Key Difference: DivX is a video codec that is created by DivX, Inc. Xvid is also a video codec and is the main competitor of DivX. Video codecs are software that have the ability to compress audio and video files without comprising most the quality of the file.

Movies and videos on the go have become very common with the rise of laptops, tables, smartphones, etc. It has become even easier to carry and play movies, songs, videos and any other files. However, sometimes these files become too big to carry in small USB drives or cards. This is where DivX and xvid come in. Both of these are video converting programs that allow the user to compress files without compromising the quality.

DivX is a video codec that is created by DivX, Inc., which is owned by Sonic Solutions. The video codec became popular due to its ability to compress audio and video files without comprising most the quality of the file. The company also faced a variety of debacles regarding adware, however the company is still going on strong. The company offers its software in two versions: one basic version which is free and a professional version that charges. The software takes files that needs to be converted and then converts and compresses the files in DivX Media Format (DMF). The software can support various different formats including .wmv, .asf, .avi, .divx, .mkv, etc.

The company boasts having features such as:

• Interactive video menus
• Multiple subtitles (XSUB)
• Multiple audio tracks
• Multiple video streams (for special features like bonus/extra content, just like on DVD-Video movies)
• Chapter points
• Other metadata (XTAG)
• Multiple formats
• Partial backwards compatibility with AVI

Xvid is also a video codec and is the main competitor of DivX. While, DivX is proprietary software, xVid is available for free under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Unlike, Divx, Xvid is not limited to selective platforms and can be used on all platforms and operating systems for which the source code can be compiled. The project was founded in January 2001 by DivXNetworks as OpenDivX and was a part of the Project Mayo. OpenDivX was an open-source MPEG-4 video codec based on a stripped down version of the MoMuSys reference MPEG-4 encoder. Due to the fact that this is an open software, the software if often updated and has many different versions released. However, this also plays a negative effect as for the non-tech savvy people it becomes difficult to keep up with the software. According to Wikipedia, the software uses ASP features such as b-frames, global and quarter pixel motion compensation, lumi masking, trellis quantization, and H.263, MPEG and custom quantization matrices.

In terms of performance, the jury is still undecided. Many people claim that DivX is a better, while others claim to be loyal to Xvid. However, both are known to effectively compress and save media files. Some people also claim that in terms of conversion, DivX lags behind, while Xvid can convert the files faster. Also, some DVD players that support DivX files do no support Xvid files and will require the user to convert using DivX, however this could be overcome soon due to the massive popularity of the Xvid software.

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