Free tier with real monthly allowance
100 conversions/month, no card required
Zamzar alternative
Looking for an alternative to Zamzar?
Zamzar is one of the longest-running names in file conversion, with a credit-based developer API alongside its consumer service. Converterer covers the same developer territory with a much larger free tier, flat per-conversion pricing, webhook callbacks, and website-to-PDF capture under the same account.
At a glance
How the two services compare.
| Converterer | Zamzar | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing unit | Flat per conversion | Credits per conversion (some heavy formats cost extra credits) |
| Free tier | 100 conversions/month, no card | 100 test credits, 1 MB max file size |
| Entry plan | $9.99/month for 2,500 conversions | $25/month for 500 credits |
| API shape | Single POST /convert with the file and output format | POST /v1/jobs, then GET file content |
| Authentication | HTTP Basic with your API key | HTTP Basic with your API key (same style) |
| Job completion | Webhook callbacks | Polling (no webhooks documented) |
| Output delivery | Directly into your S3/R2/B2/GCS/Azure bucket | S3, FTP/SFTP, HTTP integrations |
| File size limits | 1 GB per file on every plan (custom plans for larger) | Test: 1 MB; Startup: 50 MB; Growth/Scale: unlimited |
| Website capture | Included (URL to print-ready PDF) | Not offered |
Zamzar and Converterer both use HTTP Basic with the API key as the username. The difference is the rest of the call: Zamzar is POST /v1/jobs then poll and GET the file. Converterer is one POST /convert, then a webhook or a read from your bucket.
This is the smallest port of the set. Stay on Zamzar if you need their SLAs, a custom conversion type, or official Java/PHP/Python SDKs.
Pricing
What the same volume costs.
Both services price per conversion, which makes this the cleanest comparison of the four major alternatives. The difference is the rate: Zamzar's credits run $0.03–0.05 each, while Converterer's plans work out to $0.002–0.004 per conversion.
| Monthly volume | Converterer | Zamzar |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 / month | $9.99 (Starter, includes 2,500) | ~$50 (Startup $25 + 500 overage at $0.05) |
| 10,000 / month | $29.99 (Growth) | $299 (Scale plan, exactly 10,000 credits) |
| 50,000 / month | $99.99 (Scale) | ~$1,499 (Scale $299 + 40,000 overage at $0.03) |
Zamzar figures from developers.zamzar.com/pricing as of June 2026 (Test free / Startup $25 / Growth $99 / Scale $299), assuming 1 conversion ≈ 1 credit; some heavy formats consume extra credits. Check their pricing page for current numbers. Converterer overage: $0.003–0.03 per extra conversion depending on plan (Volume tier: $249.99/month for 250,000).
Source: Zamzar official pricing · Last verified: 23 July 2026
What Converterer brings
Features worth comparing.
Direct REST API
POST a file, get a task id, fetch result from your storage
SDK-free integration
Code recipes in 7 languages plus cURL, no SDK install
Webhook callbacks
Get notified when a job finishes, no polling
No-code workflows
Zapier, Make, n8n, Power Automate, Workato
Both file conversion and website-to-PDF
Two APIs under one account
Bring your own storage
S3, Cloudflare R2, B2, GCS, Azure Blob, files land directly in your bucket
Transparent pricing
Public per-month plans from $9.99, no quotes, cancel anytime
Migration
Moving an integration across.
This is the easiest migration of the four: Zamzar and Converterer both use HTTP Basic auth with the API key as the username. Swap the hostname, rename the job call to /convert, and replace download polling with a webhook or a read from your own bucket.
# Zamzar: POST /v1/jobs → poll → GET /v1/files/:id/content # Converterer: same Basic-auth style, one request, webhook when done curl -u "$CONVERTERER_API_KEY:" \ https://api.converterer.com/convert \ -F input=@report.docx \ -F output_format=pdf # → {"id":"9f1a8e7c-…", "status":"queued"} - result lands in your storage
Honest take
When Zamzar is the better fit.
- You want the longest track record in the space: Zamzar has been converting files since 2006 and the brand carries real enterprise trust.
- You need published support SLAs per tier and a procurement-friendly vendor.
- You need a custom conversion type built for you (available on their Scale tier).
- You want official Java, PHP, or Python SDKs maintained by the vendor.
Next steps
Try it before you commit.
No card. 100 free conversions per month is enough to validate against your real workload.
Comparing other providers? CloudConvert · ConvertAPI · FreeConvert · Convertio
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