Video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
HandBrake vs Permute
HandBrake ranks #1 and Permute ranks #2 in our guide to the best video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhone. HandBrake is our pick for most people.
HandBrakePick HandBrake if you need to shrink or convert big video files and don't want to pay.Free, open source#2 in the guide
PermutePick Permute if you convert files every week and want drag and drop for video, audio and images.$14.99 onceWhat decides it
- HandBrake costs less over 3 years: Free, against $14.99 for Permute.
- Both run on Mac.
- Permute is included with a Setapp subscription; HandBrake isn't.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | HandBrake | Permute |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source | $14.99 once, from the developer or the Mac App Store. Also on Setapp |
| How you pay | Free | Pay once |
| 3 years of use | Free Cheaper | $14.99 |
| Free trial | Free to start | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac |
| Where to buy | Developer | Developer, App Store, Setapp |
| Features | Open source | Free trial, Family Sharing |
| Made by | Not listed | Charlie Monroe Software, s.r.o. |
| Last updated | Not tracked | 16 Oct 2026 |
Who should get which
Get HandBrake if
You have video files that are too big to share or refuse to play on your devices.
Get Permute if
You need files in a different format every week and are done uploading them to converter sites.
Skip HandBrake if
You want to trim or edit a clip, which iMovie and QuickTime Player do for free.
Skip Permute if
You convert a video now and then, and QuickTime Player and Preview export simple jobs free.
Our verdicts
HandBrake
If you have a giant screen recording to send or an old video that won't play on your phone, HandBrake converts almost any file, or a DVD or Blu-ray without copy protection, to MP4, MKV or WebM for free. Presets pick sensible settings for common devices, and a queue converts a batch while you do something else. It converts rather than edits, and Permute at $14.99 is the drag-and-drop option if you'd pay for simpler.
Permute
For $14.99 once, Permute converts video, audio and images when you drop them on its window, with presets for MP4, HEVC, ProRes, MP3, HEIC, WebP and more. Version 4 also merges clips, splits files by time, pulls out audio or subtitle tracks without re-encoding and writes subtitles from speech on-device. It needs macOS 26 and Apple silicon, the Mac App Store copy drops some features, and HandBrake is free if you only convert video.
What each one helps you do
HandBrake
- Shrink a huge video before you share it
- Convert video to a format that plays anywhere
- Rip a DVD without copy protection
- Convert a batch of files in 1 queue
Permute
- Convert any video for iPhone or the web
- Join several clips into 1 file
- Turn speech into a subtitle file
- Make an iPhone ringtone from a song
Where to get them
Permute
$14.99 once, from the developer or the Mac App Store. Also on Setapp
-
From the developerPermute 4 needs macOS 26 and Apple silicon. Permute 3 is $14.99 for older Macs and upgrades free later$14.99Get it
-
Mac App Store$14.99Mac App Store
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IncludedTry Setapp
Some links earn us a commission, which never changes a pick.
Neither one quite right?
The other picks in our guide to the best video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhone.
DowniePick it if you save lectures or clips from YouTube and other sites to watch offline.$19.99 once
KinoPick this if you shoot video on iPhone and want film-style color without editing afterward.$9.99 once
ClopPick this if you only want screen recordings and images smaller, done the moment you copy them.Free to start
Read the full guideAll HandBrake alternativesAll Permute alternatives