FreeConvert alternatives for Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
FreeConvert's free plan gives 20 conversion minutes a day, 5 per file, and stores uploads on AWS in Ireland for 8 hours. On a Mac, FileDial does the same converting and compressing locally with no minute counter, for $20 once. For free local options, HandBrake handles video and Preview handles images.
Why people look for a FreeConvert alternative
- Conversion minutes are a meter: 20 a day free, and a single long video can use the 5-minute per-file cap.
- Its homepage lists a 1 GB maximum file size before upgrading, and the top fixed plan stops at 5 GB.
- Uploaded files sit on AWS in Ireland for up to 8 hours unless you delete them manually.
- Compressing video is one of its most popular jobs, and video is the slowest thing to upload.
About FreeConvert: A browser-based converter supporting more than 1,500 conversions, with compressors, video, image and PDF tools, and an API. Platforms: Any web browser; API with keys and webhooks. Price: Free: 20 conversion minutes per day (web and API), up to 5 minutes per file. Basic US$12.99/mo (1,500 minutes, 1.5 GB files), Standard US$24.99/mo (2,000 minutes, 2 GB), Pro US$29.99/mo (4,000 minutes, 5 GB); yearly billing advertised as 2 months free; Scale on demand.. Where files are processed: Uploaded and stored with Amazon Web Services (S3) in Ireland; uploaded files are automatically and permanently deleted after 8 hours, or sooner if you delete them.
Every FreeConvert tool, and its FileDial equivalent
| FreeConvert | FileDial (offline) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Video converter (MOV to MP4) | Convert › Convert to MP4 | New MP4 beside the original |
| Video compressor | Compress › Compress by percentage… | Smaller video copy by the percentage you choose |
| Video compressor (target size) | Compress › Compress under 25 MB | New copy beside the original |
| MP3 converter | Convert › Convert to MP3 | New copy beside the original |
| MP3 compressor | Compress › Compress to 128 kbps | Smaller audio copy at 128 kbps |
| Image converter (WebP to JPG) | Convert › Convert to JPG | New copy beside the original |
| Image compressor | Compress › Compress under 1 MB | New copy beside the original |
| PDF compressor | Compress › Compress PDF (strong) | Images at 96 dpi, text stays selectable |
| GIF maker (video to GIF) | Convert › Make a GIF | New GIF beside the original |
| GIF compressor | Compress › Optimize GIF to size… | Fewer colors, frames or pixels until it fits |
| Crop video | Frame › Crop to 9:16 (vertical) | New copy beside the original |
| Trim video | Cut › Trim… | New copy beside the original |
| Merge PDF | Combine › Merge PDFs | One new PDF in selection order |
| Split PDF | Organize › Split every page | One PDF per page |
| Protect PDF | Sign & Lock › Add password… | New protected copy beside the original |
| Archive converter (to ZIP) | Convert › Convert to ZIP | New copy beside the original |
What FileDial does not replace:
- Use on Windows, Linux, Chromebooks and phones through a browser. FileDial is a Mac app.
- A conversion API with webhooks for developers, and unit and time converters.
- Fine-grained codec settings in the browser. FileDial's video tools are presets such as Compress to 720p rather than encoder controls.
Details about FreeConvert come from its own website, checked 2026-11-09. FileDial tool names match the app exactly.
The best FreeConvert alternatives for Mac
1. FileDial
FileDial is our app. It covers FreeConvert's three big menus on the Mac: Convert (Convert › Convert to MP4, Convert › Convert to MP3), Compress (Compress › Compress under 25 MB, Compress › Compress PDF (strong)) and editing tools such as Cut › Trim… On a MacBook a 366 MB 1080p video compressed to 720p in 23 seconds, 117 MB out, with no upload.
- No minutes, no per-file time cap
- Size targets for video, images and PDFs
- Works with Wi-Fi off
- 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. FFmpeg
FFmpeg's command-line tool converts multimedia files between formats and runs on Mac, Windows, Linux and more. It is the most flexible free option for audio and video, at the cost of learning its syntax.
- Handles nearly any audio or video format
- Scriptable for repeat jobs
- Free
- Command line only
- Media only
4. 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
How FreeConvert's minutes add up
FreeConvert charges in conversion minutes, the processing time your files use. Its pricing page gives free users 20 minutes a day across web and API, and up to 5 minutes per file. Paid plans sell monthly blocks: 1,500 minutes on Basic at US$12.99, 2,000 on Standard at US$24.99 and 4,000 on Pro at US$29.99.
For documents and photos the free tier goes a long way. Video is different, because transcoding is what eats processing time, and compressing video is exactly what many people come to FreeConvert for.
Compressing a video in FileDial
Here is FreeConvert's video compressor job done locally, aimed at a typical upload limit.
- Select the video, or several, in Finder.
- Hold the right Option key and move to the Compress category.
- Release on Compress under 25 MB for an attachment, Compress to 720p for a resolution drop, or Compress to size… to type your own target.
- A smaller copy is saved beside the original, with the size before and after on the result card.
Where your file goes
FreeConvert is open about storage: its privacy policy says uploaded files are kept on Amazon S3 in Ireland and permanently deleted after 8 hours, and you can delete them sooner. Storage like this is only as safe as its configuration. In 2024 Cybernews reported that two other online PDF services left Amazon S3 storage open, exposing 89,062 user-uploaded files including passports and contracts. That was not FreeConvert, but it shows why fewer copies is the safer default.
With FileDial there is no copy to configure. The tools run on the Mac and the file stays where it was.
Free options worth knowing
HandBrake is the strongest free choice for video and gives more control than FileDial's presets. FFmpeg does everything from the command line if you are comfortable there. Preview converts and resizes images. If your needs are mostly occasional documents, FreeConvert's free tier may simply be enough.
Be honest about which camp you are in. If you convert a handful of small files a week and none of them are private, a browser tool with a free daily allowance is a reasonable choice. If you compress video every few days, work with client files, or often hit the 5-minute per-file cap, a one-time Mac app pays for itself quickly and removes the upload step entirely.
Questions
Is there an offline version of FreeConvert?
No. FreeConvert works in the browser and through its API, and files are uploaded to AWS in Ireland for processing. Offline Mac alternatives include FileDial for mixed file types, HandBrake and FFmpeg for video, and Preview for images. All of these run on the Mac without uploading anything.
How long does FreeConvert keep uploaded files?
FreeConvert's privacy policy says files uploaded to it are stored with Amazon Web Services in Ireland and are automatically and permanently deleted after 8 hours. You can also delete them manually before then. FileDial never uploads files, so there is no retention period to think about.
What happens when I run out of FreeConvert minutes?
The free plan includes 20 conversion minutes per day, so you wait for the next day or buy a plan with a monthly block of minutes, from 1,500 on Basic to 4,000 on Pro. FileDial has no usage meter: after the 1-day trial it is $20 once for 2 Macs.
Can FileDial compress video to a specific size?
Yes. Compress › Compress under 10 MB, Compress under 25 MB and Compress under 50 MB aim at common limits, and Compress › Compress to size… takes your own target. There are also resolution presets, Compress to 1080p, 720p and 480p. Each saves a new copy beside the original.