Ijharul Islam
ProRes is an editing codec and H.264 is a delivery codec. Apple's target data rate for ProRes 422 at 1080p and 29.97 fps is about 147 Mbps, roughly 66 GB an hour, while YouTube recommends 8 Mbps of H.264 for a 1080p upload, about 3.6 GB an hour. So ProRes files are around 18 times bigger, but they edit smoothly and survive re-encoding.
More on this topic: Video formats, codecs and numbers, every guide in one place.
Below: Apple's data rates for every ProRes flavour at 1080p and 4K, the formula that turns Mbps into GB, how quality compares, what iPhones can record, and when to switch from one codec to the other.
The short answer
Record or edit in ProRes when you have the storage and want quality and smooth editing; deliver in H.264 (MP4) for YouTube, social media, the web and clients. At 1080p30, Apple lists ProRes 422 Proxy at about 45 Mbps, LT 102, 422 147, HQ 220, 4444 330 and 4444 XQ 500 Mbps. YouTube recommends H.264 at 8 Mbps for 1080p30 and 35 to 45 Mbps for 4K30. File size = Mbps × seconds ÷ 8.
Key takeaways
- ProRes compresses each frame on its own (intra-frame), so it scrubs and cuts fast; H.264 compresses across frames, so files are far smaller.
- ProRes 422 at 1080p30 is about 147 Mbps (66 GB an hour); H.264 at YouTube's 8 Mbps is about 3.6 GB an hour.
- At 4K30, ProRes 422 HQ is 884 Mbps, about 398 GB an hour, per Apple's white paper.
- YouTube accepts ProRes uploads but recommends H.264 in MP4; most other platforms expect H.264.
- Apple says iPhone ProRes files can be up to 30 times larger than HEVC files.
What is the difference between ProRes and H.264?
The difference between ProRes and H.264 is what each is built for. Apple ProRes is a family of high-bitrate codecs made for editing: Apple's white paper says every ProRes codec is frame-independent (intra-frame), so each frame is encoded and decoded on its own. H.264 (AVC) is built for delivery: it stores most frames as changes from nearby frames, which makes files small but makes editing heavier.
| Apple ProRes | H.264 (AVC) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Recording, editing, finishing, exchange between apps | Uploading, streaming, sharing, playback |
| Compression | Intra-frame (every frame stands alone) | Inter-frame (frames reference each other) |
| 1080p30 data rate | About 45 to 500 Mbps depending on flavour | 8 Mbps recommended by YouTube |
| File size per hour at 1080p30 | About 20 to 223 GB | About 3.6 GB at 8 Mbps |
| Colour | 4:2:2 10-bit (422 family); 4:4:4:4 up to 12-bit with alpha (4444 family) | Usually 4:2:0 8-bit for delivery |
| Alpha channel (transparency) | Yes, 4444 and 4444 XQ | No |
| Editing performance | Light on the CPU, heavy on storage | Heavier to decode while scrubbing |
| Typical container | MOV | MP4 (also MOV) |
| Plays in web browsers | Not reliably | Everywhere |
Checked on 26 October 2026 against Apple's ProRes white paper and support page and YouTube Help's recommended upload settings.
How big are ProRes files compared with H.264?
ProRes files are roughly 6 to 60 times bigger than an H.264 upload at the same resolution, depending on the flavour. These are Apple's target data rates from the appendix of its ProRes white paper (April 2022), with the GB per hour Apple lists:
| Codec and flavour | 1080p30 (Mbps) | 1080p30 (GB/hour) | 4K UHD 30p (Mbps) | 4K UHD 30p (GB/hour) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProRes 422 Proxy | 45 | 20 | 182 | 82 |
| ProRes 422 LT | 102 | 46 | 410 | 185 |
| ProRes 422 | 147 | 66 | 589 | 265 |
| ProRes 422 HQ | 220 | 99 | 884 | 398 |
| ProRes 4444 (no alpha) | 330 | 148 | 1,326 | 597 |
| ProRes 4444 XQ (no alpha) | 495 | 223 | 1,989 | 895 |
| H.264, YouTube recommendation | 8 | 3.6 | 35-45 | 15.8-20.3 |
4K UHD is 3840 × 2160. Apple's text gives 500 Mbps for 4444 XQ at 1080p29.97; its table rounds the 30p row to 495. ProRes is variable bitrate, so simple shots use less than the target. H.264 phone recordings usually run well above YouTube's figure, so check the real bitrate in the file's properties.
