Blog
Notes from the workshop
File formats, digital privacy, and honest looks at the tools we actually use.
September 9, 2026 · 4 min read
Zamzar alternative: life past the 50 MB wall and the two-file day
Zamzar helped invent online file conversion, and its free tier still caps you at 50 MB and two conversions a day. An honest comparison from a competitor, with every limit sourced to Zamzar's own pages.
September 8, 2026 · 4 min read
CloudConvert alternative: when credits stop making sense for everyday files
CloudConvert is the engineer's converter: capable, well-documented, API-first. It also meters every minute of work in credits. Here's an honest look at where the credit model fits, where it doesn't, and what to use instead.
September 7, 2026 · 4 min read
How free are free file converters? The daily limits, compared
Two files a day. Ten minutes a day. Fifty megabytes. We pulled the actual free-tier limits from five major converter sites' own pages, and the numbers explain why 'free' keeps ending at a paywall.
September 6, 2026 · 5 min read
Are online file converters safe? What the FBI warning actually means for you
The FBI warned about free file converter sites spreading malware. Security researchers confirmed it. Here's what the warning really covers, what the legitimate sites do with your files, and how to convert without gambling at all.
September 4, 2026 · 5 min read
Looking for a FreeConvert alternative? An honest comparison, written by a competitor
We build FormatFusion, so read this with that in mind. Here's a fair look at what FreeConvert does well, where the upload model and subscription pricing cost you, and which tool fits which job.
September 2, 2026 · 5 min read
How to extract audio from video (MP4 to MP3) without uploading an hour of footage
Lecture recordings, meetings, voice memos shot as video: sometimes you only want the sound. Here's how to pull MP3 or WAV out of any video right in your browser, and when to pick which.
August 31, 2026 · 5 min read
PNG vs JPG vs WebP: which image format should you actually use?
Pick wrong and you get a blurry logo or an 8 MB email attachment. Here's how the three formats compress, when each one wins, and the two-second decision rule that covers 95% of cases.
August 30, 2026 · 6 min read
The best VPNs if you actually care about privacy
Audited no-logs policies, sane jurisdictions, and honest tradeoffs: four VPNs worth your money in 2026, and the one we'd hand to most people.
August 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Insta360 Link 2C review: I bought it for the shutter, I kept it for the picture
A webcam you can physically blind is the only webcam a privacy person can love. The 4K sensor turned out to be the bonus. My owner's review, plus the two fixes that save you a support ticket.
August 29, 2026 · 7 min read
The best privacy-first cloud storage in 2026
Four services that encrypt your files properly, compared on encryption model, jurisdiction, and what they actually cost. One of them you can buy once and keep forever.
August 28, 2026 · 5 min read
Why your file converter shouldn't need your files
Every upload-based converter asks you to trust a stranger's server with your documents. Modern browsers made that trade obsolete. Here's how, and why we built FormatFusion around it.
August 26, 2026 · 5 min read
HEIC won't open? Why iPhone photos confuse every other device, and the 10-second fix
Apple's HEIC format saves space on your phone and breaks everywhere else: Windows, Android, upload forms, printers. Here's what HEIC actually is, how to convert it without uploading your photos anywhere, and how to stop your iPhone from shooting it in the first place.