# Permute alternatives for Mac, for macOS 14 and Intel too

The best Permute alternative for a Mac depends on why you are leaving: HandBrake is free with full encoder control, and Sculpt ($13.99 once, macOS 14 and later, Intel too) converts images, PDFs, video and audio to the size a service accepts, and undoes a whole run.

- URL: https://swiftfox.studio/blog/permute-alternatives-for-mac
- Covers: https://swiftfox.studio/apps/sculpt, https://swiftfox.studio/apps/sweep
- Published: 2026-10-14
- Updated: 2026-10-29
- Publisher: Swiftfox Studio (https://swiftfox.studio)

## In short

- Permute 4 by Charlie Monroe Software is $14.99 per major version, or $4.99 a year on Setapp, and needs macOS 26 and an Apple silicon Mac.
- Permute is still the right choice for WebM, AVI and AV1, for stitching, splitting and trimming, and for subtitles transcribed on the Mac.
- macOS converts images in Preview and Finder and shrinks PDFs with Reduce File Size, but does not aim at a size or undo a batch.
- Sculpt is a one-time $13.99 converter for macOS 14 and later that sizes images and video for Gmail, WhatsApp or Discord, removes location by default and can undo a whole run.
- Sculpt does not read MKV, WebM or AVI and does not trim or merge video, so those jobs stay with Permute, HandBrake or Shutter Encoder.

## What Permute is actually good at

Permute, by Charlie Monroe Software, the maker of Downie, is the converter many
Mac users reach for when a file is in the wrong format. You drop a file on the
window, pick a preset, and it converts, with no settings to learn first. It
handles video, audio, images, PDF and text, "100+ formats" by its own count,
including WebM, AV1, MP3, FLAC, HEIC, AVIF and WebP.

Version 4, from June 2026, goes well beyond conversion. Permute can stitch
files into one, split them by time or by an EDL or CUE file, extract tracks
without re-encoding, swap audio tracks, edit metadata in batches, trim and crop
with a waveform, and transcribe speech to SRT subtitles on the Mac. It can aim
for a target file size and pick the quality to fit. **Drop zones** convert
whatever lands on them with a fixed preset, an **Advanced Custom** preset gives
direct FFmpeg access, and an AppleScript dictionary and a URL scheme let other
apps, Downie among them, hand it files.

On [Charlie Monroe's site](https://software.charliemonroe.net/permute/) Permute
4 is **$14.99 once** for that major version, with up to 3 activations, and the
same on the Mac App Store, where the sandbox leaves out some capabilities. A
bundle with Downie 4 is $26.99, and Setapp includes it, or sells it alone for
$4.99 a year. Permute 4 needs macOS 26 and an Apple silicon Mac.

If your Mac is on macOS 26 with Apple silicon and you convert video in formats
like WebM, AVI or AV1, or want stitching, splitting and subtitles in the same
app, Permute is the obvious buy, and no Permute alternative for Mac on this
page does all of that.

## Why people go looking anyway

Complaints about Permute are few next to the praise - Setapp shows 98 percent
positive from more than 4,000 ratings - and several of the older ones predate
later fixes. The reasons that recur are these.

**Version 4 leaves Intel and older macOS behind.** Permute 4 needs macOS 26 and
Apple silicon, and the developer has said there is no Intel version coming. A
Mac on Sonoma or Sequoia, or any Intel Mac, stays on Permute 3, which covers
macOS 11 to 15 and gets no more updates.

**Paying again for each major version.** A license covers one major version.
Buyers from 2026 got version 4 free and older owners 40 percent off, but some
recent Permute 3 buyers asked in the developer's blog comments why they had to
pay again.

**The interface.** Reviews over the years have called the interface dated or
confusing, and the version 4 redesign did not win everyone: one Setapp review
of 4.0.2 in June 2026 called it awful and said dragging did not work.

**Quality and control against free tools.** Some reviewers found certain
presets gave lower quality than free HandBrake, or larger files than other
tools, and Setapp's
own review lists the lack of fine encoding options as the main drawback. People
who want that control name HandBrake, Shutter Encoder or ffWorks instead.

## What macOS already does for free

macOS converts more than most people expect. **Preview** exports an image to
JPEG, PNG, HEIC or TIFF, and its **Reduce File Size** filter shrinks a PDF.
**Finder** has Quick Actions for converting images and encoding selected video
files to a smaller size, and **Photos** exports a HEIC as JPEG.
**Shortcuts** can convert images in bulk once you build the shortcut.

Where it stops is control and batches: Preview's PDF filter has no setting,
Finder's video encoding offers a few resolutions, and none of them aims at a
size, keeps the originals safe in one place or lets you take a batch back.
[How to send large files by email on a Mac](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/send-large-files-by-email-on-mac)
covers the built-in routes in more depth.