At 24 fps the numbers drop by a fifth: ProRes 422 HQ at 1080p24 is 176 Mbps (79 GB an hour) and at 4K UHD 24p 707 Mbps (318 GB an hour).
How do you calculate ProRes or H.264 file size?
You calculate file size from the data rate: size in bytes = bits per second × seconds ÷ 8. For GB per hour, multiply the Mbps by 0.45 (3,600 seconds ÷ 8 ÷ 1,000).
| Example | Sum | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes of ProRes 422 at 1080p30 | 147 Mbps × 600 s ÷ 8 | 11.0 GB |
| 10 minutes of ProRes 422 HQ at 4K30 | 884 Mbps × 600 s ÷ 8 | 66.3 GB |
| 10 minutes of H.264 at 8 Mbps | 8 Mbps × 600 s ÷ 8 | 0.6 GB (600 MB) |
| 1 hour of ProRes 422 LT at 1080p30 | 102 × 0.45 | 45.9 GB |
Audio adds a little: uncompressed 48 kHz 16-bit stereo, the usual ProRes companion, is about 1.5 Mbps (11.5 MB a minute). The free video bitrate calculator runs the same sum for any bitrate and length, and how big a 1-minute video is has the chart for delivery codecs.
Is ProRes better quality than H.264?
ProRes is better quality for editing, but not necessarily what the viewer sees. Apple describes ProRes 422 HQ as visually lossless through many generations of decoding and re-encoding, and ProRes 4444 as perceptually indistinguishable from the original. That matters while you grade, add effects and export several times.
H.264 at a sensible bitrate looks excellent on a phone or a laptop, and the final file people watch is almost always H.264, HEVC or AV1, because platforms re-encode every upload. The practical rule: keep quality high (ProRes or a high-bitrate original) until the last export, then encode once to H.264. The video bitrate guide covers the delivery settings.
- ProRes wins on colour depth (10-bit 4:2:2 or better), grading headroom, alpha channels and smooth timeline playback.
- H.264 wins on file size, upload time, compatibility and playing in browsers, apps and TVs.
Which ProRes flavour should you use?
Use ProRes 422 for most editing, 422 HQ for high-end work, LT when storage is tight, Proxy for offline editing copies, and 4444 or 4444 XQ for graphics with transparency or the highest-end camera sources. Apple's white paper describes each one this way:
| Flavour | Apple's description, in short | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 422 Proxy | Highly compressed, for offline workflows at full resolution | Lightweight editing copies that you relink to originals |
| 422 LT | About 70% of 422's data rate, about 30% smaller files | Storage-limited projects, long interviews |
| 422 | Nearly all the benefits of 422 HQ at 66% of its data rate | Everyday editing and intermediates |
| 422 HQ | Visually lossless, 4:2:2 at 10-bit | Masters, grading, broadcast |
| 4444 | 4:4:4:4 with a lossless alpha up to 16 bits | Motion graphics and composites with transparency |
| 4444 XQ | Highest quality, up to 12 bits per channel | High-dynamic-range camera sources, heavy VFX |
Only 4444 and 4444 XQ carry an alpha channel, which is why lower thirds and animated logos are often exported in ProRes 4444.
Should you upload ProRes or H.264 to YouTube?
Upload H.264 to YouTube in nearly every case. YouTube's recommended upload settings specify H.264 High Profile in an MP4, at 8 Mbps for 1080p and 35 to 45 Mbps for 4K at standard frame rates. ProRes is on YouTube's list of supported formats, so a ProRes file will work, but a 10-minute 4K ProRes 422 HQ upload is about 66 GB against roughly 3 GB for H.264, and YouTube re-encodes both anyway.
