MOV VS 3GP
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between QuickTime Movie and 3GPP Multimedia.
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
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- Outdated on modern hardware
When MOV wins
Stay with MOV when you need video editing or apple devices. Its strengths center on professional editing standard and a feature set native to Apple.
When 3GP wins
Choose 3GP when your workflow prioritizes legacy mobile devices or feature phone archives. It delivers extremely small files plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | MOV | 3GP |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | video/quicktime | video/3gpp |
| Developer | Apple | 3rd Generation Partnership Project |
| Release Year | 1991 | 2001 |
| Best For | Video editing, Apple devices, Post-production | Legacy mobile devices, Feature phone archives |
Need to switch?
Where MOV still wins
Keep MOV when you need professional editing standard and workflows depend on video editing / apple devices. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship 3GP deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .mov glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use 3GP for legacy mobile devices while archiving originals as MOV.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.