worry as it is equipped with over 200 presets for devices from leading manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony, Huawei, and Apple. The best part, however, is that Movavi Video Converter gives you high-quality conversions, even in HD and ultra-HD, allowing you to enjoy your video files. In recent years, Movavi also has added several powerful features, including AI-powered upscaling that can enhance footage by up to 8× without losing detail, and smarter hardware acceleration for NVIDIA and Intel GPUs, which speeds up conversion even further.

When you need to convert .mts to .mp4, Movavi Video Converter is arguably the most reliable tool. Picture quality is an integral factor with videos, and this is where Movavi sets itself apart from other MTS converter tools. There is no limit to the videos' size and the number you can add to the batch. Once you prepare your batch, you can leave the application running as you attend to other matters. This feature is then bolstered with lightning-fast conversion, allowing you to access the file within a short period.

Why I picked it: FreeConvert is perfect for fast, no-install MTS to MP4 conversions right in your browser.

Best for: quick video conversions online

OS: any (web-based)

As the name goes by, FreeConvert is a free tool that can be used to convert MTS to MP4 online. It’s a convenient option for handling files up to 1 GB by default (with paid upgrades for larger files). The best part is that the converter is free. Additionally, FreeConvert allows users to adjust all the necessary parameters right before conversion. The basic parameters include – aspect ratio, video codec, frame rate, screen size, bitrate, audio codec, and volume.

With the help of this MTS converter online, you can rotate, cut, and flip videos besides adding subtitles. You can easily make audio fade in and fade out. The files that you upload for conversion are protected with 256-bit SSL encryption. Also, your files will get deleted after a few hours (typically around 2 hours). In recent updates, FreeConvert added GPU acceleration for H.264, H.265, and AV1 codecs, significantly improving the speed of MTS-to-MP4 conversions, especially for HD and 4K videos.

How to convert MTS to MP4 using FreeConvert

1. Start by opening the website of the MTS-to-MP4 converter online on your computer or mobile browser.
   Proceed to the FreeConvert website
2. Click the Choose Files option to add the MTS file.
3. Select the format of output as MP4 from the Convert to section.
4. Click on Convert to start the conversion.
5. If you want to change the parameters, click on the Advanced Settings option.
6. As the status changes to Done, click on Download MP4.

Why I picked it: CloudConvert offers flexible, customizable conversions with seamless cloud integration.

Best for: converting and customizing online

OS: any (web-based)

Cloud Convert is yet another free and reliable MTS converter for online use. This tool's API is advanced and scalable. Along with video files such as MTS and MP4, it supports over 200 formats for images (PNG, JPG), documents (DOC, PDF, HTML.), presentations (PPT, ODP), eBooks (PDF, EPUB), and audio (MP3, M4A). It has a wide range of features and options, allowing you to customize the video. These range from aspect ratio, constant quality (CRF), and resolution, among others. Each day, you will have 10 free conversions.

However, if you need to access the service beyond that, you will need to subscribe. Such packages start from $8 for 500 conversion credits with flexible payment options. CloudConvert also offers direct integration with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, allowing you to upload and save converted videos directly to cloud storage.

How to convert MTS files to MP4 using CloudConvert

1. Load the MTS video converter website on your favorite browser.
   Proceed to the CloudConvert website
2. On the top right corner, you will see a Convert section where you will choose MTS to MP4.
3. Click on the Select File button to choose the MTS file.
4. Scroll down to the Options section, where you can adjust aspect ratio, resolution, and constant quality, among other settings, as desired.
5. Set the audio codec, bitrate, and volume as desired.
6. Choose the part of the video you wish to convert by trimming it.
7. Proceed to convert the file.

Best for: fast online conversions

OS: any (web-based)

Online Video Converter by Movavi is a perfect tool for users who want an instant no-install solution for one-time conversions. It can easily handle the most popular video formats, including MTS and MP4. With this online MTS to MP4 converter, you can process your files in a minute and download the result on your computer. It also offers a compression tool in case you want to make your file smaller, too.

There is a limitation, of course – you can only upload files that are smaller than 100 MB. So this option is really a gem when it comes to quick irregular conversions of smaller files. Larger files should be processed using the desktop Movavi Video Converter, which supports full-length HD videos and offers faster, GPU-accelerated conversion.

How to convert an MTS file to MP4 using Online Video Converter by Movavi

1. Go to Online Video Converter by Movavi.
2. Click Add Your Media and import the MTS file you want to convert. Select From Dropbox if you have your file hosted there.
3. Make sure that the output format is set to MP4. You might want to tweak some of the output settings – just click the Cogwheel icon and set video resolution, audio quality, etc.
4. When you’re ready, click Convert. After a bit of waiting, you’ll have your video downloaded on your computer. If not, click the Download button directly.

Why I picked it: Zamzar earns its place for its simplicity, reliability, and email-based conversions.

Best for: supports various file formats

OS: any (web-based)

With over 510 million conversions since 2006, as posted on their website, Zamzar is undoubtedly one of the best MTS-to-MP4 converters free to use. Along with supporting many file formats, it is easy to use, and you do not need to download any software as it is online-based. To use Zamzar, you usually don’t need to create an account for basic conversions.

