What's new in v1.8.1

Compress video on your Mac without losing quality

Shrink MP4, MOV, MKV and more with a quality slider and a live size estimate. Make a clip small enough to email, or batch-compress a whole folder. Offline, no watermark, no upload limit.

Buy for Mac Download

How to compress a video on your Mac

1

Drop your video

Drag in one clip or a whole folder of videos.

2

Set quality & codec

Pick a CRF level and codec (H.264/H.265). Watch the size estimate update live.

3

Compress

Click Compress. Everything runs on your Mac.

Real control over the trade-off

CRF quality slider

0–51 scale. CRF 18–20 is visually lossless; push higher for smaller files when you need them.

Modern codecs

H.264 for compatibility, H.265/HEVC for ~50% smaller files, VP9 and AV1 for the web.

Frame-rate reduction

Drop 60 fps to 30 fps to shrink screen recordings and tutorials that don't need cinematic motion.

Size estimate first

See the projected output size before you encode, perfect for hitting an email or upload limit.

Need to convert video formats too? See the video converter

When you actually need this

Modern phones and cameras produce enormous files. A two-minute 4K clip can be over 1 GB. Most of the time you just need it small enough to send or store.

It won't fit in an email

Gmail and most providers cap attachments around 25 MB. Drop the CRF and resolution until the live size estimate fits, then send.

Upload limits and slow uploads

Discord, Slack, and form uploads reject big files or crawl. A smaller H.265 file uploads in a fraction of the time.

Screen recordings

Tutorials and demos don't need 60 fps or full resolution. Halving both can shrink a recording by 80% with no real loss.

Reclaiming disk space

Old vacation clips eating your SSD? Re-encode to H.265 and cut the file size roughly in half.

Related tools

Guide: how to compress a video on Mac (5 ways) → Convert video formats (MOV to MP4, and more) → Compress images on Mac → Compress audio on Mac → All compression options →

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). "

Rob H, Picmal user
Rob H

"Picmal is an excellent way to manage file conversion and compression jobs of any size. There are other apps that accomplish something similar, but the simplicity and speed with which you can manage batch conversion and compression with Picmal sets it apart and makes it worth checking out."

MacStories

" 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."

Ian, Picmal user
Ian

"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."

Charles Willson, Picmal user
Charles Willson

"I convert MP4s to MP3s almost every day. Picmal makes it stupidly simple , and I haven't touched a sketchy online converter since."

Rubens Nook, Picmal user
Rubens Nook YouTube Creator

"I love how Picmal's made compressing videos a frictionless, easy and straightforward ."

George, Picmal user
George

"Everything works as expected - great app! "

Anthony Nguyen, Picmal user
Anthony Nguyen

"The program is very simple and practical , and its options are clear."

Abadi, Picmal user
Abadi

"Easy to use, automation & batch processing . AVIF & Webp support"

Sem, Picmal user
Sem

"The easy going workflow "

Markus, Picmal user
Markus

" 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!"

Trevor, Picmal user
Trevor

"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

"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."

Joel, Picmal user
Joel

"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 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 :) "

Adam L, Picmal user
Adam L

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

Marynes, Picmal user
Marynes

"Working on a presentation and had to convert and resize a lot of images. Picmal did them all in a flash ."

Henry Halem, Picmal user
Henry Halem

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

@imnogeekAJ, Picmal user
@imnogeekAJ

"Picmal is simple and fast but also integrates complex workloads if needed."

Aj, Picmal user
Aj

"keep up the great work! Very cool tool you've built here."

J Koh, Picmal user
J Koh

"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!"

Marie-Theres, Picmal user
Marie-Theres

"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

"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."

Yiannis, Picmal user
Yiannis

"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 ."

Andy Cockill, Picmal user
Andy Cockill

" Thoughtful, polished, and constantly improving . Alberto genuinely listens to feedback, and it shows in Picmal. Easy 5 stars."

Daniel Hewitt, Picmal user
Daniel Hewitt

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

limboy, Picmal user
limboy

"Me ha sosprendido la compresion que realiza el programa y si apreciar la calidad."

Carlos, Picmal user
Carlos

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

Alessandro Bonini, Picmal user
Alessandro Bonini

"Picmal is complete. The quality is good, and it does exactly what I need ."

Gianfri, Picmal user
Gianfri

"Great app! Simple and easy to use ."

Beckett R, Picmal user
Beckett R

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.

Select number of devices

$15.99 / once
  • 1 device

    (1 seat)

  • Convert & compress images, videos, audio

  • Batch processing for multiple files

  • Tools like merging audios/PDFs, and organising pages.

  • Works offline, no data leaves your Mac

  • Free updates included

Buy for Mac

Prices in USD. VAT may apply. Secure payment via Stripe.

How does the license work?

You pay once and keep it. No renewals, no subscriptions. The license activates on one Mac at a time, but you can move it between machines whenever you want.

How many devices can I use Picmal on?

Depends on the tier you pick: 1, 2, 3, or 5 Macs. You can swap between machines anytime.

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.

Can I get a refund?

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Something not covered here? Write to support@picmal.app

How do I compress a video on my Mac?

Open Picmal, drag your video in (or a whole folder), pick a quality level and codec, and click Compress. A live size estimate shows how small it will be before you export, and everything runs on your Mac with no upload.

How much can Picmal shrink a video?

It depends on the source and your settings, but 50–80% is common. Switching to H.265 (HEVC) alone cuts size roughly in half versus H.264 at the same quality, and lowering the CRF, resolution, or frame rate shrinks it further.

Does compressing a video lose quality?

Only as much as you choose. Picmal uses a CRF quality slider. At CRF 18–20 the result is visually lossless. Picmal also shows an estimated output size before you encode, so you can dial in the size/quality trade-off without guessing.

Can I compress a video to send by email?

Yes. Most email providers cap attachments around 25 MB. Lower the CRF, drop the resolution, or reduce the frame rate and watch the live size estimate until your clip fits, then export.

Which video formats can Picmal compress?

MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WebM, M4V, MPG, HEVC, FLV, WMV, 3GP, M2TS/MTS, VOB, TS and more. You can keep the same container or switch it while compressing.

Can I batch compress multiple videos?

Yes. Drop multiple videos or a whole folder into Picmal and compress them all with the same settings in one pass.

Is there an upload, watermark, or size limit?

No. Picmal compresses entirely on your Mac. No uploads, no queues, no watermark, and no file-size cap. It's a one-time $15.99, not a subscription.