The practical image format guide

Portable Network Graphics (PNG) — what it is and when to use it

PNG arrived in 1996 and stores images with 16.7 million colours and full (8-bit) transparency. A modern format with lossless compression and full transparency Use it when: Logos, screenshots, UI, line art, anything needing crisp edges and transparency. Compression: lossless. Animation: No (APNG partial). Typical size behaviour: Baseline. Browser support: Universal.

Converting from PNG: PNG to WebP, PNG to JPG, PNG to AVIF, PNG to GIF — or see all PNG converters.

WebP (WebP) — what it is and when to use it

WebP arrived in 2010 and stores images with 16.7 million colours and full transparency. A next-generation format that delivers up to 30% smaller files than JPEG Use it when: The default web-photo format when you want broad support and smaller weight. Compression: Both. Animation: Yes. Typical size behaviour: ≈ 26% smaller than PNG, 30%+ than JPEG. Browser support: All modern.

Converting from WebP: WebP to PNG, WebP to JPG, WebP to AVIF, WebP to GIF — or see all WebP converters.

JPEG (JPG) — what it is and when to use it

JPG arrived in 1992 and stores images with 16.7 million colours. The most widely supported photo format in the world Use it when: Photographs and complex continuous-tone images shared anywhere. Compression: lossy. Animation: No. Typical size behaviour: Good for photos, poor for flat graphics. Browser support: Universal.

Converting from JPG: JPG to PNG, JPG to WebP, JPG to AVIF, JPG to GIF — or see all JPG converters.

AV1 Image File Format (AVIF) — what it is and when to use it

AVIF arrived in 2019 and stores images with 1 billion (12-bit) colours and full transparency. The most efficient modern format, often beating WebP by another 20% Use it when: Cutting-edge websites chasing the smallest possible hero images. Compression: Both. Animation: Yes. Typical size behaviour: ≈ 50% smaller than JPEG, ~20% than WebP. Browser support: Chrome, Firefox, Safari 16+.

Converting from AVIF: AVIF to PNG, AVIF to WebP, AVIF to JPG, AVIF to GIF — or see all AVIF converters.

Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) — what it is and when to use it

GIF arrived in 1987 and stores images with 256 colours and 1-bit (on/off) transparency. A classic 256-colour format best known for simple animations Use it when: Short looping animations, memes and simple flat-colour graphics. Compression: lossless. Animation: Yes. Typical size behaviour: Large for photos, fine for flat clips. Browser support: Universal.

Converting from GIF: GIF to PNG, GIF to WebP, GIF to JPG, GIF to AVIF — or see all GIF converters.

Bitmap (BMP) — what it is and when to use it

BMP arrived in 1990 and stores images with 16.7 million colours and none (or 8-bit) transparency. An uncompressed Windows bitmap that keeps every original pixel Use it when: Raw pixel-exact storage and legacy Windows pipelines. Compression: lossless. Animation: No. Typical size behaviour: Uncompressed — very large. Browser support: Supported but heavy.

Converting from BMP: BMP to PNG, BMP to WebP, BMP to JPG, BMP to AVIF — or see all BMP converters.

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) — what it is and when to use it

TIFF arrived in 1992 and stores images with 281 trillion colours and full transparency. A high-fidelity format favoured by printers and archives Use it when: Print, publishing, archiving and high-bit-depth photography. Compression: Both. Animation: Rare. Typical size behaviour: Large, sometimes lossless. Browser support: Limited (viewers needed).

Converting from TIFF: TIFF to PNG, TIFF to WebP, TIFF to JPG, TIFF to AVIF — or see all TIFF converters.

Icon (ICO) — what it is and when to use it

ICO arrived in 1990s and stores images with 16.7 million colours and full (32-bit) transparency. The favicon and application-icon format used by browsers and Windows Use it when: Website favicons and desktop app icons at 16/32/48/256 px. Compression: lossless. Animation: Possible. Typical size behaviour: Tiny (icon sizes only). Browser support: Favicon standard.

Converting from ICO: ICO to PNG, ICO to WebP, ICO to JPG, ICO to AVIF — or see all ICO converters.

High Efficiency Image Container (HEIC) — what it is and when to use it

HEIC arrived in 2015 and stores images with 16.7 million+ colours and full transparency. Apple's photo format, roughly half the size of JPEG at equal quality Use it when: iPhone/iPad photos and high-efficiency stills. Compression: Both. Animation: Yes (HEIF). Typical size behaviour: ≈ 50% smaller than JPEG. Browser support: Apple native; convert elsewhere.

Converting from HEIC: HEIC to PNG, HEIC to WebP, HEIC to JPG, HEIC to AVIF — or see all HEIC converters.

High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) — what it is and when to use it

HEIF arrived in 2015 and stores images with 16.7 million+ colours and full transparency. The modern container behind HEIC, used by iPhone and pro cameras Use it when: Professional HEIF-family capture and image sequences. Compression: Both. Animation: Yes. Typical size behaviour: ≈ 50% smaller than JPEG. Browser support: Apple native; convert elsewhere.

Converting from HEIF: HEIF to PNG, HEIF to WebP, HEIF to JPG, HEIF to AVIF — or see all HEIF converters.

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) — what it is and when to use it

SVG arrived in 2001 and stores images with unlimited (vector) colours and full transparency. A resolution-independent vector format for logos and icons Use it when: Logos, icons, diagrams and illustrations needing infinite scaling. Compression: Vector. Animation: SMIL/CSS. Typical size behaviour: Bytes scale with complexity, not resolution. Browser support: Universal.

Converting from SVG: SVG to PNG, SVG to WebP, SVG to JPG, SVG to AVIF.

Frequently asked questions

Every converter on this site

The full directory lives at all 220 tools; the PNG collection is a good entry point at 9 PNG converters.