## Sculpt: everything converts in one window, and every run can be undone

**[Sculpt](https://swiftfox.studio/apps/sculpt)** is a converter for images, PDFs, video and audio that
works in one window: drop files or whole folders, Sculpt groups them by kind,
and each group gets a preset. It is **$13.99 once**, with a 30-day trial that
needs no card and no email, and it runs on macOS 14 or later, on Apple silicon
and Intel. Conversion happens on your Mac and files are never uploaded.

### Small enough for Gmail, WhatsApp or Discord, by name

![Sculpt's inspector on the Email attachment preset: JPEG, Remove location, Fit a size with Small enough for Gmail (18.9 MB), and the note that the size leaves room for what the service adds](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/permute-alternatives-for-mac/fig-1.jpg "You pick where the files are going, not a number of megabytes, and the limit already allows for what the service adds.")

The usual reason to convert is that a file is too big to send. In Sculpt you
choose **Fit a size**, then **Small enough for** WhatsApp, Gmail, Outlook and
iCloud, Discord, iMessage or Slack. The email limits sit below the figure
the service advertises, because email encoding inflates an attachment by about
a third, so a file that Sculpt says fits Gmail actually gets through. For
images the target is a total for the whole group, which is what an attachment
limit means; each video gets the whole limit to itself.

For images Sculpt tries the quality first and only then the dimensions; for
video it works out a bitrate. A file that would come out bigger than the
original is left alone and the row says so.

The honest limit: Fit a size works for images and video, not for PDF or audio,
and the service limits are Sculpt's, so they change only when Sculpt is
updated. Permute's target size takes any number you type.

### A whole run can be undone, and originals are kept by default

![Sculpt's History for one run, Video for sending and 2 more: 8 converted, 88.2 MB saved (76 percent), each file with its size before and after, and Undo and Show in Finder](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/permute-alternatives-for-mac/fig-2.jpg "Every run is kept in History with what went in and what came out, and Undo takes the whole run back.")

A converter writes files, and sometimes the wrong ones. Sculpt keeps a
**History** of every run, and **Undo last run** (Command-Z) takes a whole batch
back: the new files go and anything that was moved returns. By default **The
original file** is set to **Keep it**; you can choose **Move it to the Trash**
instead, but Sculpt never deletes an original outright.

New files go **Beside the original**, into a `Sculpt` subfolder for a folder
job, into a subfolder you name, or into **A folder I choose**. A name that is
taken gets " 2" added rather than replacing anything, and each file is written
to a temporary place first and moved in only when it is complete, so a run cut
short leaves no half-written files.

Shrinking a run's worth of video and PDFs is often the quickest way to
[free up disk space on a Mac](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/free-up-disk-space-on-mac), and
[Sweep](https://swiftfox.studio/apps/sweep) keeps the Downloads folder from refilling with the
originals.

The honest limit: undo is as good as the files it finds, so if you have moved
or edited the results since, it restores what it can.

### Location and details come off before a file leaves

![Part of Sculpt's inspector for a video output: MP4 as the format and Remove location under Privacy](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/permute-alternatives-for-mac/fig-3.jpg "Privacy sits right under the format, and the presets start with the location removed.")

A photo or an iPhone video carries where it was taken. Image, video and PDF
outputs have a **Privacy** setting: **Keep all details**, **Remove location** or **Remove all
details**, and the presets start with the location removed, for video as well
as photos. WebP is always written without details. Because the work happens on the Mac, the files themselves never
leave it on the way.

The rest of an image output is the same kind of plain choice. **Dimensions**
offers **Long edge**, **Fit inside a box**, a percentage or **Half size
(Retina)**, **Convert to sRGB** fixes colours for the web, and **Deliver as one
ZIP** packs a batch for sending.

The honest limit: Sculpt itself still goes online for licence and update
checks, its app settings, crash reports and a few anonymous usage events; that traffic carries no
file and no file name.

### Images, PDFs, video and audio in one window, with more than one output

![Sculpt's window with three groups: four images going out twice, as Email attachment and as Image for the web, two videos on Video for sending, and two PDFs on Shrink PDF, with the inspector open on Image for the web](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/permute-alternatives-for-mac/fig-4.jpg "One drop, three kinds of file, and the images going out in two versions at once.")

