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TeraConvert vs Zamzar
Zamzar uploads your files to its servers to convert them, then keeps them for up to 7 days. 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.
$144/year
Basic plan, monthly subscription
From $12/month on the Basic plan (200 MB files)
TeraConvert$29 once
TeraConvert Pro, lifetime license
No subscription. Every future update included.
Zamzar's paid web plans are Basic $12, Pro $19, and Business $39 a month on its own signup page as of July 2026 (third-party listings cite $9/$16/$25, but we use the vendor's own figure). Its developer API is priced separately, from $25 to $299 a month. TeraConvert Pro is a single $29 with no subscription and no per-file limit.
What's the same
Where TeraConvert and Zamzar 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 a wide range of formats across images, video, audio, and documents.
- Both are free to start.
- Both keep the basic flow simple: pick a file, pick a format, convert.
The core difference
One uploads and stores your files. One never sees them.
Zamzar has run as a server-side converter since 2006. Every file you convert is uploaded to its servers, and its privacy policy says files are stored no longer than 7 days following receipt. 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 and there is nothing to store.
Straight from Zamzar's privacy policy.
Zamzar
- 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 Zamzar
| Feature | TeraConvert | Zamzar |
|---|---|---|
| Files leave your device | No Converted on your Mac | Yes Uploaded to servers in the US |
| Converts offline | Yes | No Needs a connection |
| Conversions supported | 800+ | 1100+ Server-side, published count |
| Batch conversion | Yes | Yes Up to 25 at once on paid plans |
| File size cap | None | 50 MB free Up to 2 GB on paid plans |
| Files kept on a server | No There is no server | Up to 7 days Kept no longer than 7 days after receipt |
| Developer API | No Desktop app, not a service | Yes Separate credit-based API |
| Runs on any OS | Yes Web app anywhere, Mac desktop | Yes Any browser |
| Account required | No Free tier needs no account | No Free use, 2 files per 24h |
| Price | $29 one-time | From $12/mo Basic plan, $144/yr |
Zamzar 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
Zamzar uploads your file to a server, converts it, and stores it for up to 7 days before deleting it. 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 monthly bill
Zamzar's cheapest paid plan is a $12-a-month subscription that keeps charging every month you use it. TeraConvert Pro is $29 once, forever, with every future update included and no meter running.
800+ formats, all local
TeraConvert covers 800+ conversions on your own hardware, including the formats browsers struggle with: HEIC from an iPhone, camera RAW files, EPUB ebooks, and office documents. None of it uploads anywhere.
No daily file cap
Zamzar's free tier stops at 2 files per 24 hours and 50 MB each. TeraConvert's free tier has no daily count, and Pro removes the size caps too. Convert a hundred files in an afternoon if you want.
The honest bit
When Zamzar is the better choice.
TeraConvert is not for everyone. If any of these describe you, Zamzar is genuinely the better tool and it would be dishonest to say otherwise.
- You want a name that has been around a while. Zamzar has run since 2006 and publishes 1,100+ supported formats, more than TeraConvert's 800+. For someone who just wants a familiar web tool that will convert almost anything, it is a safe pick.
- You need to convert from any device, not just a Mac. Zamzar runs in any browser on any operating system. TeraConvert's free web app runs 200+ conversions in any browser too, but the full 800+ format app is Mac-only for now.
- You need a conversion API. Zamzar sells a separate credit-based developer API with a free test tier and paid plans from $25 to $299 a month. TeraConvert is a desktop app, not a service, so it has no API at all.
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 Zamzar and TeraConvert.
Is Zamzar safe?
Zamzar has operated since 2006 and its privacy policy says converted files are stored no longer than 7 days following receipt. That is reasonable for an online tool. But your files still upload to its servers, which its policy notes are supplied from the United States, so they leave your device to be processed. TeraConvert converts on your Mac, so there is nothing to upload and nothing kept on a server.
Is Zamzar free?
There is a free tier, but it is limited: up to 2 files in any 24-hour period, 50 MB each, with converted files kept for a maximum of 24 hours. Past that it is a subscription, from $12 a month for the Basic plan. TeraConvert is free to download with 200+ conversions and no daily cap, and Pro unlocks 800+ for a one-time $29.
What is the best Zamzar alternative for privacy?
If privacy is your reason for switching, a local converter is the answer, because the only way a file cannot sit on a server is to never upload it. TeraConvert runs entirely on your Mac. There is no upload, no account needed for the free tier, and no server that keeps a copy of your file for any number of days.
How long does Zamzar keep my files?
Zamzar's privacy policy says it stores files you submit and their converted outputs for no longer than 7 days following receipt. Free-service converted files are kept a maximum of 24 hours, and paid My Files storage can hold them longer. TeraConvert keeps nothing, because the conversion never leaves your machine.
How much does TeraConvert cost compared to Zamzar?
TeraConvert Pro is $29 once, forever, with every future update included. Zamzar's cheapest recurring plan is $12 a month, which works out to $144 a year and keeps billing after that. Over a couple of years the difference adds up fast.
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
- Zamzar homepage — https://www.zamzar.com/ (read 2026-07-19)
- Zamzar privacy policy — https://www.zamzar.com/privacy/ (read 2026-07-19)
- Zamzar signup pricing — https://secure.zamzar.com/signup/ (read 2026-07-19)
- Zamzar developer API pricing — https://developers.zamzar.com/pricing (read 2026-07-19)
Zamzar is a trademark of its respective owner. TeraConvert is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Zamzar. Comparisons reflect each product as published on the dates above and may change; if something is out of date, please let us know.