Should I deliver ProRes or H.264 to clients?

Deliver H.264 (or HEVC) as the client's main file, and add a ProRes master only when the client will edit, re-grade, or broadcast the footage. For most clients, a high-bitrate H.264 MP4 plays everywhere and looks indistinguishable from the master.

ProRes is an editing codec: enormous files, very light compression, designed to survive further post-production. A wedding couple, a marketing manager or a real estate agent cannot easily play a 40GB ProRes file and has no use for it. An agency taking the spot to broadcast, or a brand that will cut social versions in-house, does.

A sensible default: export a high-bitrate H.264 or HEVC at the delivery resolution as the primary file, and include the ProRes master in the same gallery when the contract calls for it. Label both clearly.

DLVRD stores whatever you upload untouched, transcodes a streaming copy so the client can watch either version instantly, and hands over the original files on download, so you can deliver both formats from one link.