maxresdefault vs hqdefault: which thumbnail should you use?
Both are thumbnails of the same video, but they differ in size and shape. maxresdefault is 1280×720 pixels and 16:9. hqdefault is 480×360 pixels and 4:3. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right file the first time.
Side by side
- maxresdefault: 1280×720, widescreen, no black bars, exists only if the thumbnail was large enough.
- hqdefault: 480×360, squarer 4:3 shape, usually has black bars above and below, exists for nearly every video.
That means maxresdefault has about five times as many pixels as hqdefault (921,600 against 172,800), so it holds much more detail.
Shape matters as much as size
A 16:9 picture placed in a 4:3 frame leaves empty bands at the top and bottom. YouTube fills them with black. If you place an hqdefault image in a blog post as it is, you will see those bars. You can crop them out, but the remaining picture is even smaller than 480×360. maxresdefault has no such problem, because its shape matches the original thumbnail.
When to choose maxresdefault
- Blog headers, article images and presentation slides.
- Reference boards and design research where you compare layouts.
- Anywhere the image is shown larger than a small icon.
- Whenever you want the picture as the creator designed it.
When to choose hqdefault
- The large version doesn’t exist for that video.
- You need a small file that loads fast, for example in a long list.
- You only need a quick visual reminder of which video it is.
In the middle sits sddefault (640×480), which is a better fallback than hqdefault when maxres is missing, though it also has black bars. mqdefault (320×180) is a good small choice if you want widescreen without bars.
What if there is no maxresdefault?
This happens most often with older videos and with thumbnails uploaded at a low resolution. ThumbGrab hides the card for any version that doesn’t exist, so you only see real files. Use the next size down, and avoid enlarging a small image, because stretching it only makes it blurry.
A quick way to decide
If you can see a maxresdefault card, use it. If not, use sddefault, and crop the bars only if you need a clean widescreen shape. Use hqdefault or mqdefault when a small file is all you need. For the full list of versions, see our guide to YouTube thumbnail sizes.
As always, thumbnails belong to their creators, so check our notes on reusing them before you publish.