Image format converter

Image format comparison

Compiled from the specification of each format and MDN Web Docs. This tool can save images as JPG, PNG or WebP.

About the HEIC format

• HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) was developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and is published as ISO/IEC 23008-12. HEIC is a HEIF image encoded with HEVC. Its file extension is .heic.[12][1][2]
• iPhone 7 and later models with iOS 11 or later can take photos in HEIF format. When the camera format is set to High Efficiency, photos are saved as HEIF. When it is set to Most Compatible, they are saved as JPEG.[13]
• According to Apple, HEIF compresses images more than JPEG while keeping the same image quality.[13]
• To view HEIC photos in the Photos app on Windows 10, you must install HEIF Image Extensions (free of cost) and the paid HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store.[14][15][16]
• Chrome, Edge and Firefox cannot display HEIC images on web pages. Safari supports them from version 17.[17][18]
• Android 9 and later can decode HEIF, but support depends on the device.[19]

About the WebP format

• Google released WebP in 2010. Its specification is IETF RFC 9649. WebP supports lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation.[20][3]
• According to Google, lossless WebP images are 26% smaller than PNG images. Lossy WebP images are 25–34% smaller than JPEG images of the same quality (measured by SSIM).[21]
• Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari can all display WebP. Safari supports it from version 14; on a Mac, macOS 11 or later is also required.[4][22][23]
• Microsoft provides WebP Image Extensions. After installing it, you can view WebP images in File Explorer, Photos and other Windows apps.[24]
• The web canvas in Safari cannot export WebP. In Safari, web-based tools can usually export only JPG and PNG.[25]

About the PNG format

• PNG is a W3C Recommendation. The current version is the third edition, published in 2025. PNG uses lossless compression and supports transparency (an alpha channel).[5][4]
• The third edition adds animated PNG (APNG) to the standard. Software that does not support animation shows only one still image.[5]
• All major browsers support PNG.[4]

About the JPG format

• The JPEG standard (ISO/IEC 10918-1, also published as ITU-T T.81) was published in 1992. It specifies how still images are encoded.[26][6]
• Most JPEG files use lossy compression, which balances image quality against file size. The standard also defines a lossless mode, but it is rarely used.[26][4]
• JPEG does not support transparency (an alpha channel).[4]
• All major browsers support JPEG.[4]

About the GIF format

• CompuServe introduced GIF in 1987. The current version is GIF89a, from 1989.[4][7]
• Each GIF frame can have up to 256 colours. GIF uses lossless compression and supports simple animation.[4][7]
• In a GIF, only one colour can be made fully transparent. Partial transparency is not possible.[4][7]

About the BMP format

• BMP is the bitmap format of Windows. It has no formal standard; the format is defined in Microsoft documentation.[4][8]
• Most BMP files are not compressed, and each pixel takes 3 bytes. At this rate, an image of 4000×3000 pixels is about 36 MB.[4]
• MDN advises against using BMP for web content in general.[4]

About the SVG format

• SVG is a W3C standard. It describes two-dimensional vector graphics as XML text and is commonly used for icons, logos and illustrations.[9]
• An SVG image can be displayed at any size without losing sharpness. It has no fixed pixel size and is not suitable for storing photos.[4]
• All major browsers support SVG.[4]

About the AVIF format

• AVIF is defined by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia). It encodes images with AV1 and stores them in a HEIF container.[10]
• AVIF supports lossy and lossless compression, transparency, animation, HDR and wide colour gamut. AOMedia states that AVIF files are more than 50% smaller than JPEG files.[11]
• Chrome 85, Firefox 93, Safari 16.1, Edge 121 and later versions can display AVIF.[4][27]
• To insert AVIF images in Microsoft Office, you must install the free AV1 Video Extension.[28]