Is there a free trial?

No free trial. You can download and install the app to look around, but you need a license to actually use it. There's a 14-day money-back guarantee, so if it's not for you, email support@picmal.app for a full refund.

Do I need to buy a license to use Picmal?

Yes. The download is free, but you need a license key to activate it. Once you buy, it's yours — no recurring fees, no expiration.

Is Picmal available for Windows or Linux?

Mac only. No plans to change that.

What formats does Picmal support?

Over 100. On the image side: JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, PSD, RAW, SVG, PDF, and more. Video: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, and others. Audio: MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, OPUS, plus a bunch more.

Can I resize images in Picmal?

Yes. Six modes: by percentage, fixed width, fixed height, max dimensions, exact dimensions, or max file size. You can resize, convert, and compress in one pass.

Can Picmal work with PDFs?

Yes. Combine multiple PDFs into one with drag-to-reorder pages, turn a batch of images into a multi-page PDF (A4, Letter, or custom, with an optional password), and compress or rasterize PDFs. All offline.

Can I compress videos and audio files?

Yes. Images compress in JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, SVG, TIFF, HEIC, AVIF, and PDF. Videos use H.264, audio uses AAC. You control the quality slider so you decide the tradeoff between size and fidelity.

Where are my files processed?

On your Mac. Nothing gets uploaded. Your files never leave your machine.

Can I convert multiple files at once?

Yes. Drag in a pile of files or whole folders and convert them all at once. Each file shows its own progress so you can see what's happening.

Can I compress without converting?

Yes. Pick compression, adjust the quality slider, and the file stays in its original format — just smaller.

Can I remove metadata from my files?

Yes. Picmal strips metadata from images — GPS coordinates, camera info, timestamps, all of it. Smaller files, less data floating around.

What macOS versions are supported?

macOS 15.0 (Sequoia) or later. Runs natively on Apple Silicon and works fine on Intel Macs too. If you're on an older version, update macOS to install the latest Picmal.

Do I need an internet connection to use Picmal?

Not after you install it. Picmal runs entirely offline.

Picmal: A native Mac HandBrake alternative

TL;DR Picmal vs HandBrake

HandBrake is free, open source, and runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac with serious encoding controls. Picmal is Mac only and costs $39 once. It handles images, audio, and PDFs alongside video, and it feels at home on your Mac. Neither one uploads your files.

Pick Picmal if: You're on a Mac and you need images, audio, or PDFs as well as video. Or you just want an app that feels native and works with Shortcuts.
Pick HandBrake if: You need CRF tuning, device presets, DVD or Blu-ray ripping, or Windows and Linux support. And free matters to you.

Picmal vs HandBrake at a glance

HandBrake is a free video encoder with serious encoding controls. Picmal is a paid Mac app that handles images, audio, and PDFs as well as video, with a simpler interface. Different tradeoffs, so pick the one that fits.

Feature	Picmal	HandBrake
Price	$39 one-time	Free (open source)
Platforms	macOS only	Windows, Mac, Linux
Privacy	100% offline	100% offline
Interface	Native macOS, clean UI	Cross-platform, gets the job done
Image conversion	Yes, 20+ formats	No
Video conversion	Yes, common formats	Yes, advanced encoding options
Audio conversion	Yes, MP3, WAV, FLAC, and more	Audio within video only
Compression	Images, video, audio & PDF	Video encoding only
PDF tools	Yes, compress, combine, images→PDF	No
DVD/BluRay ripping	No	Yes (unprotected)
Device presets	No	Yes, Apple, Android, web, and more
Video filters	Basic	Advanced (deinterlace, denoise, HDR)
Subtitle support	No	Yes, SRT, SSA, VobSub, CEA-608
Metadata removal	Yes	Limited
Shortcuts integration	Yes	No
Folder monitoring	Yes	No
Finder right-click	Yes	No

Which one is right for you?

Here's where each one makes more sense.

Choose Picmal

Mac-native. Images, audio, PDFs, and video in one place.

You want to convert, compress, and edit images, video, audio, and PDFs without juggling five apps
You automate things with Apple Shortcuts
You want an app that actually looks and feels like a Mac app
You want folder monitoring and a Finder right-click

Choose HandBrake

Free, powerful video encoding, runs everywhere.

