Comparison
VLC Alternative for Converting Video on Mac (5 Options)
VLC can convert a video on your Mac, and for one file you already have it, so try it first. If the conversion fails, plays silently or is too slow, or you have a folder of files, the better tools are QuickTime Player (free, built in), HandBrake (free, deep settings), Smol ($29 once) and Permute ($14.99).
We make Smol, so weigh the ranking accordingly. We did not run a new test for this page. The order comes from documented capability, price, whether files stay on your Mac, batch support and fit for the job of converting video. VLC is a superb free player; this page is only about the part where it is asked to be a converter.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Local or upload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smol | Folders of video, convert and shrink in one pass | $29 once | Local |
| QuickTime Player | One file, nothing to install | Free, built in | Local |
| HandBrake | Full control over every encoder setting | Free | Local |
| Permute | Many formats, trimming and cropping in a simple app | $14.99 | Local |
| VLC | Playing anything; an occasional quick conversion | Free | Local |
Smol
Drop in a folder, pick a format, and shrink the files in the same step.
Smol converts video between MP4, MOV, WebM and MKV and reads AVI as input. Drag in files or a whole folder, choose the output container, and every file gets a copy next to the original with a _compressed suffix, so the source is untouched by default. Nothing is uploaded and there is no account.
What sets it apart from VLC for this job is that conversion and size are one decision. In the compress path you pick H.265 (the default) or H.264, a quality label, or an exact CRF from 0 to 63, and you can lower the resolution or remove the audio. That matters because a converted file is often bigger than the original. The reasoning is in H.265 vs H.264, and the container trade-offs are in converting MKV to MP4 and converting MOV to MP4. For many files at once, see batch compressing videos.
Limits, plainly. Smol is macOS only (macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon, 14 or later on Intel). It cannot write AVI. It does not trim, crop, burn in subtitles or edit video, and it exposes quality and size settings, not a target file size for video. There is no free trial and purchases are not refundable, so if you convert a video twice a year, QuickTime or VLC is the sensible choice. See pricing: $29 for one Mac, $49 for three.
QuickTime Player
Already on your Mac, and fine for one file.
Open the video, then choose File → Export As. Apple lists 4K, 1080p, 720p, 480p and Audio Only. For 4K and 1080p a Format menu offers Smaller File Size (HEVC) or Greater Compatibility (H.264); 720p and 480p use H.264. The result is a QuickTime movie, and Audio Only gives an AAC audio file.
That is the whole menu, which is both the appeal and the limit. It lists no quality or bitrate setting, it does not export MP4, and it handles one file at a time. For a phone clip you want in a different size, it is hard to beat on convenience and costs nothing. Our guide to compressing a video on Mac measures how its presets compare on size.
Pick it if the file already opens in QuickTime Player and one of the five presets is what you want.
HandBrake
Free, volunteer-built, and the most control of any free option.
HandBrake describes itself as a volunteer-built, open-source video transcoder for converting video from nearly any format to modern, widely supported codecs. The current version on its site is 1.11.2, and it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. For converting MKV or camera files into something Apple devices play, it is a strong free choice.
Where it wins over VLC: an interface built for conversion, with built-in presets, quality adjustment and soft-subtitle handling. Where it costs you: the interface offers many settings, output is limited to MP4, MKV and WebM, and its documentation lists 16 GB of RAM for standard and high definition transcoding. Our HandBrake alternatives page goes through those details.
Pick HandBrake if you are comfortable with settings, want everything free, and care about subtitles.
Permute
A converter built for this one job, with trimming and cropping included.
Permute 4 is a converter app from Charlie Monroe Software. Its product page lists 100+ formats, visual trim and crop editors, resize, rotate and flip, and drop zones for quick conversions. It includes a free trial and costs $14.99 direct (excluding sales tax) at the time of writing.
It has more editing than Smol. The catch is the requirement: Permute 4 needs macOS 26 or later and Apple Silicon, with Permute 3 offered for older systems. Smol has no trimming or cropping; Permute does, and it is cheaper. Smol, in turn, also handles images, PDFs and audio in the same window. Our Permute comparison covers the differences in full.
Pick Permute if you convert video often, want to trim or crop along the way, and your Mac runs a current macOS.
VLC
The best free player there is, with a converter tucked into a menu.
VLC is a free and open source multimedia player. VideoLAN lists it as completely free, with no spyware, no ads and no user tracking, and says it plays most codecs with no codec packs needed. The current Mac download is version 3.0.24 and runs on Intel and Apple Silicon. If your problem is a file that will not play, VLC is the answer, and you should keep it installed whatever else you choose.
