The best CloudConvert alternative for Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
For a Mac user who wants CloudConvert's range without uploading files or counting credits, FileDial is the closest replacement: 525 tools that convert video, audio, images, PDFs, documents and archives on the Mac, with Wi-Fi off, for $20 once. If you only convert now and then, CloudConvert's 10 free credits a day, or Preview and HandBrake, may be enough.
Why people look for a CloudConvert alternative
- Every job is an upload and a download. CloudConvert handles this carefully, but a 2 GB video still has to cross your connection twice.
- Credits run out. The free tier is 10 credits a day, and conversions typically cost 1 credit per minute of processing plus a base cost, with Office to PDF at 2 and PDF to Office at 4.
- Free conversions stop at 5 minutes of processing time and 1 GB per file, which long videos can exceed.
- Some files should not leave the building at all, however short the retention. Contracts, IDs and client work are easier to defend when nothing was uploaded.
About CloudConvert: A cloud conversion service from Lunaweb GmbH, used in the browser or through a developer API. Platforms: Any web browser; REST API for any platform. Price: Free: 10 conversion credits per day, 1 GB max file size, 5 minutes max processing time, 5 concurrent tasks. Paid: one-time credit packages (credits never expire), monthly credit subscriptions, and Enterprise. Prices are set with a slider on the pricing page (shown in EUR).. Where files are processed: Uploaded and processed in the geographical region you select, on AWS and other ISO 27001 certified data centers; files are deleted immediately after processing.
Every CloudConvert tool, and its FileDial equivalent
| CloudConvert | FileDial (offline) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MOV to MP4 | Convert › Convert to MP4 | Saves a new MP4 beside the original |
| MP4 to WebM | Convert › Convert to WebM | New copy beside the original |
| MP4 to MP3 | Audio › Extract audio as MP3 | Pulls the soundtrack out of a video as MP3 |
| WAV to MP3 | Convert › Convert to MP3 | Audio to MP3, new copy beside the original |
| MP3 to FLAC | Convert › Convert to FLAC | New copy beside the original |
| HEIC to JPG | Convert › Convert to JPG | Photo to JPG, new copy beside the original |
| PNG to WebP | Convert › Convert to WebP | Animated GIFs stay animated; metadata is not kept |
| JPG to AVIF | Convert › Convert to AVIF | New copy beside the original |
| PDF to DOCX | Convert › PDF to Word | Keeps paragraphs, fonts, tables and pictures; scans are OCRed |
| PDF to XLSX | Convert › PDF to Excel | One sheet per page, numbers stay numbers |
| DOCX to PDF | To PDF › Convert to PDF | Uses Pages or Word when installed, otherwise a built-in layout |
| PDF to JPG | Convert › PDF to JPG | One JPG per page at 150 dpi |
| XLSX to CSV | Convert › Convert to CSV | One CSV per sheet, values only |
| Archive converter (to ZIP) | Convert › Convert to ZIP | Turns an archive into a ZIP beside the original |
| Optimize PDF | Compress › Compress PDF | Images at 144 dpi, text stays selectable |
| Website screenshot | Convert › Web page screenshot | Full-page PNG, 1280 px wide; the page itself loads online |
What FileDial does not replace:
- A developer API, SDKs and a CLI for building conversions into your own app or pipeline. FileDial has no API.
- Use from any operating system or a locked-down work computer through a browser. FileDial runs only on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 14 or later.
- Formats outside FileDial's list, and import from or export to cloud storage such as Amazon S3.
Details about CloudConvert come from its own website, checked 2026-11-09. FileDial tool names match the app exactly.
The best CloudConvert alternatives for Mac
1. FileDial
FileDial is our app, so weigh this pick accordingly. It covers the same everyday jobs as CloudConvert from a dial in Finder: Convert › Convert to MP4 for video, Convert › Convert to MP3 for audio, Convert › Convert to JPG and Convert › Convert to WebP for photos, Convert › PDF to Word for documents. Every tool runs on the Mac with Wi-Fi off, and on a MacBook a batch of 300 photos converted in 5 seconds.