Video transcoding and encoding is all you need
You're on Windows or Linux
You'd rather not pay for an app
You need DVD or Blu-ray ripping, or subtitle tracks

Everything else Picmal does

One app for images, video, audio, and PDFs. Convert, compress, and edit, all on your Mac. These are the essentials, and there's plenty more in the docs.

Convert between formats

Over 100 formats across images, video, audio, RAW, and PDF. HEIC to JPG, MOV to MP4, FLAC to ALAC. Drop it in, pick the output, done.

Compress and save space

Get under an email limit or a slow upload, without the quality drop you'd actually notice. No browser, no waiting.

Split and organize PDFs

Break a PDF apart, or drag pages around to reorder, rotate, and delete. Your documents never leave your Mac.

Combine videos

Stitch a pile of clips into one video. Drag to reorder, pick the format, export in a single pass.

Merge and split audio

Join tracks into one file, or split a long recording by its chapters. Podcasts and audiobooks, sorted.

Images to PDF

Turn a folder of photos into a multi-page PDF. A4, Letter, or custom, with a password if you want one.

Combine PDFs

Merge a stack of PDFs into one file. Put the pages in the right order, set the size, and save it out.

Fits your workflow

Finder, Shortcuts, and Raycast. A conversion is never more than a right-click away.

Picmal CLI

Script it, drop it in a cron job, or hand it to a coding agent. The same engine as the app, right from your terminal.

What people are
saying about Picmal

"Clean and easy to use. Perfect for quickly converting images without unnecessary extras."

Marynes

"Everything works as expected - great app!"

Anthony Nguyen

"Great app! Simple and easy to use."

Beckett R

"It works perfectly now! Thanks and good work. It's really the kind of utility that I find very useful. I know that there are tons of free online tools doing the same thing but it's so much faster that way."

7107Labs

"Wonderfully simple app! I struggled with converting my images from one format to another constantly with online free tools. Picmal makes it effortless. Worth the money to avoid the hassle for sure!"

River Sloane

"You did a great job here! I like how easy Picmal is to use, and the frequent upgrades show that you are very committed to improving this beautiful software."

Gianluca Savini

"It's a Mac-assed Mac App. Focused, customizable, flexible, well designed and super fast. 10+ times a day I need to convert a file for use on a website. Picmal makes that process a joy. My favorite conversion is taking a multipage PDF and converting each page to an individual image with one click (something even Preview can't do)."

Rob H

"I really like these kinds of tools: simple interface, focused functions, one-time purchase, and continuous updates."

limboy

"Been enjoying the app! Thanks for the very handy utility."

@imnogeekAJ

"I f* love this app. Just so you know. Keep building!"

Alessandro Bonini

"Clean and easy to use. Perfect for quickly converting images without unnecessary extras."

Marynes

"Everything works as expected - great app!"

Anthony Nguyen

"Great app! Simple and easy to use."

Beckett R

"It works perfectly now! Thanks and good work. It's really the kind of utility that I find very useful. I know that there are tons of free online tools doing the same thing but it's so much faster that way."

7107Labs

"Wonderfully simple app! I struggled with converting my images from one format to another constantly with online free tools. Picmal makes it effortless. Worth the money to avoid the hassle for sure!"

River Sloane

"You did a great job here! I like how easy Picmal is to use, and the frequent upgrades show that you are very committed to improving this beautiful software."

Gianluca Savini

"It's a Mac-assed Mac App. Focused, customizable, flexible, well designed and super fast. 10+ times a day I need to convert a file for use on a website. Picmal makes that process a joy. My favorite conversion is taking a multipage PDF and converting each page to an individual image with one click (something even Preview can't do)."

Rob H

"I really like these kinds of tools: simple interface, focused functions, one-time purchase, and continuous updates."

limboy

"Been enjoying the app! Thanks for the very handy utility."

@imnogeekAJ

"I f* love this app. Just so you know. Keep building!"

Alessandro Bonini

"I like the interface. I like the batch processing. I like the fact in the I can set default conversions. I like your program a lot."

Charles Willson

"I like the quality of the image processing. It also supports all the important image files. But it still needs some work regarding both the UI and the UX design of it."

Yiannis

"I love how Picmal's made compressing videos a frictionless, easy and straightforward."

George

"It's simple to use and does everything I need it to do. Hell, it does much more than I need and the developer keeps adding features :)"

Adam L

"I love the app! I use it 4-5 days a week for audio and image conversion as I tag and add missing album artwork to my library of 70,000 songs. After that is done, I would like to try it out with my Blu-ray collection on Plex. I truly appreciate the hard work that goes into creating and frequently updating an app such as this. All the best!"

