All formats
HEIC vs JPG
HEIC is roughly half the size of JPG at the same quality and stores depth maps and Live Photo data. JPG opens everywhere. Apple devices shoot HEIC by default, which is why the conversion to JPG is the most common photo task on any platform other than Apple.
Side by side
| Spec | HEIC | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Image | Image |
| Extensions | .heic, .heif | .jpg, .jpeg |
| Introduced | 2015 | 1992 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
| MIME type | image/heic | image/jpeg |
| Use it when | Staying inside the Apple ecosystem and storage space matters. | Sharing photographs where universal compatibility matters more than the last few percent of file size. |
| Avoid it when | Sending photos to someone else, uploading to a website, or archiving for the long term. Convert to JPG or PNG first. | The image has transparency, hard edges, screenshots or text, or will be edited and re-saved repeatedly. |
Where the usual answer breaks
If every device in your workflow is Apple, keep HEIC. Converting throws away both quality and storage for nothing.
HEIC
- Roughly half the file size of JPG at similar quality
- Can hold image sequences, depth maps and Live Photo data
- Supports 16-bit colour, unlike 8-bit JPG
- Frequently will not open on Windows, older Android, or in web tools
- Patent-encumbered, which is why adoption stalled outside Apple
JPG
- Opens everywhere, with no compatibility caveats
- Small files for photographic content
- Adjustable quality, so you control the size/fidelity trade-off
- No transparency (alpha) channel
- Every re-save loses more detail, so repeated edits degrade the image
- Visible blocking and halos on sharp edges, text and flat colour
Tools for these formats
Other comparisons
Last updated 2026-08-03