Online vs offline file converters
An online converter needs the file uploaded to its server, processes it there, and sends the result back for you to download. An offline converter, such as FileMate on a Mac, processes the file where it already is. Online tools are handy on a device you don’t control or once in a while. For regular work on a Mac, local conversion is the cleaner workflow: no upload, no download, and the file stays on your computer.
With FileMate, your files never leave your computer.
The local workflow with FileMate
- Right-click the file in Finder.
- Choose FileMate and the action: convert, compress or merge.
- Done. The result is next to the original.
The two workflows, step by step
Online converter
- Find a converter website.
- Upload the file and wait for the upload.
- The service processes it on its server.
- Download the result.
- Find the download, rename it, move it where it belongs.
FileMate
- Right-click the file.
- Choose the FileMate action.
- The result is already next to the original.
Compared
| Online converter | FileMate | |
|---|---|---|
| The file leaves your computer | Yes | No |
| Upload and download | Every time | Never |
| Large files | Limited by upload speed and the site’s size limits | Limited only by your Mac |
| Works offline | No | Yes, after a one-time activation |
| Several files at once | Varies; free tiers often limit it | Yes |
| Privacy of the file | Up to the service’s policies | Stays on your Mac |
| Installation | None | One app, macOS 14 or later |
| Works on any device | Yes | Macs only |
| Cost | Often free with limits; some are paid | One-time purchase |
When an online converter is the better choice
- You’re on a computer that isn’t yours and can’t install anything.
- You need a format FileMate doesn’t handle.
- It’s a one-off, the file isn’t sensitive, and it’s small.
When local is the better choice
- Sensitive files. There is no reason to upload a contract, an ID scan or a client file just to change its format or size.
- Large files. A 2 GB video has to be uploaded in full before an online converter can start, and downloaded again after.
- Regular work. Doing it every week turns five steps into one.
- Batches. Fifty photos in one right-click, not fifty uploads.
What FileMate handles
PDFs (compress, merge, create), images (convert, compress), Word, Excel and PowerPoint (to PDF), video (compress to MP4, extract audio, merge) and audio (compress, merge). Everything runs on the Mac.
Get FileMate
If you convert a file once every six months, a website may be enough. If you compress, convert or merge files on your Mac every week, FileMate removes the upload, the download and the waiting.
Normal price €9.99, now €4.99 incl. VAT
One payment, no subscription. macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.