# "CloudConvert vs Convertio vs Browser-Based Converters: Which Is Safer?"

Canonical: https://filevale.com/guides/cloudconvert-vs-convertio-confidential-files/
Updated: 2026-10-31

> CloudConvert and Convertio upload your file to a server. Browser-based converters like Filevale keep it on your device. How the privacy compares.

CloudConvert and Convertio are two of the most popular online converters, and both are reputable services. But for confidential files such as contracts, tax forms, medical records or ID scans, the question is not only "is this company trustworthy?" It is "does my file need to leave my device at all?"

## How CloudConvert and Convertio handle your file

Both are **server-based**. When you convert a file, it is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed on their servers and kept there for a limited time so you can download the result. Both publish privacy policies describing how long files are kept and when they are deleted.

That model is fine for a lot of everyday files. The risk is not that these services are careless; it is that any upload creates a copy outside your control, on infrastructure you cannot audit, for some period of time. Company policies, laws in the country where servers run, and workplace rules about third-party processing can all matter.

![How privacy works in the Filevale iPhone app: every tool runs on the device, even in Airplane Mode.](https://filevale.com/assets/app/privacy.webp)

## How a browser-based converter differs

A browser-based (local) converter downloads the conversion engine to your tab and does the work on your own device. **Filevale** (filevale.com) is one example: its PDF tools use pdf.js, pdf-lib and qpdf, its video and audio tools use FFmpeg, and its image tools use browser codecs, all compiled to WebAssembly.

[Open Document Converter](https://filevale.com/document-converter/)

The practical differences:

- **No copy on a server.** The file is never transferred, so there is nothing to delete afterwards and no retention policy to trust.
- **No account.** Filevale needs no sign-up, so there is no file history linked to your identity.
- **Speed depends on you.** A laptop converts a large video quickly; an old phone is slower than a server would be.
- **Fewer exotic formats.** Server tools support some rare formats that browsers cannot decode yet.

![PDF to Word in the Filevale iPhone app: a 3-page PDF converted to an editable .docx on the device.](https://filevale.com/assets/app/pdf-to-word.webp)

## A simple rule for confidential files

- **Sensitive documents** (contracts, IDs, payslips, medical files): use a local tool such as [PDF to Word](/pdf-to-word/), [Compress PDF](/compress-pdf/) or [Unlock PDF](/unlock-pdf/) on Filevale.
- **Private photos**: convert iPhone pictures with [HEIC to JPG](/heic-to-jpg/) without uploading them.
- **Rare or huge files** that your device cannot handle: a server-based service is reasonable, ideally after removing anything sensitive.

If you work on iPhone or iPad, [the free Filevale app](/go/ios?src=g-cloudconvert-vs) does the same conversions on-device from the share sheet. A Mac app is coming soon.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is CloudConvert safe for confidential files?

CloudConvert is a reputable service that uploads files over an encrypted connection and deletes them after a set time. Even so, the file does leave your device, so for highly confidential documents a browser-based converter such as Filevale, which never uploads the file, is the safer option.

### Does Convertio keep my files?

Convertio stores uploaded and converted files on its servers temporarily so you can download them, then deletes them according to its policy. With a local converter like Filevale there is no server copy at all.

### How can I tell whether a converter uploads my file?

Open your browser's developer tools, go to the Network tab, and run a conversion. A server-based tool shows a large upload of your file; a local tool like Filevale only downloads its own engine.