CloudConvert Alternative: Private, Free, No Upload Required
CloudConvert is a solid tool. It supports a huge range of formats and generally works well. But every file you convert gets uploaded to their servers first.
If that bothers you—or if you've hit their free tier limits—here's an alternative worth considering.
Why look for alternatives?
Privacy. CloudConvert's servers see every file you convert. Their privacy policy says files are deleted within 24 hours, but you're trusting that claim. For personal photos, that might feel uncomfortable.
Limits. The free tier gives you 25 conversion minutes per day. Sounds like a lot until you hit it. Then you're either waiting or paying.
Speed. Uploading files takes time, especially for larger images or batches. The upload-process-download cycle adds overhead.
The client-side alternative
CovertConvert works differently. Instead of uploading your files to a server, it processes them entirely in your browser.
Here's what that means:
- Your files never leave your device
- No server ever sees your images
- No daily limits or conversion minutes
- Faster (no upload/download time)
The tradeoff is format support. CloudConvert handles hundreds of formats. CovertConvert focuses on the most common image formats: HEIC, WebP, AVIF, TIFF, PNG, BMP, GIF → JPG or PNG.
If you're converting HEIC from your iPhone or WebP from websites, that covers it. If you need to convert a .psd or some obscure format, CloudConvert is still your best bet.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CloudConvert | CovertConvert |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Server-side (upload) | Client-side (local) |
| Privacy | Trust-based | Verifiable |
| Free limits | 25 min/day | None |
| Account needed | Optional (for more) | No |
| Format support | 200+ formats | Common images |
| Speed | Upload dependent | Instant |
| Batch support | Yes | Yes |
When to use what
Use CloudConvert when:
- You need obscure format support
- You're converting documents, audio, video, etc.
- You don't mind the upload
- You need API access
Use CovertConvert when:
- You're converting common image formats
- Privacy matters to you
- You want no limits
- You want faster batch processing
How to verify the privacy claim
Don't just take my word for it:
- Open CovertConvert
- Open browser DevTools (F12) → Network tab
- Convert a file
- Watch the network activity
You'll see your file never uploads anywhere. The conversion happens right there in your browser. This isn't possible with CloudConvert because their architecture requires your files to reach their servers.
The bottom line
CloudConvert is good at what it does. But if you're just converting HEIC photos from your phone or WebP images from websites, you don't need to upload them anywhere.
Try CovertConvert for common image conversions. Keep CloudConvert bookmarked for when you need something obscure. Best of both worlds.