Best Mac video converters of 2024: Maximize compatibility

Videos make up so much of the content we consume these days. Whether they’re for entertainment, interest, or education, videos are a part of our daily lives. But there’s nothing worse than sitting down to watch a video and realizing the file is in the wrong format for your device. This is why we’ve gathered together the best video converters for Mac.

Video converters take the hassle out of viewing video files, allowing users to get a version that works on even the most difficult of systems. This is great if you want to view a file on a device that only supports specific formats or if you intend to send the video to colleagues (who may all have different operating systems).

In this post, we list our favorite video converters for Mac users, give detailed reviews of each, and explain how to use them. But in case you’re in a rush and just want to know our top picks, here’s the list.

Are you a Windows user? Head over to our article dedicated to the best video converters for Windows.

How we selected the best video converters for Mac

A quick Google search will reveal plenty of video conversion tools, both free and paid. However, these vary greatly in terms of performance, features, and price. When deciding on the best video converters for Mac, we looked for tools that met the following criteria:

• Intuitive and easy for beginners to handle
• High-quality video output
• Fast file conversion
• Large selection of output formats
• Available for multiple operating systems
• Reasonably priced
• Doesn’t install additional software

Only those tools that measured up to these criteria made the list. So with that in mind let’s take a closer look at the video converters that impressed us.

Best video converters for Mac

Here’s our list of the best video converters for Mac:

1. VideoProc Converter AI

VideoProc Converter AI is the best video converter for MacOS. This impressive tool by Digiarty offers a free trial version, but you’ll have to pay an annual subscription fee to use it for any video longer than five minutes. Normally, these cost $38.90 USD per year or $78.90 for a lifetime license, though at the time of writing, these are on sale for $25.95 and $45.95, respectively.

Having to pay for conversion software isn’t all bad, though. It means you don’t have to contend with in-app ads and upsells, and you get advanced features you wouldn’t find in free converters. Plus, VideoProc Converter AI’s price tag is fairly low, and we definitely think it’s worth it.

Although VideoProc is lightweight, it doesn’t hold back on performance. GPU hardware acceleration means you get fast conversion speeds, plus video quality is excellent. This converter is especially popular with GoPro users as it has a few features that specifically enhance the GoPro conversion process. Deshake and denoise tools will help you immensely in quickly refining your raw footage. Additional tools include split, trim, slip, merge, and fisheye correction, among others. The latest version even includes a variety of AI-powered features like intelligent upscaling and stabilization.

Although the VideoProc feature has plenty of options, it’s very straightforward to navigate, making it suitable for beginners and advanced users. It can handle over 70 input formats, including MOV, MP4, MP3, and AVI, and offers a huge choice of pre-configured profiles. Need 4K conversions? No problem. In fact, VideoProc can even handle 8K resolution. This software also comes in a Windows version.

Price: You can try out VideoProc Converter AI for free (including the recording feature), but you can only convert five minutes’ worth of video at a time. At the time of writing, there’s a sale on, so you can try the full version on Mac for just $25.95 for the first year. You can also save at least 50% by using the below coupon on VideoProc Lifetime license (usually $78.90).

2. Allavsoft Video and Music Downloader

Allavsoft is first and foremost a video downloader, but it comes with robust conversion tools too. For starters, it allows you to download and quickly convert videos from virtually anywhere (Allavsoft is compatible with over 1,000 sites, such as YouTube, Daily Motion, and Spotify). It works with both video and audio, and a batch downloading option makes swift work of obtaining multiple files.

The Mac client isn’t as sleek as some of its counterparts, but it’s simple enough to navigate and has the option to switch languages. There are a dozen to choose from, including Portuguese, German, and Finnish.

The basic version of Allavsoft offers a good level of flexibility and is one of the best free video converters for Mac available. It lets you download up to five files and convert and merge any video shorter than five minutes. Allavsoft works with plenty of formats including WMV, MP4, AVI, MKV, and MOV. 4K video is supported.

This tool works as a video to audio converter and includes lots of preset profiles to help with this and other specific conversion tasks. Extras include a player for easy preview and playback and a screen recorder. Unfortunately, there are no editing options included except for the ability to merge clips.