Social platforms, email, chat apps and websites expect H.264 MP4. MP4 vs MOV explains the container side, and H.264 vs H.265 covers HEVC if you want smaller delivery files.
Can an iPhone record ProRes?
Yes, iPhone 13 Pro and later Pro models can record ProRes. Apple's support page lists the 13 Pro, 14 Pro, 15 Pro, 16 Pro and 17 Pro models (and their Max versions), on iOS 15.1 or later. You switch it on under Settings > Camera > Formats > Apple ProRes, then pick ProRes in the Camera app's video mode.
| iPhone storage or setup | ProRes recording limits (Apple) |
|---|---|
| 128 GB models | 1080p at 30 or 25 fps only |
| 256 GB and larger | 1080p at 60, 30 or 25 fps; 4K at 30, 25 or 24 fps |
| 4K at 60 fps | iPhone 15 Pro, 16 Pro and 17 Pro models, to an external drive writing at 220 MB/s or faster |
| 4K at 120 fps | iPhone 16 Pro and 17 Pro models, external drive only, 440 MB/s or faster |
Apple warns that ProRes files are up to 30 times larger than HEVC files and asks for at least 10% of storage free. Record ProRes for footage you plan to grade; keep the default HEVC for everyday clips.
How do you convert ProRes to H.264?
You convert ProRes to H.264 by re-encoding it, usually as the last step of an edit. Three ways:
- From your editor: export with an H.264 MP4 preset (Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve and iMovie all have one).
- HandBrake (free): open the MOV and pick a preset such as Fast 1080p30.
- FFmpeg:
ffmpeg -i in.mov -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow -pix_fmt yuv420p -c:a aac -b:a 192k out.mp4.-pix_fmt yuv420pconverts ProRes's 4:2:2 colour to the 4:2:0 most players expect.
To go the other way, for smoother editing of phone footage: ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -c:v prores_ks -profile:v standard -c:a pcm_s16le out.mov (FFmpeg's ProRes encoder accepts proxy, lt, standard, hq, 4444 and 4444xq).
Once you have an MP4, the free video compressor can shrink it further for email or chat; it's free, runs in your browser and never uploads your file. It opens videos your browser can play, which usually rules out ProRes MOV files, so convert first.
Frequently asked questions
Is ProRes bigger than H.264?
Yes, much bigger. ProRes 422 at 1080p30 is about 147 Mbps against 8 Mbps for a typical H.264 upload, roughly 18 times the size.
How many GB is an hour of ProRes 422?
About 66 GB at 1080p30 and 265 GB at 4K UHD 30p, per Apple's white paper.
How big is a minute of ProRes 422 HQ?
About 1.65 GB at 1080p30 (220 Mbps) and 6.6 GB at 4K UHD 30p (884 Mbps).
Is ProRes lossless?
No. Apple calls ProRes 422 HQ visually lossless, meaning differences are very hard to see, but it is still compressed. Only the 4444 alpha channel is mathematically lossless.
Can I upload ProRes to YouTube?
Yes, ProRes is on YouTube's supported formats list, but YouTube recommends H.264 in MP4 and the upload is far smaller.
Does ProRes work on Windows?
Most professional editors on Windows read ProRes, and FFmpeg can encode it. Plain media players and browsers often can't, so deliver H.264.
Try it with your own video
Once your edit is exported to MP4, QuickVeed can caption, translate or dub it. Upload an MP4 or MOV, check the transcript, and download captions or a captioned copy. QuickVeed plans start at $18/month, and new accounts get a 14-day trial with 250 credits, no card needed. Sign up or see pricing.
Sources
Competitor details in this post were checked against these public pages in October 2026. Products and prices change, so confirm with each vendor before you decide.
- Apple: Apple ProRes white paper (April 2022), target data rates appendix
- Apple Support: About Apple ProRes
- Apple Support: About Apple ProRes on iPhone
- YouTube Help: recommended upload encoding settings
- YouTube Help: supported YouTube file formats
- FFmpeg codecs documentation (prores_ks, libaom-av1, libsvtav1, libx265)
