# Permute vs Picmal: Which Mac Media Converter Is Better?

> Comparing Permute 3 and Picmal for image, video, and audio conversion on Mac. Features, pricing, format support, and which one fits your workflow.

Source: https://picmal.app/blog/permute-vs-picmal

Permute and Picmal both convert media files on Mac. Drag in files, pick an output format, done. Picmal bets on image formats and compression control. Permute bets on video, with trimming, merging and subtitles. Which one fits depends on what you're converting.

## Quick comparison

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th></th>
      <th>Picmal</th>
      <th>Permute 3</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Image formats</strong></td>
      <td>40+ (JPEG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC, TIFF, JPEG XL, PSD, RAW, SVG, PDF, ICO, EXR, and more)</td>
      <td>Common formats (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, GIF, BMP, WebP, HEIF)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Video formats</strong></td>
      <td>20+ (MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, HEVC, FLV, etc.)</td>
      <td>Similar range (MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, etc.)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Audio formats</strong></td>
      <td>20+ (MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OGG, Opus, etc.)</td>
      <td>Common formats (MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OGG, etc.). See the <a href="/audio-converter-mac">audio converter for Mac</a>.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Image compression</strong></td>
      <td>Yes, with quality slider per format</td>
      <td>Basic (via preset quality levels)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Image resizing</strong></td>
      <td>Yes, during conversion</td>
      <td>Yes, with presets</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Batch processing</strong></td>
      <td>Yes, preserves folder structure</td>
      <td>Yes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Offline</strong></td>
      <td>Yes, fully offline</td>
      <td>Yes, fully offline</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Video editing</strong></td>
      <td>No</td>
      <td>Basic (trim, merge)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Price</strong></td>
      <td>$29, one-time</td>
      <td>$14.99, one-time (or Setapp)</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

## Where Picmal is better

### Format breadth for images

This is the biggest gap between the two. Picmal supports 40+ image formats, including ones Permute doesn't touch: JPEG XL, AVIF, EXR (HDR/VFX), DDS (game textures), PSD, and RAW files from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Fujifilm cameras. If your workflow goes beyond JPEG/PNG/WebP, Picmal handles it without a second app.

### Compression control

Picmal gives you a quality slider per format. Set JPEG to 80%, WebP to 75%, PNG to maximum compression. You control the file size / quality tradeoff directly. Permute has presets but less granular control over image compression.

### Folder structure preservation

Drag a folder tree into Picmal and the output mirrors the structure: `photos/trip/day1/` stays `photos/trip/day1/` with converted files. Matters for large libraries and CMS uploads. Permute flattens everything into a single output folder.

### Metadata stripping

Picmal has a one-click option to strip EXIF data (GPS coordinates, camera info, timestamps) during conversion. Useful for privacy or reducing file size. Permute doesn't have a dedicated metadata stripping feature for images.

## Where Permute is better

### Video editing features

Permute includes basic video editing: trim clips, merge multiple videos, adjust resolution and bitrate. If you need to cut a video before converting, you can do it in the same app. Picmal converts video formats but doesn't offer editing.

### Established ecosystem

Permute has been around longer and has a bigger user base. It's on Setapp, so you might already have access.

### Subtitle handling

Permute can extract, embed, and convert subtitles in video files. If you work with subtitled video content, this is a genuine advantage.

## The verdict

**Choose Picmal if** your work is image-heavy. If you deal with HEIC, AVIF, WebP, RAW, or JPEG XL, Picmal's format coverage is significantly broader. The compression control and folder structure preservation also make it better for bulk image work.

**Choose Permute if** your work is video-heavy and you need basic editing (trimming, merging) alongside conversion. Saves you from opening a separate app for simple cuts.

**If you do both:** $29 and $14.99, and you own both outright, with no subscription on either. Use Picmal for images, Permute for video editing.

<a href="https://picmal.app" target="_blank">Try Picmal →</a>

## FAQ

### Can Permute convert HEIC to JPG?

Yes, Permute handles HEIC to JPG conversion, and so does Picmal. The gap shows up with less common formats like AVIF, JPEG XL, EXR, PSD, and RAW, which Picmal supports and Permute doesn't.

### Is Permute or Picmal faster?

For video conversion, performance is similar. Both use hardware-accelerated encoding on Apple Silicon. For image conversion, Picmal is tuned for large batches (hundreds of files at once), while Permute handles smaller ones well. In practice, you won't notice the speed difference on most jobs.

### Do either of these apps upload files to the internet?

No. Both Permute and Picmal process everything locally on your Mac. Nothing is uploaded, no account is needed, and neither app phones home with your data. Both work fully offline.