When your edit is ready, Bitgrain renders it to an MP4 or WebM file right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded: every frame is processed and encoded on your own machine, and the file downloads straight from the tab.
Click Export in the top right of the editor. The dialog has five settings, a summary card, and Start export.
| Setting | Options | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Project name | Any text | The project name, which also becomes the file name |
| Resolution | 720p, 1080p, 4K, sized to your project's shape | The project's canvas size |
| Frame rate (fps) | 24, 25, 30, 60 | The project's frame rate |
| Format | MP4 H.264, WebM | The file type and how it is rendered |
| Bitrate | Low, Medium, High, Ultra | Video quality and file size |
Resolution and frame rate are project settings, not just export settings. Changing them here changes the project itself, and the top bar updates to match.
The Resolution list keeps your project's shape. Each option sets the short edge (720, 1080 or 2160 pixels) and scales the long edge to match, so a 9:16 project offers 720 x 1280, 1080 x 1920 and 2160 x 3840, and a square project offers 720 x 720 and up. If your project uses a size that is not one of these, it shows as Current at the top of the list.
The two formats are made in completely different ways.
MP4 is rendered frame by frame with WebCodecs. For each frame, Bitgrain seeks your footage to the exact moment, runs every effect so it matches the preview, composes overlays and text at full resolution, and hands the finished frame to the browser's H.264 encoder. Smooth effects like halftone and color grades render at full export resolution with their cell sizes scaled up to match, while pixel and character effects like dither and ASCII render at the preview's working size and scale up with hard pixel edges. A clip that stacks both kinds takes the second path. That way the look you tuned in the preview is the look you get. See preview quality versus export.
MP4 needs WebCodecs. If your browser does not support it, the MP4 H.264 option is greyed out.
WebM is recorded in real time. Bitgrain plays your timeline from the start (or from your in point) and records the preview as it plays, using the browser's built-in recorder (VP9 or VP8 video with Opus audio).
Use WebM when MP4 is not available, or for a quick rough cut. For anything you will publish, use MP4.
Bitrate sets how much data each second of video gets. Higher bitrate means more detail in grain, dither and fast motion, and a bigger file.
| Preset | Bits per pixel per frame | 1080p at 30 fps comes to about |
|---|---|---|
| Low | 0.05 | 3.1 Mbps |
| Medium | 0.10 | 6.2 Mbps |
| High (default) | 0.15 | 9.3 Mbps |
| Ultra | 0.25 | 15.6 Mbps |
The bitrate never goes below 1.5 Mbps. The exact figure for your project is shown next to the Bitrate label.
Tip: Dithered, halftoned and grainy footage is hard to compress, because it is full of fine, changing detail. If your export looks blocky or smeared, go up to High or Ultra.
Before you start, the summary card shows:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Duration | The length being exported: the whole timeline, or your in and out range when one is set |
| Output | The frame size that will be written |
| Codec | For MP4, the H.264 profile and level Bitgrain picked for your size and frame rate, for example H.264 High@4.0. For WebM, VP9 / Opus (WebM) |
| Est. Size | A rough file size from the bitrate and duration |
Width and height are rounded down to even numbers, which H.264 requires.
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum resolution | 720p (short edge capped at 720 px) | Up to 4K |
| Watermark | A small "bitgrain.app" pill with the logo in the corner | None |
| MP4 and WebM | Yes | Yes |
| Video length limit | None | None |
On the free plan, resolutions above 720p are marked "pro" in the Resolution list, and picking one opens the upgrade dialog. If your project is already larger (every new project starts at 1080 pixels on its short edge), the export is scaled down so its short edge is 720 px and keeps its shape. A 1920 x 1080 project exports at 1280 x 720, and a 1080 x 1920 project at 720 x 1280.
When an export is scaled down, text, strokes and shadows scale with it, so titles keep the same size relative to the frame as in the preview.
Pro removes the watermark and unlocks 1080p and 4K. See plans and pricing or go to pricing for details, including the free trial.
I and an out point with O first. See markers and the in and out range.my-reel-2026-09-30-14-05-12.mp4.You can close the dialog while it renders. A small progress card stays in the bottom right corner of the editor with the percentage and ETA. Click it to reopen the dialog, or use its download button when it is done. To stop a render, click Stop render.
MP4 export time depends on four things:
Short, light edits finish quickly, while long 4K edits with heavy effect stacks take much longer. The ETA appears once a couple of percent is done and gets more reliable as the export runs.
WebM always takes as long as the video plays, plus a moment to finalize.
Everything happens inside the tab, so:
| Problem | Try |
|---|---|
| MP4 option is greyed out | Your browser lacks WebCodecs. Use a current Chrome or Edge, or export WebM |
| Export fails with an encoder error | Lower the resolution or frame rate, or try a different bitrate |
| A clip is black in the export | The browser could not decode that file. Convert it to H.264 .mp4 and re-import |
| Effects look finer than in the preview | Expected for MP4, see preview quality versus export |
| WebM is choppy | Close other tabs, reduce effects, or use MP4 |
More fixes are on the troubleshooting page.