FileDial vs Preview
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
Preview comes free with macOS and already combines PDFs, fills and signs forms, annotates, password-protects, reduces PDF size and converts or resizes images, all on your Mac. FileDial adds 525 one-step tools from a dial in Finder, with batch runs, OCR, redaction, video and audio tools, for $20 once. Use Preview first; add FileDial when you need more control or volume.
At a glance
| FileDial | Preview | |
|---|---|---|
| Where files are processed | On your Mac, files are never uploaded | On your Mac |
| Price | $20 once, lifetime license for 2 Macs, 14-day refund | Free, built into macOS |
| Combine PDFs | Merge PDFs, by name, by date, with bookmarks | Yes, by dragging pages in the sidebar |
| Sign and fill forms | Place signature…, Fill form…, Sign with certificate… | Yes |
| Reduce PDF size | Light, standard, strong, or to a target size | Reduce File Size export filter |
| Password protect | Sign & Lock › Add password… | Yes |
| Image convert and resize | Many formats, size targets, social presets | Yes, export and resize |
| OCR to searchable PDF | OCR › Make searchable | Not listed in Preview's guide |
| Batch processing | Yes, select many files and run one tool on all | Some tasks on multiple open images |
| Video and audio | 134 video and 84 audio tools | No |
Details about Preview come from its own website and documentation, checked 2026-11-09. Prices and features change; check the source links below.
About Preview
Apple's built-in Mac app for viewing, annotating and exporting PDFs and images.
Platforms: Mac (included with macOS). Price: Free with macOS. Where files are processed: On your Mac, as a built-in app.
Choose Preview if
- You merge, sign or annotate the odd PDF and Preview does the job.
- You want to spend nothing; it is already on your Mac.
- You prefer to see pages while you arrange them by hand.
Choose FileDial if
- You need a PDF under a specific size, like Compress › Email-safe (under 20 MB).
- You run the same job on dozens or hundreds of files.
- You need OCR, real redaction, Bates numbers or PDF to Word.
- You also handle video, audio, archives and spreadsheets.
What Preview already does well
Before paying for anything, check Preview. Apple's guide covers combining PDFs, annotating PDFs and images, filling out and signing forms, password-protecting a PDF, reducing a PDF's size, converting image file types, resizing and rotating images, and removing an image's background. It is free, fast and private, because everything happens on your Mac.
For a few files a month, Preview is often all you need, and FileDial's own task pages say so.
Where FileDial helps
FileDial is for when Preview's options run out. Preview's Reduce File Size filter has no levels; FileDial offers Compress › Compress PDF (light), Compress › Compress PDF, Compress › Compress PDF (strong) and Compress › Compress to size…, all keeping text selectable. Jobs Preview's guide does not list include OCR › Make searchable, Convert › PDF to Word, Sign & Lock › Burn in redactions, Pages › Add page numbers and Organize › Split by ranges…
Batches are the other difference. Select 300 photos and run Convert › Convert to JPG; on a MacBook that took 5 seconds. Results go beside the originals with Undo, and recipes chain steps such as Convert to JPG then Remove location. FileDial costs $20 once after a 1-day trial.
Questions
Can Preview compress a PDF?
Yes. Apple's guide explains reducing a PDF's size in Preview using the Reduce File Size option when exporting. FileDial adds levels and size targets such as Compress › Compress under 10 MB.
Is Preview private?
Yes. Preview is a built-in Mac app and works on your Mac. FileDial is also local: every tool runs on the Mac and files are never uploaded.
Do I need FileDial if I have Preview?
Not for occasional merging, signing or image export. FileDial earns its $20 when you need batches, OCR, redaction, size targets or video and audio tools.