Allavsoft is also available for Windows.

Price: The free tool could be a good fit for some but it sets limits on the number of downloads and length of conversions. A paid plan currently costs $19.99 (regularly $29.99) per month which is quite pricey. However, an annual plan is very reasonable at $29.99 (usually $49.99), and you can get a lifetime subscription for up to three devices for just $69.99 (usually $199.99). A 30-day money-back guarantee is included.

3. Wondershare UniConverter

Wondershare UniConverter is a premium video converting app. It offers a free trial, but this is rather limited, allowing you to convert only one-third of your video. You’ll have to upgrade to unlock the full suite of features and fastest conversion speeds. On the plus side, this service justifies its price in a ton of different ways.

Wondershare lets you choose from 35 video formats, including MOV, MP3, MPEG, and MP4, and can handle 4K conversions. If you don’t know what settings to use, not to worry, as there are more than 150 pre-configured device profiles to choose from.

There’s also lots of functionality built in. This easy-to-use service offers quick conversions, a video downloader, a screen recorder, and a disc burner. There’s also a new suite of AI-powered tools for editors that’ll let you change people’s voices, swap out backgrounds, and remove noise automatically.

Wondershare is a good option if you tend to switch devices because it’s available for Windows too.

Price: The Wondershare UniConverter free trial is limited so you’ll need to pay before you can really use the platform. A one-year license for one PC costs $49.99, with a two-year plan available for $69.99, and a lifetime license (for one PC) for $79.99. Other plans are available for families, businesses, students, and educators.

4. DivX Converter

DivX Converter offers both a functional free version and a paid option. However, the free offering aggressively tries to get you to upgrade. Additionally, when installing the software, you’ll be prompted to install other items, including Media Server, DivX Player, DivX Web Player, and Avast Antivirus. It’s easy, however, to opt out of these installations by unchecking their respective boxes.

So what do you get with each version? The free software is easy to use and provides a decent experience, with solid speeds, quality output, and up to 4K resolution. The one downside is you don’t have very many format options to choose from, although there are still more than a dozen, including MOV, MP3, AVI, and MP4. Additional formats come with the Pro version, along with better speeds, additional profiles, and more custom settings.

If you decide to upgrade, there are two ways to do so. Either select the Pro package, which gives you access to all additions, or buy individual features separately. These include a Video Pack (which lets you convert VC-1 and MPEG-2 files) and Cloud Connect (a feature that enables you to sync videos from Dropbox and Google Drive). There’s also a DTS-HD Plug-In, a DFX Audio Enhancer, and an option to eliminate ads.

DivX Converter is also available for Windows.

Price: Although the free version comes with ads and upsells, you’ll never have to pay a penny for it and it does work well. Add-on prices vary, but the full Pro version is currently half off at $19.99, which isn’t bad for a lifetime plan.

5. 4K Video Downloader

4K Video Downloader is a straightforward video download tool that has enough additional features to make its name misleadingly simple. Available for macOS 10.13 or later, this tool starts with an always-free option that does not restrict the size or quality of your video downloads.

The biggest boon to using 4K Video Downloader compared to other tools is not having to pay anything to download full videos in high-quality 4K (as the name suggests). The free option does have limits, though. These include how many single video downloads you can make in a day (30), the number of videos per playlist you can add (10), the number of videos per channel you can download (five), and the number of videos you can download simultaneously (just one).

As with other video converters, the speed of the conversion will depend on the video quality you use and your available bandwidth. For example, we were able to download a 1.5-hour movie from YouTube and convert it to 4K in under 5 minutes on a 140 Mbps connection.

Unfortunately, the available formats available through 4K Video Downloader are extremely limited. For video, you can download to MP4 or MKV. For audio, your only options are MP3, M4A, or OGG. What’s more, you cannot use this tool to convert videos you already have on your Mac into other file formats; it’s almost exclusively for downloading videos from online sources, with an emphasis on YouTube. On the plus side, if you’re looking to grab not just the video but also the subtitles, this tool can help.

Price: The company that produces 4K Video Downloader, Open Media OOO, also sells Personal ($15) and Pro ($45) licenses for the free tool. These are one-time payments that remove most of the limits (the simultaneous download cap is raised to three or seven) while also unlocking additional functionality, such as in-app YouTube channel subscriptions, high-quality audio for YouTube video downloads, simultaneous downloads, and an ad-free experience.