Most batches are mixed. Sculpt reads 62 image types on a current Mac, camera
RAW included, and writes JPEG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, TIFF, GIF and BMP, plus AVIF where macOS can
write it. Video
goes to MP4 or MOV in H.264, HEVC or ProRes 422 at Small, Balanced, High or
Maximum, with a frame-rate cap and the sound kept, re-encoded or removed.
**Change container only** turns a MOV into an MP4 by copying the streams,
without re-encoding, and subtitle tracks and chapters come through when the
container allows. Audio goes to M4A, WAV, AIFF or FLAC.

PDFs get **Shrink PDF**, with Screen, Email, Print and Archive profiles; the
Email one uses the values behind Preview's Reduce File Size. A PDF's pages can
become images, and images and PDFs can be combined into one PDF. **Add another
output** sends one group out twice, say as an email attachment and as an image
for the web, in one run.

Fourteen presets come built in, from **HEIC to JPEG** and **RAW to JPEG** to
**Video to GIF** and **Extract the audio**, and the preset editor makes your
own, which export and import as files.

The honest limit: Sculpt does not read MKV, WebM or AVI, does not write WebM,
MKV, MP3 or AV1, and does not trim, merge video, add subtitles or transcribe.
Those are Permute's ground.

### Right-click in Finder, or a Shortcuts action

![Sculpt's result card after a Dock drop: 4 converted on Email attachment, 24.6 MB to 11.9 MB, down 52 percent, with Undo and Show in Finder](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/permute-alternatives-for-mac/fig-5.jpg "A drop on the Dock icon or a right-click in Finder ends in this card, with Undo one click away.")

Sculpt also works without its window. A **Sculpt** submenu in Finder's
right-click menu lists the formats and the presets you mark for it, and a
**Convert files** action in Shortcuts takes files and a preset and returns the
results without opening the app. Dropping files on the Dock icon converts them
with the default preset and shows a small card when it is done. The guide to
[batch converting files on a Mac](https://swiftfox.studio/handbook/batch-convert-files-on-mac) walks
through each route.

The honest limit: the Finder menu works inside your home folder only, not on
external drives, and there are no watch folders, which Permute's drop zones
come closest to. Folder rules belong to tools like Hazel, compared in
[Hazel alternatives for Mac](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/hazel-alternatives-for-mac).

## Permute vs Sculpt, feature by feature

| | Permute | Sculpt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 per major version; Setapp $4.99 a year | $13.99 once, 30-day trial |
| macOS and Macs | macOS 26 or later, Apple silicon only | macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon and Intel |
| What it converts | Video, audio, images, PDF, text, 100+ formats | Images, PDF, video, audio |
| WebM, AVI, AV1, MP3 | Yes | No |
| Aiming at a size | Any target size you set | Named services; images share one total, each video gets its own |
| Undoing a run | Not described | Undo last run and History |
| Location and metadata | Metadata editing | Remove location or all details, location off by default |
| PDF | Pages to images, images to PDF | Shrink PDF with four profiles, pages to images, combine into one PDF |
| Stitching, splitting, trimming | Yes | No |
| Subtitles and transcription | Subtitles, on-device transcription to SRT | Existing tracks copied through |
| Automation | AppleScript, URL scheme, drop zones | Shortcuts action, Finder menu |

Permute wins on formats, editing and automation: WebM and AV1, stitching,
splitting, trimming, transcription, FFmpeg access and drop zones. Sculpt wins on
running on macOS 14 and Intel Macs, sizing a file for the place it is going,
taking a whole run back, and taking the location off by default.

## Other alternatives worth knowing

**HandBrake** is free and open source, runs on Mac, Windows and Linux, and is
the deep video encoder most often named next to Permute. It is the pick when
you want every encoder setting.

**Shutter Encoder** is free with donations and built on FFmpeg, with builds
for Intel and Apple silicon on macOS 10.14 or later. It covers professional
codecs, LUTs, subtitle burn-in and lossless cuts.

**Smart Converter Pro 3** is $14.99 on the Mac App Store, with folder
monitoring and fast batch video conversion; a free Smart Converter exists too.

**iMazing Converter** is free for Mac and Windows and does one job simply:
HEIC to JPG or PNG and HEVC to H.264. For the wider field, see
[the best file converter for Mac](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/best-file-converter-for-mac).

## When Permute is still the right choice

Stay with Permute if you are on macOS 26 with Apple silicon and your files
include WebM, AVI or AV1, or you need MP3 output. Stay if you stitch clips
together, split by time or by a CUE file, trim before converting, or want subtitles
transcribed on the Mac. Stay if you use Downie, since the two are made to work
together, or if Setapp's $4.99 a year suits you better than a one-time price.

If you need full encoder control, HandBrake or Shutter Encoder will serve you
better than either app here.

