Two kinds of online video tools
When you use an online video tool, one of two things happens to your file. Some tools upload it to a company server, process it there and send back the result. Others process it in your browser, using your own device, so the file never travels anywhere.
Both can be useful. They have very different privacy consequences.
The risks of uploading
Uploading means a copy of your video exists on someone else's computer. Depending on the service, it may be kept for a while, backed up, reviewed for abuse, or used in ways described in a long policy that few people read. For private family footage, client work, unreleased projects or anything with faces and locations, that is a real consideration.
Uploads are also slow. A large video has to travel to the server and back, which can take longer than the editing itself on a slow connection.
How in-browser tools work
Modern browsers can play, draw and re-record video without help from a server. A browser-based tool loads a small web page, then reads your file locally, processes it using your computer's processor, and offers you the result as a download. The video is never sent over the internet.
That is how all Vidzo tools work. You can see for yourself: load a tool page, then turn off your internet connection and process a video. It will still work.
Trade-offs of browser processing
- Speed depends on your device. Our tools process in real time, so a three-minute clip takes about three minutes.
- Memory limits apply. Very large files are better handled on a desktop browser.
- Features are simpler. Browser tools cover everyday jobs like resizing and compressing, not full professional editing.
In return, you get privacy by design. There is no account, no upload and no stored copy to worry about.
How to check any tool
- Read the privacy policy for words about uploading, storing and deleting files.
- Look for an account requirement, which usually means files are kept.
- Watch the page when you add a file. A long upload progress bar means the file is going to a server.
- Try going offline after the page loads. A real in-browser tool keeps working.
Use footage you are allowed to edit
Privacy is only half of safe editing. Make sure you own the video or have permission to change it, especially when removing logos. Our Content Removal Policy explains how we think about this, and our Privacy Policy describes what little data Vidzo does handle.
Try it yourself
Resize, compress or clean up your video right in the browser. Nothing is uploaded.