What's new in v1.8.4

A native Mac alternative to How To Convert

How To Convert does documents, emails, and three platforms. Picmal does media, so images, video, audio, and PDFs, on the Mac only, with a native interface, Shortcuts, and folder monitoring.

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TL;DR Picmal vs How To Convert

How To Convert handles documents, emails, and media across Windows, Mac, and Linux. Picmal ($39, paid once) is Mac only and sticks to media, so images, video, audio, and PDFs, with a native interface, Shortcuts, and folder monitoring.

Pick Picmal if
You're on a Mac and mostly work with media files. You want something that feels native, with Shortcuts, folder monitoring, and a command line tool, and you don't need Windows or Linux.
Pick How To Convert if
You convert documents or emails, or you need the same app on Windows or Linux too.

Picmal vs How To Convert at a glance

How To Convert is broad. It supports thousands of format combinations across five categories. But if you're on a Mac and you live in media, converting, compressing, and editing images, video, and audio, Picmal is the more focused, native pick.

Feature Picmal How To Convert
Price $39 one-time $29 one-time
Platforms macOS only Mac, Windows, Linux
Privacy 100% offline 100% offline
Interface Native macOS, single window Cross-platform wrapper
Image formats 20+ 40+
Video formats 20+ 50+
Document conversions No Yes (DOCX, PDF, MD, etc.)
Email conversions No Yes (EML, MSG)
Metadata removal Yes, strip location data before sharing No
Finder right-click Yes, convert without opening the app No
Shortcuts integration Yes No
Folder monitoring Yes No
Device license 2 Macs, 5 with Pro 5 devices

Which one is right for you?

Here's where each one makes more sense.

Choose Picmal

Best for Mac users who care about design and automation

  • You want an app that feels native to macOS, not a cross-platform wrapper
  • You need system integrations like Shortcuts or folder monitoring
  • You convert, compress, and edit images, video, and audio, plus PDF tools, and you don't need documents
  • You'd rather have a focused tool from one developer who builds for one platform
  • You want a Mac app, not a cross-platform one

Choose How To Convert

Best for cross-platform users with a wide range of formats

  • You work on Windows or Linux (or all three)
  • You need document conversions (Word, PDF, Markdown, ebooks)
  • You need email format conversions (EML, MSG)
  • You want the cheaper one and can live without the Mac integrations
  • Format variety matters more than native feel

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.

Finder Shortcuts Raycast

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, Picmal user
Marynes

"Everything works as expected - great app!"

Anthony Nguyen, Picmal user
Anthony Nguyen

"Great app! Simple and easy to use."

Beckett R, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
Rob H

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

limboy, Picmal user
limboy

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

@imnogeekAJ, Picmal user
@imnogeekAJ

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

Alessandro Bonini, Picmal user
Alessandro Bonini

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

Marynes, Picmal user
Marynes

"Everything works as expected - great app!"

Anthony Nguyen, Picmal user
Anthony Nguyen

"Great app! Simple and easy to use."

Beckett R, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
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, Picmal user
Rob H

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

limboy, Picmal user
limboy

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

@imnogeekAJ, Picmal user
@imnogeekAJ

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

Alessandro Bonini, Picmal user
Alessandro Bonini

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.

A note from Picmal's founder

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 How To Convert alternative?

For media files on a Mac, yes. Picmal converts and compresses images, video, audio, and PDFs, and it ties into macOS with Shortcuts and folder monitoring. If you need to convert Word documents or emails, How To Convert does that and Picmal doesn't.

Does Picmal work offline like How To Convert?

Yes. Both apps do the work on your Mac. Your files never go to a server.

Why does Picmal cost more than How To Convert?

Picmal is $39, How To Convert is $29. The $10 buys a Mac app instead of a cross-platform one: a native interface, Shortcuts, Finder right-click, folder monitoring, and a command line tool. How To Convert spends its scope on Windows and Linux and on documents and email.

Can Picmal convert documents like PDFs or Word files?

Picmal can compress PDFs, combine them, turn images into a PDF, and export pages to PNG. It doesn't convert document formats, so no Word, DOCX, or Markdown. For that, reach for How To Convert or Pandoc.

What if Picmal doesn't work for me?

Email support@picmal.app within 14 days and I'll refund you, no questions asked.