Conversion lives in the Media → Convert / Save menu, where you pick a codec and a container. It works, and for a one-off it may be enough. The limits are the reason this page exists. VideoLAN’s own wiki says transcoding can be very slow and that an incompatible codec and container pairing may fail silently. The wiki’s batch examples are scripts for Windows and Linux, and the page says it is outdated and may be incorrect. VLC is a player first: its features page opens with “VLC plays Files, Discs, Webcams, Devices and Streams.”
Pick VLC if you already have it and one conversion is all you need. Move on when you have many files, need predictable results, or want smaller output as well as a new format.
How do I convert a video with VLC on Mac?
Open VLC, choose Media → Convert / Save, add the file, pick a codec and container, set a destination file name and start. Here is the sequence in full.
- Open VLC and choose Media → Convert / Save.
- Add your video, then click Convert / Save.
- Choose a profile such as one with H.264 video in an MP4 container.
- Click Browse and name the output file, including the
.mp4extension. - Click Save and wait. The output is a new file; the original is kept.
Check the result by playing it all the way through. Because VideoLAN says an incompatible pairing may fail silently, keep the source until you have confirmed the new file works.
Why would you use something other than VLC to convert video?
Because VLC’s strength is playing, and conversion is a side feature. Common reasons are slow output, a result that does not play where you need it, no simple way to do a folder, or a file that comes out larger than the source.
The last one deserves attention. Changing container is not the same as making a file smaller, and re-encoding can grow a file. If size is the real goal, the right tool is a compressor with a quality setting; start with reducing video file size on Mac. If you only need to move video from MKV or MOV into MP4, our guides to MKV to MP4 and MOV to MP4 cover each route.
What should you look for in a Mac video converter?
Check five things: input formats, output formats, batch support, whether files stay on your Mac, and whether you can control size. Which one matters most depends on the job.
- Input and output formats. HandBrake outputs MP4, MKV and WebM; Smol writes MP4, MOV, WebM and MKV; QuickTime writes a QuickTime movie or audio-only AAC.
- Batch. QuickTime does one file at a time. Smol and Permute take many files.
- Privacy. All five tools here run on your Mac. Online converters upload your video; see CloudConvert alternatives that work offline.
- Size control. Quality settings (HandBrake, Smol) let you shrink while converting. Fixed presets (QuickTime) do not.
- Price and macOS support. Permute 4 needs macOS 26 or later. Smol needs macOS 13 or later on Apple Silicon.
How we chose and ranked these tools
We make Smol, and it is ranked first on documented capability for batch conversion and size control, not on a test run for this page. Facts about other tools come from their own pages, checked on 14 October 2026.
Criteria, in order: whether the tool converts video reliably, whether it handles more than one file, whether files stay local, how much control you get over size, and price. We did not run a new benchmark. QuickTime is second because it is free, already installed and enough for most single files. VLC is last for converting only, not as a product: for playback we would put it first.
Frequently asked questions
Can VLC convert video on a Mac?
Yes. Choose Media, then Convert / Save, add the file, pick a codec and container, name the output and start. VideoLAN says transcoding can be very slow, and an incompatible codec and container pairing may fail silently, so play the result before deleting the original.
What is the best free VLC alternative for converting video on Mac?
QuickTime Player is the easiest: File, then Export As, with 4K, 1080p, 720p, 480p and Audio Only. HandBrake is the most capable free option, with presets and detailed quality controls. Both run locally, and HandBrake is also available for Windows and Linux.
Can VLC convert MKV to MP4 on Mac?
It can, using Convert / Save with an MP4 container and a compatible codec pairing. VideoLAN warns that incompatible choices may silently fail. HandBrake, Smol and Permute are alternatives. Our MKV to MP4 guide covers the routes in detail, including when changing the container alone is enough.
Is there a way to convert many videos at once without VLC?
Yes. Smol accepts a whole folder and converts between MP4, MOV, WebM and MKV, and Permute also takes multiple files. QuickTime Player works on one file at a time. VLC batch conversion means writing shell scripts, which its wiki shows for Windows and Linux.
Does Smol have a free trial?
No. Smol is $29 once for one Mac, or $49 for three, with free updates and no subscription. There is no trial and purchases are not refundable. If you only need a quick conversion now and then, QuickTime Player, VLC or HandBrake cost nothing.
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