The difference: cloud vs. browser
CloudConvert is a powerful conversion service that supports over 200 file formats. It works by uploading your file to their servers, converting it there, and letting you download the result. For obscure format conversions — DOCX to PDF, video to GIF — that server-side approach makes sense because those conversions require heavyweight tools.
For image conversion — specifically HEIC, WebP, PNG, AVIF, and BMP to JPEG — the upload is unnecessary. These conversions can run entirely in a modern browser using WebAssembly, which gives you the same output without your file ever leaving your device. LocalJPG uses compiled versions of libheif (for HEIC) and MozJPEG for the encode step — the same tools used in production image pipelines, just running locally.
When the upload matters
Most photos contain more than pixels. EXIF metadata embeds GPS coordinates, a timestamp, and your device model into every shot. When you upload a photo to a cloud service, that metadata travels with it. For personal photos — especially those taken at home, work, or with identifiable people — the upload is a privacy decision, not just a technical one.
You can verify LocalJPG's no-upload claim by opening your browser's DevTools (F12) → Network tab and dropping a file. The request log stays empty. No outbound requests carry image data. CloudConvert's network tab looks different — you'll see a multipart upload request when the conversion starts.
Pricing comparison
CloudConvert offers 25 free conversion minutes per day. Image conversions typically consume 1–5 minutes each, so you can convert a handful of files before hitting the cap. Beyond that, credits cost around $10 for 500 conversion minutes.
LocalJPG is free, full stop. Individual file downloads are free, and the batch ZIP export — which packages all converted files into a single archive — is free too. If you have 50 photos to convert, download them one by one or grab them all at once as a ZIP; either way it costs nothing and needs no account.
Related: HEIC to JPG · WebP to JPG · Convert HEIC without uploading · LocalJPG vs CloudConvert