When you think of file converters, chances are you picture clunky software or websites with dated interfaces, limited format support, and nagging upsells that make you wonder if it’s even worth the trouble. Most people only use one when they’re desperate, and then forget about it until the next crisis.
But every once in a while, a tool comes along that surpasses that expectation. File Converter, an open-source project by GitHub user Tichau, is one of those rare finds. It’s lightweight and refreshingly simple to use. It takes a different approach from VERT.sh, the browser-based converter I covered recently, offering a desktop experience that feels straightforward without losing flexibility.
Download: File Converter (Windows)
Does file conversions with no frills
File Converter is a free, open-source tool for Windows (7, 8, 10, 11) released under the GPL v3 license, meaning its source code is publicly available. The software’s guiding philosophy is to make file conversion and compression as easy as possible.
Because File Converter integrates directly into Windows Explorer, you don’t need to open a separate app to change a file format. Once installed, you simply right-click a file (or multiple files), choose File Converter, and pick one of the presets—whether that’s converting a video to MP4 or turning an image into PNG or WebP. The conversion happens immediately, and the new file shows up in the same folder as the original.
On Windows 10, you’ll see File Converter directly in the context menu. On Windows 11, however, Microsoft hides most functional menus and third-party extensions behind the Show more options entry, so you’ll need one extra click to reveal them. If you prefer the old behavior, you can restore the classic context menu with a registry tweak, or simply hold Shift while right-clicking to open it and access File Converter immediately.
The tight Explorer integration means it works wherever Windows can reach your files—local drives, external storage, or even network shares.
File Converter can handle so many formats
More formats than you’d guess
One of File Converter’s strongest selling points is the number of formats it supports (for both input and output) across audio, video, images, and documents. You might assume it handles only common types like MP3, JPG, or PDF, but the official documentation shows a much more extensive list.
The screenshot above shows the supported output formats, alongside the compatible input formats for each category.
“doc*” and similar denote common Office / OpenOffice extensions (DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, ODT, ODS, etc.). Also, to convert Office document formats, Microsoft Office must be installed and activated on your system. Thankfully, there are legitimate ways to snag an Office license without paying a dime.
You can tweak, add, or remove presets to fit your workflow
Set it once, save clicks forever
File Converter aims to stay simple, but doesn’t limit you if you want more control. If the built-in presets for common conversion tasks aren’t enough for you, you can also create your own by adding, removing, or editing presets.
Other settings options include adjusting output quality, changing video encoding speed, scaling, setting file name templates, limiting simultaneous conversions, and choosing where the output goes. It also lets you decide what happens to the original file afterward—whether that means moving, deleting, or archiving it.
You can access these settings through the File Converter Settings app from the Start menu, or by choosing Configure presets at the bottom of the File Converter menu. Presets can also be reordered (by dragging) so that the formats you use most often appear at the top. This helps you save time by avoiding scrolling through the submenu each time you run a conversion.
The trade-offs you should be aware of
Good, but not without its quirks
File Converter is powerful, but there are a few caveats worth noting. The tool does not offer an official portable version, so installation is required. This is largely because the Explorer context menu integration depends on system components.
Support for some codecs and newer formats is also limited. It covers most widely used ones, but if you work with recent or niche codecs such as specialized HEVC variants, exotic RAW files, or certain proprietary formats, you may run into gaps. For example, I noticed that outputting to HEVC (H.265) is not available.
Finally, there can be trade-offs in quality. This is especially true when converting images or when creating PDFs from images. Some changes in size, sharpness, or detail may occur, and the quality of converted PDFs may not match what you would expect from software built specifically for desktop publishing or PDF layout.
File converter deserves a spot on your Windows PC
File Converter is built to stay out of the way. The interface is minimal and gives you just enough control without burying you under unnecessary options. For everyday tasks, you will rarely need to touch the settings.
Thanks to community contributions, the software supports 20 languages as of the time of writing. The installer is also lightweight, being relatively small compared to most media tools. Behind the scenes, it relies on well-known open-source engines such as FFmpeg for audio and video, ImageMagick for images, and Ghostscript for PDF and document handling.
