What's new in v1.8.4

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

"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.

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 $39, not a subscription.