3GP VS MOV
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between 3GPP Multimedia and QuickTime Movie.
3GP
3gpLightweight container for early 3G phones prioritizing tiny file sizes.
Pros
- Extremely small files
- Optimized for low bandwidth
- Easy MMS sharing
Cons
- Low resolution
- Poor audio fidelity
- Outdated on modern hardware
MOV
movMultimedia framework developed by Apple, common in editing.
Pros
- Professional editing standard
- Alpha channel support (ProRes)
- High quality
Cons
- Large file sizes
- Compatibility issues on Windows
When 3GP wins
Stay with 3GP when you need legacy mobile devices or feature phone archives. Its strengths center on extremely small files and a feature set native to 3rd Generation Partnership Project.
When MOV wins
Choose MOV when your workflow prioritizes video editing or apple devices. It delivers professional editing standard plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | 3GP | MOV |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | video/3gpp | video/quicktime |
| Developer | 3rd Generation Partnership Project | Apple |
| Release Year | 2001 | 1991 |
| Best For | Legacy mobile devices, Feature phone archives | Video editing, Apple devices, Post-production |
Need to switch?
Where 3GP still wins
Keep 3GP when you need extremely small files and workflows depend on legacy mobile devices / feature phone archives. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship MOV deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .3gp glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use MOV for video editing while archiving originals as 3GP.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.