A Free Permute Alternative for Intel Macs and Older macOS
Permute 4 needs macOS 26 and Apple silicon. If your Mac doesn't qualify, or you also use Windows, here are your options.
Quick Answer
- ✓Permute 4 requires macOS 26 and Apple silicon. Older Macs stay on Permute 3, whose final build is 3.14.8.
- ✓FileHop is free and runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs from macOS 11, plus Windows. It converts video, audio, images, documents and data.
- ✓Permute is still better if you want saved presets, on-device transcription or OCR. FileHop has none of those.
Why look for a Permute alternative?
Permute is a well-made drag-and-drop media converter for Mac. Permute 4 moved to macOS 26 and Apple silicon, which leaves Intel Macs and anything on macOS 11 to 15 with Permute 3. That still works, but it's the end of the line for those machines. Licenses are also per major version, so a new version can mean a new purchase, though the developer offers upgrade discounts.
Other people look because they want one free app for more than media. Permute costs $14.99, which is fair for what it does, but it doesn't edit spreadsheets or run on Windows. Prices were checked in October 2026, so confirm them on the developer's site.
How to convert files with FileHop
FileHop is a free file browser with conversion built in. Conversions start inside FileHop, not from Finder.
Download FileHop
Choose the Apple silicon or Intel build for Mac, or the Windows build. No account is needed.
Open the folder
Browse to your files in FileHop and select one or many.
Pick a format
Right-click, open Tools, and choose your output. Video exports to MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI or MKV, and audio to MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, OGG or Opus.
Keep going if you need to
Trim, compress or edit in the same app, then move on to the next file.
FileHop runs conversions on your computer, with hardware encoding where available. It sends anonymous usage statistics by default, which you can turn off in Settings.
Your options
The right choice depends on your Mac and what you convert.
Stay on Permute 3
If you only need media conversion on an older Mac, Permute 3 still does the job for $14.99. It runs on macOS 11 or later, but it's no longer the current version.
Upgrade to Permute 4
On a recent Apple silicon Mac this is the strongest media-only choice: 100+ formats, presets, hardware acceleration, OCR, text-to-audio and on-device transcription to SRT.
HandBrake
Free, open source and excellent for video, on Mac, Windows and Linux. It only handles video, and it's more technical than Permute.
Permute vs FileHop
A direct comparison, based on the released versions in October 2026.
| What matters | Permute 4 | FileHop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 one-time | Free |
| Mac requirement | macOS 26, Apple silicon | macOS 11, Intel or Apple silicon |
| Windows | No | Yes |
| Saved presets | Yes | No |
| Transcription and OCR | Yes | No |
| File browser and editors | No | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free alternative to Permute?
Yes. FileHop is free and covers video, audio, images, documents and data. HandBrake is a free option for video only.
Does Permute 4 work on Intel Macs?
No. Permute 4 needs Apple silicon and macOS 26. Intel Macs can use Permute 3.
What macOS does FileHop need?
macOS 11 or later, with separate builds for Intel and Apple silicon.
Can FileHop convert from a Finder window?
No. FileHop has no Finder extension, so open your files in FileHop and convert there.
Does FileHop have presets?
It has built-in options, but you can't save your own presets or use watch folders.
Can FileHop transcribe audio?
No. FileHop has no transcription. Permute does.
Can FileHop batch convert?
Yes. Select many files and convert them together, using parallel processing.
Does FileHop add a watermark?
No.
Keep converting on the Mac you already have
FileHop is free for Intel and Apple silicon Macs and Windows.
Download FileHop Free