Freemake Video Converter Review — Is it Still Safe and Free to Use?
Freemake Video Converter, as indicated by its name, is an effective and surprisingly adaptable video converter that is simple to navigate. However, the software has not seen any updates since 2017, prompting the question: Does it still hold its place as a popular choice for video transcoding? We decided to dive deep into a detailed analysis of the Freemake Video Converter to address this query. Whether you’re considering Freemake Video Converter for your needs or feeling overwhelmed with countless choices for media converters, this comprehensive guide is for you.
Part 1: Does Freemake Video Converter Run on Mac?
Regrettably, Freemake Video Converter is exclusively accessible for Windows. A quick Google search for “Freemake video converter for Mac” reveals numerous websites professing to provide Freemake Video Converter for Mac. Nevertheless, none truly deliver what they promise. Downloadable packages from these websites can potentially include malicious software or viruses. The software’s developer, Ellora Assets Corporation, released Freemake Video Converter exclusively for Windows (10/8/7/Vista).
Part 2: Key Features of Freemake Video Converter
The primary functionality of Freemake Video Converter is to convert videos between diverse formats, and it also enables users to perform basic editing tasks on short videos. Let’s delve into its core feature first:
1. User-Friendliness
Freemake’s interface is intuitively designed, making it easily accessible to novices. Once the program is launched, videos, audio, DVDs, and photos can be loaded onto it. Following this, the metadata information of the file (video length, video codec, audio codec, bitrate, frame rate) is displayed next to its thumbnail. Two icons on the right side of the video bar enable trimming, rotating, subtitling videos, or adding visual effects. Multiple imported clips can be merged by enabling the “Join files” option.
2. Supported Formats
While Freemake Video Converter claims comprehensive format compatibility, is this true in practice?
Supported Input Formats
Freemake supports a wide variety of input formats. However, it doesn’t support some popular codecs like HEVC and VP9, commonly used by action cameras, drones, and smartphones. This is a significant downside considering these codecs’ ubiquity.
The converter is unable to recognize HEVC videos, thus inhibiting editing functionalities.
Supported Output Formats
Freemake Video Converter’s output format options are relatively limited. The videos can be converted to certain formats such as H.264, XVID, VC1, MPEG2/4, H.263, FLV, WMV3, H.264 PC, VP8, AVI, WMV, MP4, MKV, FLV, DVD, and Blu-ray formats. In terms of audio, it supports MP3, 3GP, AAC, and OGG media.
While the software offers preset conversions for different devices, these presets are outdated. For instance, there’s no output format preset for iPhone models beyond iPhone 5. Thus, users must manually set the parameters, a task that can be daunting for beginners.
3. Conversion Speed
However, the converter’s speed is something to be desired. In my testing, I found it to be consuming a significant amount of CPU resources during the conversion process. Though the conversion efficiency may differ based on the types of clips, it was still noticeably slower in comparison to VideoProc Converter, Handbrake, and other comparable converters with hardware acceleration capabilities.
I carried out three tests:
a. I attempted to convert a 34-second, HEVC MP4 clip (8192x4320 resolution, 32.6Mbps bitrate, 120fps frame rate) to a 1080P H.264 MP4 with the default settings. The converter stalled at 53% completion for hours. Even after a system reboot and a retry, the conversion still didn’t go through.
b. The second test involved converting a 28-second, H.264 MP4 clip (4096x2160 resolution, 21940 kbps bitrate, 23.98fps frame rate) to a 1080P H.264 MP4 with the default settings. However, Freemake Video Converter crashed and failed to convert the clip.
c. For the last test, I converted a 28-second, ProsRes MOV clip (1920x1080 resolution, 99698 kbps bitrate, 30fps frame rate) to a 1080P H.264 MP4 video with the default settings. The process took about 30 seconds, noticeably slower than the VideoProc Converter and Handbrake conversions, which took 12 and 25 seconds respectively.
4. Quality Preservation
A vital point to consider is that any conversion involving a change in the codec is likely to cause a loss in quality. However, a top-notch video converter would minimize this loss. Unfortunately, the Freemake Video Converter fell short on this front. A comparison of the video quality before and after the conversion showed that the Freemake-generated video was visibly grainier than the one generated by VideoProc Converter.
Part 3: Is Freemake Video Converter Safe?
Despite downloading the converter from the official website, my anti-virus program flagged potential malware during the installation process. I was alerted that an unessential Windows process may be a potential Trojan because it was set to start automatically whenever I logged onto the computer.
More specifically, the FreemakeUtilsService and ProductUpdater extensions were found to be the culprits. They were located in C:\ProgramData\Freemake\FreemakeUtilsService, C:\Program Files(x86)\Common Files\Freemake Shared\ProductUpdater on my computer.
The FreemakeUtilsService is used to update the Freemake Video Converter, collect and send crash reports to the Freemake server, and it can also gather personal information such as passwords and IP addresses. ProductUpdater is an automatic updater for Freemake Video Converter, Freemake Video Downloader, Freemake Audio Converter, and other Freemake Software. Though Freemake assures that they do not collect any personal information, it’s a point of concern for users.
Some users label Freemake Video Converter as spam since it charges without amortization. However, Freemake does inform that the subscription will auto-renew after the initial one-week or one-month term.
Part 4: Is Freemake Video Converter Free to Use?
While Freemake Video Converter’s core function is free, features like removing the Freemake logo, converting YouTube to MP3 audio, and many others require an upgrade. This is available either through a subscription model or a one-time payment model.
There are four packs available: Super Speed Pack, Gold Pack, Subtitles Pack, and Mega Pack. Each pack has its set of advanced features. It’s essential to carefully go through the features and pricing to decide which pack suits your needs the best.
Part 5: Freemake Video Converter VS Handbrake VS Zamzar
Indeed, fully unlocking the Freemake Video Converter does require a substantial investment. Therefore, I’ve evaluated some suitable alternatives to Freemake, which provide comparable features at more reasonable prices. The top two replacements are VideoProc Converter and Handbrake, which I’ve previously mentioned. Occasional users might also benefit from using an online converter like Zamzar. Let’s delve deeper into a comparative analysis of these four video converters.
