What's new in v1.8.4

The Zipic alternative that does more than images

Zipic compresses images, and it's good at it. If your folder also has video, audio, and PDFs in it, Picmal handles all of them for $39. Files never leave your Mac.

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TL;DR Picmal vs Zipic

Zipic is a focused image compressor with some genuinely clever touches, clipboard auto-compress and dropping files on the notch. Picmal ($39, pay once) compresses images too, and adds format conversion, video, audio, PDF tools, and light editing, for $10 more.

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.

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 $39 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 14-day refund, no questions 7-day trial, then 25 images a day
macOS 15+ 13+

Which one is right for you?

Here's where each one makes more sense.

Choose Picmal

Your files aren't only images

  • You also need to convert or compress video and audio
  • You work with PDFs and want to compress, merge, and split them
  • You'd rather pay once for every file type than for one
  • You automate things with Shortcuts, Raycast, or the terminal

Choose Zipic

Image compression is the whole job

  • You only ever touch images, never video, audio, or PDFs
  • You want the deepest set of image-specific compression controls
  • You're on macOS 13 and can't upgrade to 14 yet

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, for $30. Email support@picmal.app and I'll send you the link, then your existing key covers 5 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 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 $39. 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 $39, 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. That's the whole point of using a native app instead of a website.

What if Picmal doesn't work for me?

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