# x266

Canonical URL: https://encode.wiki/tools/software-encoders/x266/
Content version: ca42e61ede0a24f789d7287a0001244ad22f4abf
Status: current
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
Checksum (SHA-256): 34909d05592f13eada5d56fbd77662e186d69efe3dc4d5582340197ef12fce28

x266 is a software encoder for [H.266 / VVC](/codecs/video/vvc/) announced by MulticoreWare, the company behind [x265](/tools/software-encoders/x265/). It has not been released. No source code, binaries or command-line documentation have been published, so there is nothing to install or run.

## What MulticoreWare has said

- MulticoreWare announced x266 in September 2020 as an open-source VVC encoder that would follow the x265 model: a paid consortium funds development and the code is released as open source.
- Its product page describes x266 as built on top of x265 and still invites companies to join the consortium. A January 2023 webinar FAQ left the release date and license undecided.
- MulticoreWare's site links no repository or download as of October 2026. Nothing is known about its features, speed or compression, and any benchmark or command you see for "x266" is not from MulticoreWare.

> **Note.**
>
> The x266.mov domain, where this wiki was originally hosted, is unrelated to the encoder.
## What to use instead

For VVC today, use [VVenC](/tools/software-encoders/vvenc/) (Fraunhofer HHI, with FFmpeg integration), [uvg266](/tools/software-encoders/uvg266/) (Tampere University's Kvazaar-derived encoder), or the [VTM](/tools/software-encoders/vtm/) reference encoder, which is far too slow for normal use.