Video file compressor for Mac, no quality loss
Picmal is a video file compressor for Mac. It shrinks MP4, MOV, MKV and more on your own computer, so your video never uploads anywhere. Use the quality slider and live size estimate to fit an email limit, or batch compress a whole folder. Try it free for 7 days.
$29was $29 now $14.50 once, updates included. No account, no subscription, works offline. Need 2, 5 or 10 Macs?
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 and Picmal encodes the smaller file.
Pick the quality, codec and frame rate
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, so you know it fits an email or upload limit.
When a clip is too big
A two-minute 4K clip off a phone or camera can be over 1 GB. Here's where that size gets in the way.
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.
Old clips filling your SSD
Re-encode old vacation clips to H.265 and cut the file size roughly in half.
Related guides and tools
Guide
Guide: how to compress a video on Mac (5 ways)
Compress video on your Mac to email or upload it: Picmal, HandBrake, iMovie, QuickTime, and FFmpeg. Shrink MP4, MOV, and MKV by 50-80%.
Guide
How to compress video with HandBrake
A practical guide to HandBrake's compression settings: what RF really does, which encoder to pick, why your file sometimes gets bigger instead of smaller, and the four controls that change the size.
Guide
Converting video with VLC, and why it looks bad
VLC can convert video on a Mac for free. The exact menu path, the one setting that stops the output looking worse, and how to tell it has finished.
Guide
How to convert MOV to MP4 on Mac, 3 free ways
Convert MOV to MP4 on a Mac for free with iMovie, VLC or ffmpeg, and see why QuickTime can't do it. Often a lossless remux that takes seconds. Tested on macOS 27.
Convert video formats (MOV to MP4, and more)
Change the container or the codec. MOV, MP4, MKV, WebM and AVI, all on your Mac.
Compress audio on Mac
Bitrate, VBR or CBR, mono for a voice. Recordings without the bloat.
Compress images on Mac
Photos and screenshots batched down to something you can actually send.
All compression options
Every format Picmal compresses, a page each, with what it throws away.
Coming from HandBrake? Picmal vs HandBrake compared
Where HandBrake still wins, and where you would rather not fight a preset list.
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
-
Convert, compress and edit images, video, audio and PDFs
-
Everything runs on your Mac, nothing gets uploaded
-
Use it on 1 Mac
-
Command line tool, Raycast extension and watched folders
-
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 not covered here? Write to support@picmal.app
How do I compress a video file 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.
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.