Trevor

"The program is very simple and practical, and its options are clear."

Abadi

"I use Picmal to convert images. It works perfectly. I can just leave the Picmal window open on my desktop. Whenever I want to convert an image, I drag the file onto the window and click “convert”—and seconds later, the converted file is in the appropriate folder with the suffix “converted.” It couldn’t be easier or more hassle-free!"

Marie-Theres

"Thoughtful, polished, and constantly improving. Alberto genuinely listens to feedback, and it shows in Picmal. Easy 5 stars."

Daniel Hewitt

"I feel Picmal is one of the apps that I would categorize as essential. There are many features that distinguish the app from other web converters such as Folder Watching and Clipboard Optimization."

Joel

"Picmal is simple and fast but also integrates complex workloads if needed."

Aj

"I like the interface. I like the batch processing. I like the fact in the I can set default conversions. I like your program a lot."

Charles Willson

"I like the quality of the image processing. It also supports all the important image files. But it still needs some work regarding both the UI and the UX design of it."

Yiannis

"I love how Picmal's made compressing videos a frictionless, easy and straightforward."

George

"It's simple to use and does everything I need it to do. Hell, it does much more than I need and the developer keeps adding features :)"

Adam L

"I love the app! I use it 4-5 days a week for audio and image conversion as I tag and add missing album artwork to my library of 70,000 songs. After that is done, I would like to try it out with my Blu-ray collection on Plex. I truly appreciate the hard work that goes into creating and frequently updating an app such as this. All the best!"

Trevor

"The program is very simple and practical, and its options are clear."

Abadi

"I use Picmal to convert images. It works perfectly. I can just leave the Picmal window open on my desktop. Whenever I want to convert an image, I drag the file onto the window and click “convert”—and seconds later, the converted file is in the appropriate folder with the suffix “converted.” It couldn’t be easier or more hassle-free!"

Marie-Theres

"Thoughtful, polished, and constantly improving. Alberto genuinely listens to feedback, and it shows in Picmal. Easy 5 stars."

Daniel Hewitt

"I feel Picmal is one of the apps that I would categorize as essential. There are many features that distinguish the app from other web converters such as Folder Watching and Clipboard Optimization."

Joel

"Picmal is simple and fast but also integrates complex workloads if needed."

Aj

"Picmal is complete. The quality is good, and it does exactly what I need."

Gianfri

"Easy to use, automation & batch processing. AVIF & Webp support"

Sem

"I convert MP4s to MP3s almost every day. Picmal makes it stupidly simple, and I haven't touched a sketchy online converter since."

Rubens Nook YouTube Creator

"keep up the great work! Very cool tool you've built here."

J Koh

"Working on a presentation and had to convert and resize a lot of images. Picmal did them all in a flash."

Henry Halem

"Simple and powerful is a combination that is hard to get right. Picmal nails it! I find image presets particularly useful. Set it up and then just drag and drop to resize and convert."

Ian

"Me ha sosprendido la compresion que realiza el programa y si apreciar la calidad."

Carlos

"The easy going workflow"

Markus

"I just sent a few samples through to check everything, and I am very pleased with the results. Everything worked correctly and above all it was easy and not unduly complicated."

Andy Cockill

"Picmal is complete. The quality is good, and it does exactly what I need."

Gianfri

"Easy to use, automation & batch processing. AVIF & Webp support"

Sem

"I convert MP4s to MP3s almost every day. Picmal makes it stupidly simple, and I haven't touched a sketchy online converter since."

Rubens Nook YouTube Creator

"keep up the great work! Very cool tool you've built here."

J Koh

"Working on a presentation and had to convert and resize a lot of images. Picmal did them all in a flash."

Henry Halem

"Simple and powerful is a combination that is hard to get right. Picmal nails it! I find image presets particularly useful. Set it up and then just drag and drop to resize and convert."

Ian

"Me ha sosprendido la compresion que realiza el programa y si apreciar la calidad."

Carlos

"The easy going workflow"

Markus

"I just sent a few samples through to check everything, and I am very pleased with the results. Everything worked correctly and above all it was easy and not unduly complicated."

Andy Cockill

Pay once and you're all set

One purchase includes all updates. If you change your mind, you can ask for a refund within 14 days.

