The Zipic alternative that does more than images
Zipic compresses images, and only images. If your folder also has video, audio, and PDFs in it, Picmal handles all of them for $29. Files never leave your Mac.
$29was $29 now $14.50 once, updates included. No account, no subscription, works offline. Need 2, 5 or 10 Macs?
TL;DR Picmal vs Zipic
Zipic is a focused image compressor with some clever touches, clipboard auto-compress and dropping files on the notch. Picmal ($29, pay once) compresses images too, and adds format conversion, video, audio, PDF tools, and light editing, for about the same price.
- Pick Picmal if
- Your work isn't only images. You've got video to shrink, audio to convert, PDFs to merge, and you'd rather buy one app than four.
- Pick Zipic if
- You compress images all day, nothing else, and you want the deepest set of image-specific controls. Or you're on macOS 13 and can't upgrade yet.
Picmal vs Zipic at a glance
Zipic is an image compressor. Picmal converts, compresses, and edits images, video, audio, and PDFs. Both are native Mac apps, both run fully offline, both handle batches.
| Feature | Picmal | Zipic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 one-time | $29.99 one-time, 2 devices |
| What it's for | Convert, compress & edit | Image compression |
| Privacy | 100% offline | 100% offline |
| Image formats | JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, JXL, GIF, TIFF, and more | 12 image formats |
| Image conversion | Yes | Yes |
| Video | Convert & compress | No |
| Audio | Convert & compress | No |
| PDF support | Compress, merge, split, images to PDF | Compression only |
| Resize | Yes | Yes |
| Watermark | Yes, on video | No |
| Metadata removal | Yes | Yes |
| Folder monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Shortcuts integration | Yes | Yes |
| Raycast extension | Yes | Yes |
| Finder right-click | Yes | Yes |
| Command line | Yes | No |
| Try before you buy | 7-day trial, plus a 14-day refund | 7-day trial, then 25 images a day |
| macOS | 15+ | 13+ |
From the people
who use it
"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 more2 Macs is $5 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.
Upgrades, new Macs and discounts are in the FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
Something I missed? Email support@picmal.app, it comes straight to me.
Is Picmal a good Zipic alternative?
If you only ever compress images, Zipic is a fine app and does that job well. Picmal covers images, video, audio, and PDFs in one place, converting and compressing both, for $29. If your files aren't all images, Picmal is the better fit.
Does Picmal compress images as well as Zipic?
Yes. Picmal compresses JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, AVIF, GIF, TIFF, and more, in batches, with quality control. Zipic is tuned specifically for image compression and has more knobs for that one job. Picmal trades a bit of that depth for handling video, audio, and PDFs too.
How much does Picmal cost compared to Zipic?
Picmal is $29 for one Mac or $39 for two, paid once, updates included. Zipic's personal license is $29.99 one-time for 2 devices. Neither is a subscription, which is a nice thing to be able to say about two Mac apps in 2026.
Does Zipic handle video and audio?
No. Zipic is images only. Picmal converts and compresses video (MP4, MOV, MKV, and more) and audio (MP3, WAV, FLAC, and more), plus PDF compress, merge, and split.
Does Picmal have Raycast and Shortcuts integration like Zipic?
Yes. Picmal has a Raycast extension with Convert Files, Compress Files, Combine PDFs, and Images to PDF, plus Apple Shortcuts actions, Finder right-click, folder monitoring, and a command line tool.
Do my images get uploaded anywhere?
No. Both apps process everything locally on your Mac. No uploads, no account, no servers.
What if Picmal doesn't work for me?
Email support@picmal.app within 14 days and I'll send the money back, no questions asked.
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.