6. Aimersoft Video Converter Ultimate

Aimersoft provides a modern, intuitive interface that’s ideal for beginners. While it’s on the pricier side, it does provide very high-quality output and fast file conversion. As with most of these converters, you get what you pay for.

That being said, the selection of editing tools doesn’t match the offerings of some competitors. Features include dozens of video formats (including MP4, MP3, AVI, MOV, and MPEG), up to 4K resolution, and more than 125 preset profiles. You can burn to disc and download online video. Aimersoft is also available for Windows.

As with most paid options, you won’t have to deal with ads, upsells, or prompts to install additional software.

A free version of Aimersoft allows you to convert one-third of a video and download five files from the internet. It also lets you record videos from sites,  but the length is limited. The paid version gives you unlimited downloading and recording, faster video conversions, and the ability to transfer, compress, and burn video to disk. Perhaps more interestingly, it also offers the option to convert to VR-compatible formats.

Price: Aimersoft costs $39.95 for an annual subscription for one PC, or $49.95 for a lifetime subscription. This isn’t cheap, but it’s a slightly better deal than some others. Business plans are also available, which offer multiple subscriptions at a discounted rate.

7. iDealshare VideoGo

iDealshare VideoGo could be a great choice if you need fast, easy-to-use software with minimum fuss. Although it’s a little dated, the interface is easy to get to grips with and will have you converting within minutes.

iDealshare VideoGo activates Nvidia GPU hardware acceleration where available, so you can be sure of speedy conversions with no quality loss. The software can handle a wide range of input and output video and audio formats, including AVI, MOV, MP4, and MP3.

Need to convert multiple files? iDealshare VideoGo supports batch conversion. There’s also a built-in downloader that enables you to easily grab audio or video files from YouTube. Unfortunately, there’s no built-in screen recorder.

If you need to edit videos before or after conversions, this software offers a selection of tools. These include crop, trim, merge, split, flip, rotate, watermark, subtitles, effects, brightness adjustment, and more. However, some advanced features are missing, such as deshake and denoise.

iDealshare VideoGo is also available for Windows.

Price: You can use the trial version of iDealshare VideoGo for as long as you like. While this service used to offer a monthly license, this no longer exists, so your options are to sign up for a year at $29.99 (usually $39.99), or or pay $49.99 for a lifetime license.

8. Movavi Video Converter

Movavi Video Converter is a paid tool that provides a clean, intuitive interface and an excellent user experience. Conversions are fast, output quality is high, and you can opt for up to 4K resolution. Plenty of pre-configured profiles are available, and this software supports over 180 formats.

Editing tools come bundled with the application, but if you need advanced tools, you can purchase Movavi’s separate video editing package. One newer, interesting feature that has been added is AI-upscaling. This takes low-quality footage and uses machine learning to improve the resolution by to eight times.

You can try out this service by taking advantage of a seven-day free trial. You won’t have full access to the software as you’ll only be able to convert the first half of a given video file, but you can get a feel for its usability and performance. While using the free trial version, you’ll have to put up with a watermark and multiple reminders to purchase the full license. The paid version, as expected, is ad-free. Installation of Movavi doesn’t come with requests to install any additional pieces of software.

Movavi Video Converter is available for both MacOS and Windows.

Price: A one-year license for one PC costs $54.95, or you can go for a lifetime plan at $69.95. For $99.95, you get lifetime access to a larger suite of products, including the video converter, a screen recorder, and a video editor.

9. Any Video Converter

Any Video Converter (AVC) offers two completely separate pieces of software: one free and the other paid. This is a bit different from most freemium software, where you upgrade to the paid version (AVC Pro) within the free software. There is a bit of a learning curve to using AVC compared with some others on the list, as some options and settings can be difficult to find at first. Note that this is only compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 and later.

The free AVC application provides decent quality output and okay speeds. More than 150 preset profiles are available, along with a suite of editing tools. This version supports over a dozen output formats, including AVI, MOV, MP3, and MP4. Plus, 4K output is possible, which is rare for free software.