Picmal

$39 one-time

Every feature, no add-ons
Free updates forever
Use on 2 Macs
Command line tool, Raycast extension and watched folders
Updates land the day I ship them, with no App Store review wait

Get Picmal for $39

Picmal Pro

$69 one-time

Everything in Picmal
Use on 5 Macs
One license for a studio, a family, or a desk and a laptop

Get Picmal Pro for $69

Mac App Store

$39 one-time

All conversion and compression features, same engines, same quality
Free updates forever
Purchases, updates and refunds handled by Apple
Family Sharing, no license key
No command line tool, Raycast extension or watched folders. Compare the two builds

Get it on the App Store

Prices in USD. Any tax is added at checkout. Secure payment via Stripe.

How does the license work?

You pay once and keep it. No renewals, no subscriptions. Picmal activates on 2 Macs, Picmal Pro on 5, and you can move a license to another Mac whenever you want.

What is the difference between Picmal and Picmal Pro?

The app is identical, and so is the support: one person answers every email, and that person is me. Pro covers 5 Macs instead of 2.

I bought Picmal and now I need more Macs. Can I upgrade?

Yes, and you only pay the difference: $30 takes Picmal to Pro, and older 1-Mac licenses have their own prices. Enter your license key here and the same key covers more Macs. The offer never expires, so starting with the cheaper plan is never the wrong call.

Should I buy here or on the Mac App Store?

Same price, same engines, same quality. Apple handles the purchase, updates and refunds, and you get Family Sharing with no license key. Buying direct adds the command line tool, the Raycast extension, watched folders, camera EXIF on RAW conversions, and up to 5 Macs on one license. Here is the full comparison of the two builds.

What happens if I get a new Mac?

Open Picmal on your old Mac, go to Picmal → Register license to deactivate, then activate on the new one. Takes about ten seconds.

Do you offer student or country discounts?

Yes. I want Picmal to be affordable wherever you are. Students and educators get 40% off: verify your school email on the education page and the code lands in your inbox. If the price is steep for your country, checkout already adjusts it for you. If it still doesn't work, email support@picmal.app and tell me where you are, and I'll send a code.

Can I get a refund?

14 days, no questions asked. Email support@picmal.app. App Store purchases go through Apple instead.

Hello there 👋

I'm Alberto, the developer behind Picmal.

Picmal started because I was tired of opening a browser every time I needed to convert a few files. I figured there had to be a better way, so I built one.

Over time, that simple image converter has grown into something much bigger, mostly thanks to the people who use it.

Along the way, I've tried to stay true to a few simple ideas: your files should stay on your computer, the app should feel at home on your Mac, and you should only have to pay once.

One of my favorite parts of building Picmal is talking to customers. Many of the features in the app today started as conversations with people who needed something that didn't exist yet.

So if there's a feature you've always wished for, or something you haven't found in other tools, I'd love to hear from you. If it fits Picmal, I'll do my best to build it.

Best,

Alberto

Frequently asked questions

Can't find what you're looking for? Email support@picmal.app

Is Picmal a good HandBrake alternative?

If you're on a Mac and also work with images, audio, and PDFs, yes. Picmal is a native Mac app, it works with Shortcuts, and it handles more file types. HandBrake is the better pick if you want deep video encoding controls and would rather not pay for an app.

Why pay for Picmal when HandBrake is free?

HandBrake is great at video encoding, and it costs nothing. Picmal adds image conversion, audio, PDF tools, folder monitoring, and a Finder right-click, and it feels like a real Mac app. If video encoding is all you need, HandBrake is honestly a fine choice.

Can Picmal convert images? Can HandBrake?

Picmal converts 20+ image formats (HEIC, JPG, PNG, WebP, and more) and reads RAW files. HandBrake is video only. It doesn't touch images.

Does HandBrake have more video options than Picmal?

Yes. Device presets, CRF tuning, DVD and Blu-ray ripping, subtitle tracks, HDR. HandBrake goes deep on video. Picmal picks good defaults so you don't have to think about codecs, and it also handles images, audio, and PDFs.

Does Picmal work on Windows or Linux like HandBrake?

No. Picmal is Mac-only. HandBrake runs on Windows and Linux too.

What if Picmal doesn't work for me?

Full refund within 14 days, no questions asked. Just email support@picmal.app.

A native Mac HandBrake alternative