## Switching from Permute

1. **List the presets you actually use.** Most map to a Sculpt preset: HEIC to
   JPEG, Video for sending, Shrink PDF, Extract the audio.
2. **Check your formats.** If anything you convert is MKV, WebM or AVI, keep
   Permute or HandBrake for those files.
3. **Install Sculpt and drop a test batch,** a mix of photos, a video and a
   PDF, to see the groups and the presets it picks.
4. **Recreate custom presets** in the preset editor, and mark the ones you want
   in Finder's right-click menu.
5. **Set where files go** and what happens to the originals in each preset's
   **Advanced** section.
6. **Replace drop zones** with the Finder menu or a Shortcuts action using
   **Convert files**.

Permute's presets and settings do not carry over, and Sculpt has no AppleScript
dictionary. Expect an afternoon to rebuild a handful of presets.

## Side by side

| Tool | What it converts | Best for | Platforms | Cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Permute 4 | Video, audio, images, PDF, text | The most formats, plus editing | Mac, macOS 26+, Apple silicon | $14.99 per major version |
| HandBrake | Video | Fine encoder control | Mac, Windows, Linux | Free |
| Shutter Encoder | Video, professional codecs | Professional codecs | Mac 10.14+, Intel and Apple silicon | Free |
| Smart Converter Pro 3 | Video, in batches | Batches of video | Mac | $14.99 |
| iMazing Converter | HEIC images, HEVC video | iPhone photos and video | Mac, Windows | Free |
| Sculpt | Images, PDF, video, audio | Sending files at the right size | Mac, macOS 14+, Apple silicon and Intel | $13.99 once |

Pick by what fails. If the file will not open, the format decides: Permute,
HandBrake or Shutter Encoder read far more than Sculpt does. If the file opens
but is too big to send, an app that aims at the service's limit saves the
guessing. If your Mac is not on macOS 26, Permute 4 is out, and the choice is
Permute 3 without updates, the free tools, or Sculpt. For the rest of the
toolbox, see [Mac utility apps](https://swiftfox.studio/blog/mac-utility-apps).

_Prices and features checked on 29 October 2026._

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a free Permute alternative for Mac?

Yes. HandBrake is free and open source with deep video encoder control, Shutter Encoder is free with donations and covers professional codecs, and iMazing Converter is free for HEIC and HEVC files. macOS itself converts images in Preview and Finder. Sculpt is not free: it is $13.99 once after a 30-day trial.

### What is the difference between Permute and Sculpt?

Permute 4 converts more formats, including WebM, AVI and AV1, and adds stitching, splitting, trimming and transcription, on macOS 26 with Apple silicon. Sculpt converts images, PDFs, video and audio on macOS 14 and later, Intel included, sizes files for named services like Gmail, removes location by default and can undo a whole run.

### Does Permute work on an Intel Mac or macOS Sonoma?

Only Permute 3. Permute 4 needs macOS 26 and an Apple silicon Mac, and its developer has no plans for an Intel version. Permute 3 runs on macOS 11 to 15 but gets no more updates. Sculpt runs on macOS 14 and later on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.

### How do I make a video small enough to email from a Mac?

Aim at the service's limit, not a guess. Permute can target any size you type. Sculpt's Fit a size picks Gmail, Outlook and iCloud, WhatsApp, Discord, iMessage or Slack, sets the email limits below the advertised figure to allow for email encoding, shares the limit across a batch of photos, and works out a bitrate for each video.

### Do Mac file converters upload my files?

Permute and Sculpt both convert on the Mac, and Permute transcribes on the Mac too. Many web converters upload the file to a server. Sculpt also removes the location from photos and videos by default and never sends a file or file name; it goes online only for licence and update checks, its app settings, crash reports and a few anonymous usage events.

### Can I undo a batch conversion on a Mac?

In Sculpt, yes: Undo last run, or Command-Z, takes a whole batch back from History, and originals are kept by default or moved to the Trash, never deleted outright. Permute's documentation does not describe an undo for a finished run, so keep originals until you have checked the results.

### Is Permute safe to use?

Yes. Permute is made by Charlie Monroe Software, the Czech developer behind Downie, and is sold on its own site and the Mac App Store. Conversion and transcription run on your Mac, and the App Store privacy label lists only usage data and diagnostics, not linked to your identity. The App Store build is sandboxed, which is why it leaves out some capabilities.

### What do Permute and its alternatives cost?

Permute 4 is $14.99 per major version, with up to 3 activations, or $4.99 a year alone on Setapp, and $26.99 bundled with Downie. HandBrake, Shutter Encoder and iMazing Converter are free. Smart Converter Pro 3 is $14.99. Sculpt is $13.99 once, with a 30-day trial that needs no card and no email.