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HEIC vs PNG: Which Should You Use?

HEIC is Apple's compact iPhone photo format; PNG is the lossless industry-standard. The two answer completely different questions — HEIC optimises for storage, PNG optimises for fidelity.

DimensionHEICPNG
CompressionLossy; ~half the file size of JPG at matched qualityLossless; preserves every pixel exactly
File sizeSmall (1–2 MB for iPhone photos)Large (5–15 MB for the same iPhone photo)
CompatibilityApple ecosystem and modern Windows; patchy elsewhereUniversal — every browser, OS, and editor
Editing toleranceEach re-save introduces compression lossEdit and re-save endlessly with no quality loss
Best forStorage-efficient photo librariesEditing source, screenshots, graphics with text

Recommendation

Keep HEIC as the storage format on your iPhone. Convert to PNG when you need to edit a photo or embed it in a design tool that requires lossless input. For sharing with non-Apple recipients, JPG is usually the better target than PNG.

Frequently asked questions

Is HEIC better than PNG?

Keep HEIC as the storage format on your iPhone. Convert to PNG when you need to edit a photo or embed it in a design tool that requires lossless input. For sharing with non-Apple recipients, JPG is usually the better target than PNG.

Can I convert between HEIC and PNG?

Yes. Converter.Plus runs both directions entirely in your browser — drop a file, choose the target format, download the result. No upload, no signup, no per-file limit.

Convert now

HEIC to PNG Converter
Decode iPhone HEIC photos into pixel-perfect lossless PNG for Figma, Photoshop, Affinity, and any design pipeline that refuses HEIC — all in your browser.
HEIC to JPG Converter
Open iPhone HEIC photos on Windows, Android, and any non-Apple workflow by converting them to standard JPG — entirely in your browser, no plugins or HEIF Image Extensions required.