MKV to AVI Converter
Some older media players, hardware devices, and video editing applications only recognize the AVI format. Converting MKV to AVI ensures your videos are playable on legacy systems, portable DVD players, and classic Windows applications that have not adopted modern container formats.
Converting MKV to AVI transfers the video stream to the AVI container. If the MKV uses codecs compatible with AVI (H.264, DivX, Xvid), no re-encoding occurs and quality is preserved. Unusual codecs may need transcoding to a compatible format.
How to Convert MKV to AVI
- 1
Upload your MKV file using the drag-and-drop area or file browser.
- 2
Select AVI as the output format from the options.
- 3
Click Convert and download your AVI-compatible video file.
MKV vs AVI — Format Comparison
| Feature | MKV | AVI |
|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Matroska Video | Audio Video Interleave |
| Type | Video | Video |
| Codec | H.264 / H.265 / VP9 / AV1 | DivX / Xvid / H.264 / Uncompressed |
| Lossless | No | No |
| Extension | .mkv | .avi |
| Best For | High-quality video archival | Legacy video archives |
MKV Strengths
- Open standard with no licensing fees
- Supports unlimited tracks (audio, subtitles, video)
- Excellent for high-quality video with multiple languages
AVI Strengths
- Wide compatibility with legacy systems
- Simple file structure
- Can contain uncompressed video for editing
Frequently Asked Questions
When to Convert MKV to AVI
- Playing MKV videos on legacy DVD players and car entertainment systems
- Importing MKV files into older video editing software that requires AVI
- Ensuring video playback on embedded systems with limited format support
- Providing AVI copies of MKV content for users on outdated hardware
Related Conversions
About Our MKV to AVI Converter
This converter uses FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly (WASM) to transform your MKV files into AVI format entirely inside your web browser. When you select a file for conversion, the processing happens locally on your device. Your file is never uploaded to any server, never transmitted over the internet, and never stored anywhere outside your own computer. This privacy-first architecture makes our tool safe for confidential and sensitive content — including legal recordings, medical files, financial presentations, personal media, and any other material you would not want on a third-party server.
The conversion process works by decoding the MKV input using FFmpeg's highly optimized decoders, then encoding the output in AVI format with carefully tuned settings that balance quality and file size. When possible, the tool uses stream copy mode to remux (rewrap) compatible streams without re-encoding, which preserves the original quality with zero generational loss. When re-encoding is necessary due to codec differences between the two formats, the converter uses high-quality encoding settings to minimize any visible or audible quality reduction.
Supported input formats include MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and WebM for video, with automatic detection of the codecs and parameters inside your source file. The output is optimized for maximum compatibility with modern devices and platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, smart TVs, and all major web browsers.
Why browser-based conversion is safer: traditional online converters require you to upload your file to a remote server, where it is processed by third-party infrastructure and then made available for download. This workflow exposes your data to interception during upload, unauthorized access on the server, unclear data retention policies, and potential data breaches. Professionals in regulated industries such as healthcare (HIPAA), legal (attorney-client privilege), and finance (SOX, GDPR) often cannot use server-based converters without violating compliance requirements. Our WebAssembly-powered approach eliminates all of these risks by ensuring your data never leaves the browser sandbox on your own device.
The tool handles files up to 500 MB on desktop browsers and 200 MB on mobile devices. No account registration, no software installation, and no recurring subscription is required. Conversion typically completes in seconds for small files and a few minutes for larger ones, depending on your device's processing capabilities. Once the conversion is finished, you can download the result immediately and the source data is discarded from browser memory.