Four file types cover almost every picture you will meet: HEIC, JPG, PNG and WebP. They are not interchangeable. Each one makes a different trade between file size, detail and how widely it can be opened.
JPG: the safe choice for photos
JPG has been the default for photographs for decades. It makes small files by throwing away detail that is hard to see, and it can be opened by practically every phone, computer, printer, website and program. If you are not sure what to use for a photo, JPG is the answer that will rarely cause a problem.
Its weaknesses are that it cannot be see-through, and that it gets slightly worse each time you save it again. It is also poor for sharp-edged graphics, where text and lines can pick up a faint fuzz around them.
PNG: exact pictures and see-through backgrounds
PNG does not throw anything away. Every pixel is saved exactly, which makes it the right choice for screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with text or sharp edges. It can also have a see-through background, which is why logos and cut-outs are usually PNG.
The cost is size. A photograph saved as PNG can be several times bigger than the same photograph as JPG. Use PNG for graphics and JPG for photos, and you will have the best of both.
WebP: small files for websites
WebP was created to make web pictures smaller. It can make files noticeably smaller than JPG at a similar look, and it can also be see-through. Most browsers show it without trouble, which is why many sites now serve their pictures as WebP.
The catch appears when you save a WebP and try to use it elsewhere. Some older programs, print shops and upload forms do not know it. Our WebP to JPG and WebP to PNG pages exist for exactly that moment.
HEIC: what your iPhone saves
HEIC is the format iPhones use by default. It stores a photo in roughly half the space of a JPG at a similar look, which is helpful when your phone is full. The trouble is compatibility: many Windows computers, web forms and older programs cannot open it.
Keep HEIC while the photos live on your phone and Apple devices. Convert to JPG when you need to share a photo with someone else or upload it to a website. If you would rather your iPhone made JPGs from the start, open Settings, then Camera, then Formats, and choose Most Compatible.
A quick way to decide
Ask what the picture is, then where it is going:
- A photograph going to a person, an email or a form: JPG.
- A screenshot, a logo, a drawing or anything with text: PNG.
- A picture with a see-through background: PNG (or WebP if the place you are using it accepts it).
- A picture for your own website where speed matters: WebP, with a JPG as the safe fallback.
- A photo that must stay as small as possible on your phone: leave it as HEIC.
Converting loses nothing you did not already have
Converting a file does not improve it. A low-quality JPG saved as PNG is still a low-quality picture in a bigger file. Choose the format for the job, convert once, and keep the original so you can start again from the best copy.
All of our converters work inside your browser, so nothing is uploaded, and you get a new file while your original is left alone.