Frame rate is one of the few video settings where the "better" number isn't simply higher, unlike resolution or bitrate, more frames per second isn't a universal improvement, it's a genuine aesthetic and practical trade-off, which is why film, broadcast TV, and gaming all settled on different standards rather than converging on one.
Why 24fps became the cinematic standard
24fps was originally chosen in the film era as the lowest frame rate that produced acceptably smooth motion while keeping film stock costs manageable, and it stuck around because audiences came to associate its particular motion blur characteristics, a slight, natural smearing during fast movement, with the look of cinema itself. That's not a technical limitation anymore, but it's now a deliberate aesthetic choice: many filmmakers still shoot at 24fps specifically because higher frame rates can make dramatic footage look less like a movie and more like a live broadcast or home video, an effect strong enough that some viewers instinctively react negatively to 48fps or 60fps footage in a narrative film context.
30fps and 60fps: where they actually help
30fps has long been standard for broadcast television and webcams, striking a middle ground between smoothness and file size or bandwidth. 60fps captures twice as many motion samples per second as 30fps, which genuinely improves clarity during fast movement, useful for sports broadcasts, gaming footage, and action content where motion blur at lower frame rates would obscure fast-moving detail. The trade-off is file size: doubling frame rate roughly doubles the amount of data needed at a comparable bitrate, and the Video Compressor has to work harder to keep file size reasonable at 60fps. If you've recorded footage at a higher frame rate than you actually need, converting down with the Video FPS Changer can meaningfully shrink file size, and it's also worth checking whether your footage would benefit from a different playback speed using the Video Speed Changer, since slow-motion effects specifically rely on recording at a higher frame rate than the intended playback rate.