The native Mac XnConvert alternative
XnConvert goes deep on bulk image editing. 500+ formats, 80+ actions, free. Picmal covers more media types. Video, audio, and PDFs alongside images, in a native Mac app that works with Shortcuts.
$29 once, updates included. No account, no subscription, works offline. Need 2, 5 or 10 Macs?
XnConvert is free, runs on every platform, and handles 500+ formats with 80+ editing actions for bulk image work. Picmal ($29, paid once) is Mac only and covers more media types. Video, audio, and PDFs alongside images, with a native interface and Shortcuts support.
- Pick Picmal if
- You work with video and audio alongside images, you want a native Mac feel with Shortcuts and a Finder right-click, and you're fine with fewer image editing options.
- Pick XnConvert if
- You need 500+ image formats, 80+ editing actions, full metadata editing, scripting, or the same app on Windows and Linux, and free matters to you.
Picmal vs XnConvert at a glance
XnConvert is a bulk image processor with hundreds of editing actions. Picmal covers more media types, video, audio, and PDFs, with fewer image editing options. Pick based on what you actually need.
| Feature | Picmal | XnConvert |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 one-time | Free (personal), €15 (commercial) |
| Platforms | macOS only | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| Privacy | 100% offline | 100% offline |
| Interface | Native macOS app, one window | Cross-platform (Qt), 80+ actions in a list |
| Image formats | 20+ | 500+ input, 70+ output |
| Video conversion | Yes. MP4, MOV, MKV, and more | No |
| Audio conversion | Yes. MP3, WAV, FLAC, and more | No |
| Editing actions | Light (watermark, resize, rotate, metadata removal) | 80+ (watermarks, filters, transforms) |
| Watermarks | Video only | Yes |
| Metadata editing | Removal only | Full editing |
| Folder monitoring | Yes | Yes (watch folder) |
| Shortcuts integration | Yes | No |
| Finder right-click | Yes | No |
| Custom presets | No | Yes |
| macOS | 15+ | 10.13+ |
What people are
saying about Picmal
"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)."
"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!"
"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!"
"Working on a presentation and had to convert and resize a lot of images. Picmal did them all in a flash."
"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."
"Clean and easy to use. Perfect for quickly converting images without unnecessary extras."
"Everything works as expected - great app!"
"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."
"I f* love this app. Just so you know. Keep building!"
"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."
"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."
"I love how Picmal's made compressing videos a frictionless, easy and straightforward."
"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 :)"
"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!"
"The program is very simple and practical, and its options are clear."
"Thoughtful, polished, and constantly improving. Alberto genuinely listens to feedback, and it shows in Picmal. Easy 5 stars."
"Picmal is simple and fast but also integrates complex workloads if needed."
"Picmal is complete. The quality is good, and it does exactly what I need."
"Easy to use, automation & batch processing. AVIF & Webp support"
"keep up the great work! Very cool tool you've built here."
"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."
"Me ha sosprendido la compresion que realiza el programa y si apreciar la calidad."
"The easy going workflow"
"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."
Pay once and you're all set
Already own Picmal? Add more Macs
How many Macs?
2 Macs is $10 more
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Convert, compress and edit images, video, audio and PDFs
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Everything runs on your Mac, nothing gets uploaded
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Use it on 1 Mac
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Command line tool, Raycast extension and watched folders
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Free updates forever, no subscription
14-day refund after you buy, no questions asked. Needs macOS 15 or later.
More than 10 Macs? Email me.
How does the license work?
You pay once and keep it. No renewals, no subscriptions. Your license activates on the number of Macs you bought it for, and you can move it to another Mac whenever you want. Prices are in USD, tax is added at checkout, and you pay through Stripe.
I bought Picmal and now I need more Macs. Can I upgrade?
Yes, and you only pay the difference. Going from 1 Mac to 2 is $10, 2 to 5 is $50, 5 to 10 is $60, and every other jump works the same way. Enter your license key here and the same key covers more Macs. The offer never expires, so starting small is never the wrong call.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Can't find what you're looking for? Email support@picmal.app
Is Picmal a good XnConvert alternative?
If you work with video and audio alongside images on a Mac, yes. XnConvert doesn't touch those. If you need 500+ image formats, 80+ editing actions, or the same app on Windows and Linux, XnConvert goes deeper on the image side.
Why pay for Picmal when XnConvert is free?
XnConvert is free and great at bulk image editing with 80+ actions. Picmal is $29 and adds video, audio, PDF tools, compression, Shortcuts, and a Finder right-click. XnConvert has none of those. If images are all you need and you want deep editing, stick with XnConvert.
Does XnConvert support more formats than Picmal?
For images, yes, by a lot. 500+ input formats against Picmal's 20+. But Picmal also handles video, audio, RAW decode, and PDFs, and XnConvert doesn't do any of those.
Can Picmal add watermarks like XnConvert?
Picmal watermarks video. XnConvert watermarks images. Neither does both. XnConvert goes further on image editing overall, with 80+ actions, filters, and full metadata editing, so for bulk image work it's the stronger tool.
Does Picmal work on Windows or Linux like XnConvert?
No. Picmal is Mac only. XnConvert 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.