FFmpeg vs Browser Tools for Extracting Video Frames

When you need to extract frames from a video, you have two main options: FFmpeg on the command line, or a browser-based tool. Both work, but they suit very different workflows. This comparison breaks down when to use each.

FFmpeg: The Industry Standard

FFmpeg is a free, open-source command-line tool that can process virtually any video format. It's used by professional video editors, developers, and researchers worldwide.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1 frame_%04d.jpg

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:30 -vframes 1 frame.jpg

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf fps=1/60 frame_%04d.jpg

Browser Tools: Fast and Accessible

Browser-based tools like FrameRipper use the HTML5 video decoder and Canvas API built into your browser. No installation required — select a local file, set a frame count, pick a format, download a ZIP.

This trades FFmpeg's precision for speed and simplicity. No command line, no codec installation, no configuration.

Speed

FFmpeg is faster for large batch jobs and very high frame counts — it reads from disk using native code. Extracting 1,000 frames from a 1-hour video takes seconds.

Browser tools are faster to get started. For 10–100 frames from a single video, total time is comparable once you factor in writing and running FFmpeg commands.

Privacy

Both are completely local. FFmpeg runs on your machine. FrameRipper uses browser APIs and never uploads your file. Unlike many online video tools that send your file to a server, FrameRipper processes everything in-browser.

Which Should You Use?

Use FrameRipper if you need frames from one or a few videos, want the fastest setup, or aren't comfortable with the command line.

Use FFmpeg if you're processing many videos in batch, need frames at exact timestamps, have unusual source codecs, or are building an automated pipeline.