Zamzar offers a unique email conversion feature: you can send your file via email and receive a download link for the converted file. With the free version, email conversions are limited to 1 MB per file, and regular web conversions are capped at 50 MB. For basic conversion, the free package is suitable. However, if you need to convert large files or perks such as online storage, you will have to upgrade.

How to convert an MTS file to MP4 using Zamzar

1. Use your favorite browser to load Zamzar's website.
   Proceed to the Zamzar website
2. Go to the Add Files section and select the MTS file, or use the Drag & drop area.
3. Set MP4 as the desired output format.
4. Click on the Convert Now button to start the conversion.

Why I picked it: VLC is free, reliable, and handles MTS to MP4 conversions on nearly any device.

Best for: converting to basic video formats easily

OS: Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/11, Mac OS X 10.7.5 or higher, Ubuntu (various versions), Android version 2.2 or higher, iOS 9.0 or higher

Though it's popularly known as a media player, VLC is also an MTS file converter. As an open-source platform that supports a wide range of video formats, you can use it for other conversion needs. With VLC, you are only required to download the software, but there are no subscription fees. Even though it's free to use, there are no invasive ads to worry about. The process is fairly straightforward, and with a few attempts, you'll nail it down.

How to use VLC to convert MTS to MP4

1. Download, install and launch the app.
   Proceed to the VLC website
2. On the top left corner, click on Media and then select Convert / Save.
3. Click the Add button and select the MTS file you wish to convert.
4. Click the Convert / Save button.
5. Set the preferred preset for your video.
6. Choose MTS as the desired output format.
7. Ensure MP4 is selected as the container (not MTS).
8. Select a destination folder for the video.
9. Click the Start button to initiate the conversion.

Why I picked it: Freemake combines easy video conversion with simple built-in editing tools.

Best for: several editing features

OS: Windows Vista/7/8/10/11

As the name suggests, Freemake is a freemium tool for converting media files. With over 93 million users, it is one of the most reliable MTS-to-MP4 converters available. Along with video conversions, you can use it to convert image and audio files and even rip videos from DVDs and upload clips to YouTube via the optional Web Pack.

Other excellent features with this tool include basic video editing functions such as trimming and merging clips. With Freemake, you will not need a separate video editing tool as you can use it to cut and make minor edits.

Converting MTS to MP4 using Freemake

1. Download the application, then install and run it on your computer.
   Proceed to the Freemake website
2. Click the +Video section to add your MTS file.
3. Set MP4 as the output format.
4. Choose the Same as Source option if you want the retain the parameters on the original file or alternatively;
5. Set preferred parameters such as resolution and codecs.
6. Press the Convert button to initiate the conversion.

Why I picked it: FFmpeg gives you total control and precision for advanced, scriptable conversions.

Best for: secure and advanced conversions

OS: Windows 7/8/10/11, Mac OS X 10.7 or higher, Linux (various distributions)

FFmpeg is free software that consists of various programs and libraries meant to handle audio, video, and other media streams. At the very core, FFmpeg is the command-line tool itself. The software has been designed for processing audio and video files. It provides 360-degree web hosting and multimedia handling capabilities for broadcasters, developers, and content providers. The primary strength of FFmpeg can be found in its vast list of supported filters and codecs.

The best thing about FFmpeg is that converting MTS to MP4 can be done seamlessly. However, it might be a problem for all those not used to coding as it is wholly based on the coding structure.

Converting MTS to MP4 using FFmpeg

1. Download FFmpeg from the official website.
   Proceed to the FFmpeg website
2. Open the terminal application to get the command line prompt.
3. Find out the MTS file for conversion.
4. Now run FFmpeg on your desired file. You will have to use this command: ffmpeg -i input.mts -c:v copy -c:a aac output.mp4
5. Press Enter in the terminal and run the command.

Both online and free converters come with trade-offs. Online tools don’t require installation and work right in your browser, but they often limit file size or daily conversions. Free desktop programs, on the other hand, may lack advanced features or speed but are great for smaller projects or occasional use.

If you need top speed, reliability, and full control without file limits, Movavi Video Converter is the best all-around choice. It’s fast, polished, and supports GPU acceleration for effortless MTS to MP4 conversions.

Here’s a quick guide to help you choose what fits your workflow best:

• Movavi Video Converter – best all-in-one converter for speed, quality, and flexibility.
• FreeConvert – perfect for quick, free browser-based conversions.
• CloudConvert – ideal for users who need customization and cloud storage integration.
• Online Video Converter by Movavi – great for small, one-time online conversions.
• Zamzar – simple and dependable for converting smaller files.
• VLC Media Player – versatile choice for playback and basic conversions.
• Freemake Video Converter – convenient for users who want light editing tools.
• FFmpeg – best for advanced users who prefer full control and automation.

Whichever converter you choose, make sure your video data stays secure and always double-check quality settings before exporting.

MTS vs. MP4: what is better? If you want to know more about technical differences between MTS and MP4, check out this MP4 vs. MTS comparison table.