AVC advertises its software as ad-free but we did see some ads during installation of the free application. Plus, we received prompts to allow the installation of additional pieces of software. These are easy to reject and it’s recommended you do so as there have been reports of a browser hijacker being bundled in with the additional installs. While this relatively harmless malware just alters your browser’s homepage, it’s probably not something you want to install if you don’t have to.

So what are the perks when you pay for AVC Pro? The main features are better performance, a screen recorder, DVD menu templates, and the option to convert BD and DVD discs. Users can also automatically search for subtitles, merge files, and add effects. There are even a few AI-powered tools that’ll let you blur faces, remove objects from backgrounds, and upscale video.

AVC is also available for Windows.

Price: The unpaid version is usable and free forever. AVC Pro costs $29.95 per year, while a lifetime plan costs $49.95 (usually $79.95).

10. HandBrake

HandBrake is definitely different from the other video converters on this list as it’s completely free and open-source. While it’s also available for Windows and Linux, the MacOS version in particular has gained lots of loyal users over the years.

Since it’s open source and there is no pro version to upgrade to, you won’t see any upsells or third-party ads. The trade-off here is you get a very basic interface and a less-than-beginner-friendly experience.

That being said, once you get over the dated look and find your way around, HandBrake can provide most of what you need for basic video conversion. Although conversion times are fairly slow, there’s a decent selection of editing options, and the quality of output video is very good.

HandBrake can handle 4K resolution and supports over a dozen output formats, including M4V, MPEG, MOV, MP3, and MP4, and has a multitude of preset device profile options. As expected, there aren’t as many as you’ll find in a paid tool.

Price: HandBrake is open source and completely free.

11. Leawo Video Converter

Leawo Video Converter is a freemium software. It offers a large selection of output formats, including MPEG, MOV, AVI, MP3, and MP4, up to 4K resolution, more than 100 preset profiles, and a selection of editing tools. You can even make a standard video 3D if you’d like! Overall, it’s easy to use, and output quality is good, although speeds aren’t great, even in the paid version.

At first glance, the price appears to be decent, but once you delve a bit deeper, it becomes apparent this may not be such a great deal. You pay for a basic package but are charged additional fees for features that are usually included in paid versions of other software. These include the ability to rip, copy, and create Blu-rays and DVDs, and to download videos from online. Even with the paid version, you don’t have the ability to burn to disc or download online video unless you fork over extra money.

That being said, the free version of this software is decent. Video quality is great and you can go up to 4K. The major limitations are that you can only convert the first five minutes of each video file, and conversion is slower than in the paid version. But if you only need to convert clips, it could still be a good option. The free software does try to upsell you, but there are no prompts to install additional software.

Leawo is also available for Windows.

Price: Leawo costs $29.95 for one year or $39.95 for a lifetime plan.

How to convert a video to another format on a Mac, in a few simple steps

Don’t worry if you’ve never done it before; it’s actually really easy to change a video’s file format on a Mac. Below, you’ll find a complete step-by-step guide to converting videos to different formats using VideoProc Converter AI as an example (though the process will be similar, regardless of which service you choose). Let’s get started!

1. First off, download and install your video converter of choice. We recommend VideoProc Converter AI – it lets you convert videos up to 5 minutes long for free, and there’s also a huge discount on paid plans.
2. Start by clicking Video Converter on the main screen.
   
   VideoProc Converter AI can upscale, stabilize, or enhance your footage. In this case, however, you’ll just want to choose the Video Converter option
3. Hit the Video button at the top of the screen and select the file whose format you’d like to change.
4. Next, click the plus sign at the bottom in the Target Format section. Choose the desired file format you’d like (we’ve gone for .MOV), then click the Add button.
   
   There are plenty of formats to choose from, plus you can change file quality using the slider beside each (though higher-quality conversion will take slightly longer)
5. When you’re ready, click Run. Free users will see a screen prompting them to upgrade but so long as your video is under five minutes long, you can just click Continue.
6. After a few seconds, a window will open showing your newly converted file. If you’re satisfied with the video quality and it’s the correct format, you’re done!

That’s it! You now know how to convert videos on a Mac using VideoProc Converter AI.

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