- No upload, no credits, no per-file limit
- One app for media, PDFs, documents and archives
- Batches from Finder, with Undo on every result
- Not free after the 1-day trial
- Needs macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
- Mac only, no web, Windows or API version
2. HandBrake
HandBrake is an open-source video transcoder for Mac, Windows and Linux that converts most common video files to MP4, MKV or WebM, with crop, resize and subtitle options. It handles video only, cannot join clips and does not work with DRM-protected files.
- Free on Mac, Windows and Linux
- Deep quality controls and presets
- Good for large video batches
- Video only
- Many settings to learn
3. Preview and Finder Quick Actions (built into macOS)
Preview exports images to HEIC, JPEG, JPEG-2000, OpenEXR, PDF, PNG and TIFF, and can convert several at once from one window. In Finder, the Convert Image and Create PDF Quick Actions work on selected files without opening an app.
- Already installed
- Works on selections in Finder
- Free
- Images and PDFs only
- Few options
4. LibreOffice
LibreOffice is a free office suite for macOS 11 or newer on Intel or Apple silicon. Opening a document and exporting it in another format, such as a Word file to PDF, is a common free way to convert documents offline.
- Free
- Opens and saves many document formats
- Exports PDF
- One document at a time through the interface
- Large install for occasional use
Why FileDial is the closest match
People use CloudConvert because it is one place for almost any conversion. The replacement worth installing should be just as broad, or you end up with five apps. FileDial is the only pick here that converts video, audio, photos, PDFs, office documents, spreadsheets, subtitles and archives in one app, and it runs all 525 tools on the Mac.
It is not a like-for-like swap in every respect. CloudConvert is a service for developers as much as for people: its API turns conversions into import, convert and export tasks. If that is how you use it, keep it. FileDial is for the person who opens a browser tab, drops a file in and waits.
How to do your usual CloudConvert job in FileDial
The most common CloudConvert task is a one-off format change, such as an iPhone video to MP4. Here is the same job in FileDial.
- Select one or more videos in Finder.
- Hold the right Option key; the dial opens at the pointer.
- Move to the Convert category on the inner ring, then release on Convert to MP4 on the outer ring.
- The MP4 is saved beside the original, and a result card shows the size before and after. Undo removes it if you change your mind.
Credits versus a fixed price
CloudConvert's pricing page says unused package credits never expire, while subscription credits reset monthly and do not roll over. That is a fair model for occasional use and for API traffic you can forecast. For someone converting large batches every week, a cost per minute of processing time is harder to predict.
FileDial has one price: after a 1-day trial with every tool unlocked and no card, it is $20 once for 2 Macs, with a 14-day refund. There is no daily quota and no per-file charge, so converting 300 photos costs the same as converting one.
When to stay with CloudConvert
Stay if you need the API, if you work on Windows, Linux or a Chromebook, if your files already live in S3, or if you convert rare formats FileDial does not list. CloudConvert's security page also says its parent company holds ISO 27001 certification, which may matter to a procurement team. FileDial makes no compliance claims; its promise is simpler: the file never leaves your Mac.
Questions
Is there an offline version of CloudConvert?
No. CloudConvert is a cloud service used in the browser or through its API, and files are processed on its servers in the region you choose. For offline conversion on a Mac, FileDial runs every tool with Wi-Fi off; free offline options include HandBrake for video, Preview for images and LibreOffice for documents.
Does CloudConvert keep my files?
Its security page says files are processed only in the selected geographical region and deleted immediately afterwards, and that it offers no permanent storage. That is better than many converters. FileDial avoids the question entirely, because files are never uploaded: every result is written beside the original on your Mac.
How many free conversions does CloudConvert give?
Its pricing page lists 10 conversion credits per day, a 1 GB maximum file size, 5 minutes of processing time and 5 concurrent tasks on the free plan. A simple conversion uses at least 1 credit, Office to PDF uses 2 and PDF to Office uses 4, so the number of files varies by type.
Can FileDial replace the CloudConvert API?
Not as an API. FileDial has no developer API. It does automate repeat work on the Mac: recipes chain tools, for example Convert to JPG then Remove location, and watched folders run a recipe on anything dropped into a folder. For server-side or in-app conversion, CloudConvert's API remains the better fit.
Is CloudConvert free on a Mac?
Yes, within the free tier, in any Mac browser with no install. Heavier use needs a credit package or subscription. FileDial costs $20 once after a 1-day trial, and Preview, QuickTime Player and the Music app already on your Mac handle some conversions for free.