Video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhoneHead to head
Permute vs Downie
Permute ranks #2 and Downie ranks #3 in our guide to the best video converter, downloader and camera apps for Mac and iPhone. Permute is the better pick for most people.
PermutePick Permute if you convert files every week and want drag and drop for video, audio and images.$14.99 once#3 in the guide
DowniePick Downie if you save lectures or clips from YouTube and other sites to watch offline.$19.99 onceWhat decides it
- Permute costs less over 3 years: $14.99, against $19.99 for Downie.
- Both run on Mac.
- Both are included with a Setapp subscription.
Side by side
Prices are checked every day.
| At a glance | Permute | Downie |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 once, from the developer or the Mac App Store. Also on Setapp | $19.99 once, or included with Setapp |
| How you pay | Pay once | Pay once |
| 3 years of use | $14.99 Cheaper | $19.99 |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Runs on | Mac | Mac |
| Where to buy | Developer, App Store, Setapp | Developer, Setapp |
| Features | Free trial, Family Sharing | Free trial |
| Made by | Charlie Monroe Software, s.r.o. | Not listed |
| Last updated | 16 Oct 2026 | 16 Oct 2026 |
Who should get which
Get Permute if
You need files in a different format every week and are done uploading them to converter sites.
Get Downie if
You save lectures, tutorials or clips every week to watch offline or cut into your own videos.
Skip Permute if
You convert a video now and then, and QuickTime Player and Preview export simple jobs free.
Skip Downie if
You save a video maybe once a year, which doesn't justify $19.99.
Our verdicts
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.
Downie
Most video sites give you no file to keep for a flight or for your own edits. Downie saves video from more than 1,000 sites, including YouTube in 4K, through 1-click extensions for Safari, Chrome and Firefox, and can keep only the audio or convert to MP4 for your iPhone. It costs $19.99 once, with tax added at checkout, and Setapp subscribers already have it included.
What each one helps you do
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
Downie
- Save a YouTube video in 4K
- Keep just the audio from a video
- Convert downloads to play on an iPhone
- Grab video from sites with no download button
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
-
IncludedTry Setapp
Downie
$19.99 once, or included with Setapp
-
From the developerThe download includes a free trial$19.99Get it
-
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.
HandBrakePick it if you need to shrink or convert big video files and don't want to pay.Free, open source
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 Permute alternativesAll Downie alternatives