x264 is a free and open-source software library and a command-line utility developed by VideoLAN for encoding video streams into the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC video coding format. It is released under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
x264 was originally developed by Laurent Aimar, who stopped development in 2004 after being hired by ATEME. Loren Merritt then took over development. Later, in 2008, Fiona Glaser joined the project. They both stopped contributing in 2014. Today, x264 is primarily developed by Anton Mitrofanov and Henrik Gramner.
x264 provides a command line interface as well as an API. The former is used by many graphical user interfaces, such as Staxrip and MeGUI. The latter is used by many other interfaces, such as HandBrake and FFmpeg.
x264 implements a large number of features compared to other H.264 encoders.
x264 contains some psychovisual enhancements which aim to increase the subjective video quality of the encoded video.
What is x264?
x264 by VideoLAN is open-source Windows software. It is written in C and assembly language. Besides Windows, it is available for cross-platform.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 3222, released on June 9, 2025. The version history goes back to February 22, 2022: 9 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.7 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
Wikipedia has an article about it in 19 of our languages.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Also runs on cross-platform
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
In short: x264 is an open-source Windows tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down.
Is x264 safe to download?
- The file is served by artifacts.videolan.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
CA622E7A1ED7EFD0953D8DBB9EB08672CA45D80CE962D63D637B79462A7DE3ED· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 9 versions ›9 versions over 3 years · about 2.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3222Latest | June 9, 2025 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 3204 | January 3, 2025 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
| 3190 | March 21, 2024 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
| 3179 | February 20, 2024 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 3107 | July 12, 2023 | — | 64-bit Portable32-bit Portable |
| 3106 | January 28, 2023 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
| 3098 | September 5, 2022 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
| 3095 | June 1, 2022 | — | 32-bit Portable64-bit Portable |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id VideoLAN.x264 -escoop install main/x264Program files (.exe): x264.exe
Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install x264Information
- Publisher
- VideoLAN
- Licence
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Written in
- C and assembly language
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- cross-platform
- Version
- 3222
- Released
- June 9, 2025
- Added to the catalogue
- August 18, 2022
- Versions listed
- 9
- Updates / year
- 2.7
- Website
- videolan.org
- winget ID
- VideoLAN.x264
- Scoop package
- main/x264
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Frequently asked questions
Is x264 free?
Yes. x264 is open-source software under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
Is x264 safe to download?
The download comes from artifacts.videolan.org, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install x264 with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does x264 run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of x264?
The versions page lists all 9 versions with links to their official installer files, back to February 22, 2022.
Can I use x264 without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
