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TeraConvert vs CloudConvert
CloudConvert uploads your files to its servers to convert them. TeraConvert converts them on your Mac, so they never leave your device.
Last updated:
What it costs over a year
Pay once, or pay every month.
$120/year
Subscription, 1,000 credits per month
From $10/month, and credits do not roll over
TeraConvert$29 once
TeraConvert Pro, lifetime license
No subscription. Every future update included.
CloudConvert also sells one-time credit packages from $18, but those buy a fixed number of conversions rather than unlimited use. One credit is roughly one minute of conversion. TeraConvert Pro is a single $29 with no credits and no limit.
What's the same
Where TeraConvert and CloudConvert agree.
A comparison is easy to skew. So before the differences, here is what both tools genuinely do the same, so the rest of the page is a fair fight.
- Both convert the everyday formats: images, video, audio, PDFs, and office files.
- Both are free to start, with no account needed for basic conversions.
- Both keep it simple: choose a file, choose a format, convert.
The core difference
One converts on a server. One converts on your Mac.
CloudConvert is honest about how it works: it says your files are transferred to its servers in Germany or the US, converted there, and deleted within 24 hours. TeraConvert is built the other way around. There is no server and no upload. The desktop app runs every conversion on your Mac with native engines, so your files are never sent anywhere in the first place.
Straight from CloudConvert's privacy policy.
CloudConvert
- Your file uploads to their servers
- It is converted in the cloud, then sent back as a download
- It leaves your device to be processed
TeraConvert
- Converts on your Mac with native engines
- No server, so nothing is uploaded
- Nothing can be kept, leaked, or subpoenaed
Side by side
TeraConvert vs CloudConvert
| Feature | TeraConvert | CloudConvert |
|---|---|---|
| Files leave your device | No Converted on your Mac | Yes Servers in Germany or the US |
| Converts offline | Yes | No Needs a connection |
| Conversions supported | 800+ | 212 Across 11 categories |
| Batch conversion | Yes | Yes 5 at once on free |
| File size cap | None | 1 GB free Unlimited on paid |
| Files kept on a server | No There is no server | Up to 24h Auto-deleted within 24 hours |
| Developer API | No Desktop app, not a service | Yes REST API, 6 SDKs, webhooks |
| Runs on any OS | Yes Web app anywhere, Mac desktop | Yes Any browser |
| Account required | No Free tier needs no account | No For basic conversions |
| Price | $29 one-time | From $10/mo Credit-based, $120/yr |
CloudConvert figures are from its own published pages, verified July 19, 2026. See sources at the foot of the page.
Not on a Mac?
The full 800+ format app is macOS only for now, but TeraConvert's free web app runs 200+ conversions right in your browser on any operating system, with the same promise: your files are converted on your device and never uploaded.
Why people switch
What you get by moving to TeraConvert.
Your files never leave the Mac
CloudConvert transfers your file to a server, converts it, and deletes it later. TeraConvert skips the upload entirely. The conversion happens on your machine, so there is no copy sitting on someone else's server to trust, leak, or subpoena.
One price, not a meter
CloudConvert charges credits: one per minute of conversion plus a base cost per job, and the free tier stops at 10 conversions a day. A busy week pushes you onto a subscription. TeraConvert Pro is $29 once, with unlimited conversions and no counting.
No daily cap, no queue
The free CloudConvert plan runs at low priority with a 10-a-day limit and a 5-minute cap per file. TeraConvert runs at native speed on your own hardware, so there is no queue and no daily ceiling to hit.
800+ formats, including the awkward ones
TeraConvert covers 800+ conversions against CloudConvert's 212, and the desktop engines handle the formats browsers struggle with: HEIC from an iPhone, camera RAW files, EPUB ebooks, and office documents with better layout fidelity.
The honest bit
When CloudConvert is the better choice.
TeraConvert is not for everyone. If any of these describe you, CloudConvert is genuinely the better tool and it would be dishonest to say otherwise.
- You need a conversion API. CloudConvert has the deepest developer API of any tool here: a v2 REST API, six official SDKs, a CLI, webhooks, and SSO and a DPA on enterprise. TeraConvert is a desktop app, not a service, so it has no API at all.
- You want the full 800+ format app and batch conversion on Windows or Linux. TeraConvert's free web app runs 200+ conversions in any browser, but the complete desktop app is Mac-only for now, so CloudConvert covers non-Mac power users better today.
- You have a one-off file larger than your Mac can comfortably handle. Paid CloudConvert tiers advertise unlimited file size and processing time on their servers, which can matter for a single very large job.
Switching is easy
Moving over takes about a minute.
There is nothing to migrate. No account to move, no files to re-upload, no settings to port. You just start converting.
- 1
Download the app
It is free and installs like any other Mac app. No account needed to start converting.
- 2
Drag your file in
Drop the file you were about to upload somewhere else. Nothing leaves your Mac.
- 3
Convert on your device
It converts locally and saves wherever you want. That is the whole move, no export or import.
Questions about CloudConvert and TeraConvert.
Is CloudConvert safe?
CloudConvert uploads your files to its servers in Germany or the US, and its privacy policy says it deletes them within 24 hours and does not read or mine them. That is more transparent than most online converters. But the files still leave your device to be processed. TeraConvert converts on your Mac, so there is nothing to upload and nothing kept on a server.
Is CloudConvert free?
There is a free tier: 10 conversions a day, up to 1 GB per file, a 5-minute processing cap, and low priority. Past that it is credit-based, either a $10-a-month subscription or one-time packages from $18. TeraConvert is free to download with 200+ conversions, and Pro unlocks 800+ for a one-time $29.
What is the best CloudConvert alternative for privacy?
If privacy is your reason for switching, a local converter is the answer, because the only way a file cannot be exposed on a server is to never send it to one. TeraConvert runs entirely on your Mac. There is no upload, no account needed for the free tier, and no server that could keep a copy.
Does TeraConvert have an API like CloudConvert?
No. TeraConvert is a desktop app, not a service, so there is no API. If you need to convert files inside a pipeline or a backend, CloudConvert's API is genuinely the better tool. TeraConvert is for converting your own files on your own machine.
How much does TeraConvert cost compared to CloudConvert?
TeraConvert Pro is $29 once, forever, with every future update included. CloudConvert's cheapest recurring plan works out to $120 a year, and it is credit-based rather than unlimited. Over a couple of years the difference is large.
Convert files without uploading them.
TeraConvert is free to download and works on your Mac. Pro unlocks 800+ formats, batch conversion, and no size caps for a one-time $29.
Sources
- CloudConvert pricing — https://cloudconvert.com/pricing (read 2026-07-19)
- CloudConvert API — https://cloudconvert.com/api/v2 (read 2026-07-19)
- CloudConvert privacy policy — https://cloudconvert.com/privacy (read 2026-07-19)
- CloudConvert homepage — https://cloudconvert.com/ (read 2026-07-19)
CloudConvert is a trademark of its respective owner. TeraConvert is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CloudConvert. Comparisons reflect each product as published on the dates above and may change; if something is out of date, please let us know.