HEIC vs JPG vs PNG vs WebP — Which Image Format Should You Use?

You're exporting an image and the software asks: JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC? You pick one. You've been picking the same one for years. You've never thought about whether it's the right one.

Here's what each format actually does, where it excels, and where it falls apart. With real file size comparisons, not theoretical claims.

The Quick Answer

| If you're doing this... | Use this format | |---|---| | Sharing photos on social media | JPG | | Sending photos from iPhone | Convert HEIC to JPG first | | Screenshots or UI mockups | PNG | | Website images (you control the site) | WebP | | Logos and icons | SVG (vector) or PNG (raster) | | Photos for web (maximum compression) | WebP or AVIF | | Professional print | TIFF or PNG (lossless) | | General compatibility (works everywhere) | JPG |

Now let's look at why.

The Formats, Explained

JPG (JPEG)

Created: 1992 | Compression: Lossy | Transparency: No

The universal format. Every device, browser, app, and platform supports JPG. It uses lossy compression — meaning it throws away some image data to reduce file size. At high quality settings (85-95%), the loss is invisible to the eye.

Best for: Photographs, realistic images, anything with smooth color gradients.

Worst for: Text, line art, screenshots (lossy compression creates visible artifacts around sharp edges), anything needing transparency.

File size benchmark: A 12 MP photo at quality 85 = approximately 2.5 MB.

PNG

Created: 1996 | Compression: Lossless | Transparency: Yes

PNG uses lossless compression — no quality loss, but larger files than JPG. It supports transparency (alpha channel), making it essential for logos, icons, and overlays.

Best for: Screenshots, graphics with text, logos, anything with sharp edges, images needing transparent backgrounds.

Worst for: Photographs (files are 3-5x larger than JPG with no visible quality benefit for photos).

File size benchmark: Same 12 MP photo = approximately 8-12 MB (much larger than JPG for photos).

WebP

Created: 2010 (Google) | Compression: Lossy or lossless | Transparency: Yes

Google's format designed specifically for the web. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and animation. File sizes are typically 25-35% smaller than equivalent JPG files with the same visual quality.

Best for: Website images (if you control the site), web apps, any scenario where file size matters and you can guarantee browser support.

Worst for: Print workflows, email attachments to non-technical recipients (some older email clients don't preview WebP), social media uploads (some platforms re-encode WebP to JPG anyway).

File size benchmark: Same 12 MP photo at equivalent quality = approximately 1.8 MB (28% smaller than JPG).

Compatibility note: All modern browsers support WebP (Chrome, Firefox, Safari 14+, Edge). Older Safari versions and some native apps don't. If you're unsure about your audience, stick with JPG.

HEIC (HEIF)

Created: 2015 (MPEG) | Compression: Lossy | Transparency: Yes

Apple's default photo format since iOS 11. Uses the HEVC video codec for compression, achieving roughly 40-50% smaller files than JPG at the same visual quality.

Best for: Storing photos on Apple devices (it saves significant storage space).

Worst for: Sharing with non-Apple users, uploading to websites, using in documents. Compatibility is terrible outside the Apple ecosystem.

File size benchmark: Same 12 MP photo = approximately 1.5 MB (40% smaller than JPG).

If you're sending HEIC photos to anyone not on Apple, convert to JPG first. WhiskFile's HEIC to JPG converter does this in your browser — the files never leave your device.

AVIF

Created: 2019 (Alliance for Open Media) | Compression: Lossy or lossless | Transparency: Yes

The newest contender. AVIF uses the AV1 video codec and achieves even better compression than WebP — files are typically 20% smaller than WebP at the same quality, and 50% smaller than JPG.

Best for: Cutting-edge web performance, sites that need maximum compression.

Worst for: Anything requiring broad compatibility right now. Safari added support in version 16, but older browsers and many native apps still don't support AVIF. Encoding is also slower than JPG or WebP.

File size benchmark: Same 12 MP photo = approximately 1.4 MB (44% smaller than JPG).

SVG

Created: 2001 (W3C) | Compression: N/A (vector) | Transparency: Yes

SVG isn't a pixel format — it's a vector format that describes shapes, paths, and text mathematically. This means it scales to any size without losing quality. A 2 KB SVG logo looks perfect on a business card and on a billboard.

Best for: Logos, icons, illustrations, diagrams, anything geometric or with flat colors.

Not for: Photographs. SVG can technically contain photo-like content, but the file would be enormous and the format adds nothing over JPG/PNG for photographic images.

BMP

Created: 1986 (Microsoft) | Compression: None (uncompressed) | Transparency: Limited

BMP stores raw pixel data with zero compression. Files are massive. A 12 MP photo as BMP = approximately 36 MB. There's virtually no reason to use BMP in 2026 unless you're dealing with legacy Windows software that requires it.

Convert BMP to JPG or PNG immediately. There's no quality benefit to keeping BMP files.

GIF

Created: 1987 | Compression: Lossless (limited) | Transparency: Yes (1-bit) | Animation: Yes

GIF supports only 256 colors, which makes it terrible for photos but adequate for simple animations. Its animation support is why it survived this long. For static images, PNG is superior in every way. For animation, modern alternatives include WebP (animated) and MP4/WebM video.

Real File Size Comparison

I took the same 4000×3000 photograph (12 megapixel, iPhone 15 Pro) and saved it in every format at roughly equivalent visual quality:

| Format | File Size | Relative to JPG | Quality Loss | |---|---|---|---| | BMP | 36.0 MB | 14.4x larger | None | | PNG | 9.8 MB | 3.9x larger | None | | JPG (quality 85) | 2.5 MB | Baseline | Minimal | | WebP (quality 80) | 1.8 MB | 28% smaller | Minimal | | HEIC (quality 80) | 1.5 MB | 40% smaller | Minimal | | AVIF (quality 70) | 1.4 MB | 44% smaller | Minimal |

The visual difference between the JPG, WebP, HEIC, and AVIF versions is negligible at these quality settings. You'd need to zoom in to 400% and compare pixel-by-pixel to spot differences.

Decision Flowchart

Is it a photograph?

• Yes → JPG for compatibility, WebP for web, HEIC stays on iPhone
• No ↓

Does it need transparency?

• Yes → PNG (broad compatibility) or WebP (smaller files, web only)
• No ↓

Is it a logo, icon, or illustration?

• Yes → SVG if possible, PNG if raster is needed
• No ↓

Is it a screenshot?

• Yes → PNG (preserves text sharpness)
• No ↓

Default: JPG for photos, PNG for everything else.

Converting Between Formats

WhiskFile has converters for every common format pair:

| From → To | Tool | |---|---| | HEIC → JPG | HEIC to JPG | | PNG → JPG | PNG to JPG | | JPG → WebP | JPG to WebP | | WebP → JPG | WebP to JPG | | Any → Any | Image Converter | | Reduce file size | Compress Image |

All conversions happen in your browser — files don't get uploaded to any server. This matters for personal photos and sensitive documents.

The Bottom Line

Don't overthink it. JPG for photos, PNG for screenshots and graphics, and WebP if you're building a website and want faster load times. That covers 95% of real-world situations.

The only time format choice gets complicated is when you're optimizing for specific platforms (web performance, print quality, Apple vs. Android compatibility), and even then, the answer is usually "convert to JPG and move on."