10 Best File Converters of 2026

CloudConvert is the most thorough web converter on this list. Its format catalog lists 213 formats across 11 categories, from Word and PDF to CAD drawings, fonts, archives and camera RAW files, and each conversion exposes the settings that matter for that output, such as codec, bitrate, resolution and quality. The free plan allows 10 conversions per day with a 1 GB file cap, 5 minutes of processing per task and 5 concurrent tasks, with no credit card required. Paid use runs on credits: most conversions cost 1 credit per minute, while Office to PDF costs 2 and PDF to Office costs 4. You can buy one-time packages whose credits never expire or a cheaper monthly subscription whose credits reset each month. CloudConvert says files are removed after processing and that it does not sell customer file data. Prices were shown in EUR from our location, so the USD price is pending. We compared documented features and published prices.

Convertio is a browser converter with a long format list and the cheapest verified paid plan among the web tools here. It says it supports more than 25,600 conversions between over 300 formats, and most conversion types have advanced options, such as quality, aspect ratio and codec for video. The Lite plan costs $6.99 a month billed yearly or $11.99 month to month and includes a 1 GB file cap, 1,000 conversion credits a month and 50 concurrent conversions. Basic raises that to 3 GB and 3,000 credits for $13.99 a month billed yearly, and Pro to 10 GB and 10,000 credits for $25.99. Most photo and document conversions use a single credit, and only successful conversions are charged. Convertio deletes uploaded files instantly and converted files after 24 hours. The main catch is its refund policy: because a free tier exists, it does not refund subscriptions after you upgrade. We compared documented features and published prices.

HandBrake is the free option for video. It is an open-source transcoder built by volunteers and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, so files never leave your computer and there are no upload limits. It reads most common multimedia files plus DVD and Blu-ray sources without copy protection, and writes MP4, MKV and WebM files using AV1, H.265, H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, VP8 or VP9, with optional hardware-accelerated encoding. Device presets get beginners started, while constant quality or average bitrate encoding, filters such as deinterlacing and denoise, chapter markers, subtitles and HDR pass-through cover advanced needs. Batch scanning and an encode queue handle whole folders. The trade-off is scope: HandBrake converts video only, so it will not turn a PDF into Word or a HEIC into JPG, and the number of settings can slow down first-time users. We compared documented features and published prices.

FreeConvert combines a file converter with compressors, GIF tools and PDF editing in one site. It says it supports more than 1,500 file conversions across video, images, audio and e-books, with advanced options to fine-tune output. Free users get 20 conversion minutes a day, up to 5 minutes per file and a 1 GB file cap, with no account needed, which covers about 20 quick files a day by FreeConvert's own estimate. Basic costs $12.99 a month for 1,500 conversion minutes and 1.5 GB files, Standard $24.99 for 2,000 minutes and 2 GB, and Pro $29.99 for 4,000 minutes, 5 GB files and GPU-based video encoding. Every paid plan runs 100 conversions at a time and works on both the website and the API. Files are sent over 256-bit SSL and deleted after 8 hours. The minute-based model favors quick document jobs; long video encodes use up minutes faster. We compared documented features and published prices.

Permute is a converter for Mac owners who would rather pay once than subscribe. Charlie Monroe Software sells a permanent Permute 4 license for $14.99, excluding VAT or sales tax, and also offers it on the Mac App Store and through Setapp. It converts video, audio and images between formats such as MP4, HEVC, ProRes, WebM, AV1, MP3, FLAC, HEIC, AVIF and WebP, and handles PDFs and text too, with more than 100 formats listed. Beyond conversion it trims, crops, merges and splits files, sets a target output size, exports audio or subtitle tracks without re-encoding and transcribes audio to SRT subtitles with on-device AI. Advanced users get hardware-accelerated ProRes and raw FFmpeg commands. Everything runs locally on your Mac. The limits are platform ones: Permute 4 requires macOS 26 and Apple Silicon, so older or Intel Macs need Permute 3 at the same price, with a free upgrade later. We compared documented features and published prices.

XnConvert is the image specialist here. XnSoft offers it free for private and educational use, including non-profits, with no adware, on Windows, Mac and Linux. It reads more than 500 image formats and exports about 70, covering everyday JPEG, PNG and WebP as well as HEIC, AVIF, JPEG-XL, PSD, OpenEXR and camera RAW files. Conversion is built from more than 80 actions you can chain together: resize, crop, rotate, adjust color, sharpen, add a watermark or edit metadata, then save the chain as a preset. Watch folders apply a preset to any new or changed image, and presets can be exported to NConvert for scripts. Because everything runs locally, there are no upload limits. The limits are scope and licensing: it handles images only, and companies must buy a license, which XnSoft prices in EUR rather than USD. We compared documented features and published prices.

Zamzar is one of the oldest online converters and keeps the process to three steps: pick a file, pick a format, convert. It lists more than 1,100 formats, including CAD, 3D and e-book types, and can pull files from your computer, a URL, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive, then email you when the job is done. Alongside conversion it compresses, splits, rotates and turns audio, video or images into text. Free converted files are kept for up to 24 hours, while paying users keep files until they delete them. The free plan's 50MB upload limit is the main weakness; CloudConvert, Convertio and FreeConvert all allow 1 GB for free. Zamzar aims to finish conversions in under 10 minutes and offers email help for files that fail. A desktop app covers Windows and Mac, and the developer API starts at $25 a month. Consumer plan prices did not load from our location, so that price is pending. We compared documented features and published prices.

Adobe Acrobat is the specialist for PDF conversion. Its free online PDF to Word tool converts files with daily limits and needs no sign-up, subscription or credit card, although Adobe says repeat users may be asked to sign in to download. Adobe says the converter rebuilds multi-column layouts, embedded tables, headers, footers and footnotes in most cases, and Acrobat's OCR can turn scanned or image-based PDFs into searchable, editable Word files. Once converted, you can open the file in Microsoft Word for the web from Acrobat. For more than the daily limit, a 7-day free trial of Acrobat Pro unlocks unlimited conversions and batch processing. That is also the drawback: steady use needs a paid Acrobat plan, and Adobe's pricing page did not show USD prices from our location, so the starting price is pending. Acrobat does not convert video or audio. We compared documented features and published prices.

Smallpdf is a browser PDF suite built in Switzerland that says it has served 1.7 billion people since 2013. For converting, it moves PDFs to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and images, and sits next to more than 30 other tools for compressing, merging, splitting, redacting, watermarking and signing. The free plan includes the converters but caps downloads per day and limits mobile app use. Pro removes the download limits and adds OCR for PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint, batch conversion, strong compression and unlimited AI tools such as chat with PDF and translation, plus a Sign.com Premium subscription. A Team plan starts at 2 seats with centralized billing, and there is a 7-day free trial. Smallpdf's pricing page loads its prices with scripts, so the USD price is pending. It does not convert video, audio or images beyond PDF. We compared documented features and published prices.

Wondershare UniConverter is a desktop video toolkit for Windows and Mac. Its paid plans cover 4K and 8K video conversion, batch compression, batch trimming, cropping and watermarking, and video downloads from more than 10,000 sites, with priority customer support. The Windows yearly plan costs US$45.99 a year, which works out to under $4 a month, and Wondershare also lists a perpetual plan for buyers who do not want renewals. More than 18 AI tools, including a video enhancer, noise remover, vocal remover and background remover, come with a 7-day trial and then renew at US$19.99 a month, which adds up quickly if you rely on them. Plans renew automatically unless you cancel. The pricing page mixes individual, business, education and bundle offers, so read the plan name before buying. For plain video conversion, HandBrake covers similar codecs for free. We compared documented features and published prices.