A Video Converter for Mac That Works Offline
Picmal changes a video's file format locally on your Mac, so your files never upload. It converts between 100+ formats like MOV, MKV, AVI, and MP4, in batch, and works from Finder's right-click menu. You can try the full app free for 7 days.
$29 once, updates included. No account, no subscription, works offline. Need 2, 5 or 10 Macs?
How to convert video on your Mac, without the web
MP4 (H.264) plays on every device, browser, and editor. Pick your source format below.
Video to GIF, audio and web formats
Turn clips into shareable GIFs, extract audio, or re-encode for the web.
How fast is it?
| File type | Before | After | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-minute 1080p MOV to MP4 | 691.5 MB | 357 MB | 68 s |
| Same video compressed to 720p | 691.5 MB | 203 MB | 33 s |
I timed it on my own Mac, an Apple M3 with 16 GB, with Picmal 2.0 and its default settings. The video is Big Buck Bunny in 1080p, free to download, so you can run the same file yourself. The MP4 is re-encoded, which is why it comes out at half the size. The method is in the media converter comparison.
What makes a good video converter for Mac?
Format support
Picmal reads and writes MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, HEVC, and more. It handles files from cameras, drones, and the web, converting them to the format you need.
Batch conversion
Drag a folder of videos into Picmal and it processes them all sequentially.
Speed and local processing
All conversion happens on your Mac. No waiting for uploads or downloads, and it works offline. Your videos never leave your computer.
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How to convert MKV to MP4 on Mac
MKV won't play on your Mac? Convert MKV to MP4 with Picmal, HandBrake, VLC, or FFmpeg. Handle multiple audio and subtitle tracks, batch a folder, no upload.
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How to convert HEVC to MP4 on Mac
Convert HEVC (H.265) video to a widely compatible MP4 on your Mac. Four methods compared: Picmal, HandBrake, VLC, and FFmpeg, with quality and batch tips.
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How to convert video with VLC on Mac
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.
Extract the audio from a video
Pull the sound out of an MP4 or a MOV and save it as MP3, M4A or WAV.
Audio converter for Mac
Same drag-and-drop, for FLAC, M4A, WAV and MP3 files.
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 more
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Convert, compress and edit images, video, audio and PDFs
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Everything runs on your Mac, nothing gets uploaded
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Use it on 1 Mac
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Command line tool, Raycast extension and watched folders
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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
Which video formats can Picmal convert?
Picmal reads and writes MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, M4V, MPG/MPEG, HEVC, FLV, WMV, 3GP, M2TS/MTS, VOB, TS and more, and can extract audio to MP3 or turn clips into GIFs. It uses H.264, H.265 (HEVC), VP9, and AV1.
Can Picmal compress videos, not just convert them?
Yes. Picmal exposes a CRF quality slider, encoding-speed presets, codec choice, and frame-rate control, and shows an estimated output size before you encode, so you can shrink a video to a target size with predictable quality.
Is there a file-size limit or watermark?
No. Unlike online converters, Picmal runs entirely on your Mac. No upload limits, no queues, no watermark on the output. Process files of any size, fully offline. Your videos never touch a server.
Can I batch convert a folder of videos?
Yes. Drag in multiple videos or a whole folder and Picmal converts them all in one pass, each with its own progress.
Can Picmal burn subtitles into a video?
Yes. Attach an SRT or VTT file and Picmal renders the subtitles directly into the frames, so they play on any device with no separate subtitle track.
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.
Who made this, and when
By Alberto Gallego.