What this tool does
The Image Format Converter lets you switch image files between the 9 most widely used image formats: PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, SVG, ICO, BMP, and TIFF. It also reads HEIC and HEIF photos straight from iPhones and iPads, so you can drop an Apple photo in and convert it to any of those formats. Upload an image and convert it with a single click. For lossy formats like JPEG, WebP, and AVIF, you can adjust the quality level to balance file size against visual fidelity. All processing happens locally in your browser. No files are uploaded to any server.
Supported formats
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless format ideal for graphics, logos, and images that need transparency. JPEG is the standard for photographs, offering adjustable lossy compression. WebP is Google's modern format that delivers roughly 25-35% smaller files than JPEG and PNG while supporting both lossy and lossless compression plus transparency. AVIF is the newest format based on AV1, often achieving 50% smaller file sizes than JPEG with excellent quality. GIF supports simple animations and is limited to 256 colors per frame. SVG is a vector format best for icons and illustrations that scale without quality loss. ICO is used for website favicons and application icons. BMP is an uncompressed bitmap format that preserves every pixel exactly as-is. TIFF is a lossless format favored for print, scanning, and archival work where exact fidelity matters.
On the input side, the tool also accepts HEIC and HEIF, the high-efficiency formats Apple devices use by default. Browsers cannot open these directly, so the tool decodes them in your browser before converting. HEIC and HEIF are input-only: no mainstream browser can encode them, so you convert from HEIC to formats like JPEG, PNG, or WebP rather than the other way around.
How it works
The tool loads your image into the browser's canvas element, which decodes the pixel data regardless of the source format. HEIC, HEIF, and TIFF files cannot be read by the browser's image element, so the tool decodes them first into pixel data and then hands them to the same canvas pipeline. For output formats supported natively by the browser (PNG, JPEG, WebP, AVIF), it uses the Canvas API's built-in encoding. For GIF output, the tool quantizes colors down to 256 entries using a popularity-based palette and applies LZW compression. BMP output writes raw pixel data in the standard bitmap format. ICO output wraps a PNG inside the ICO container format, automatically scaling images larger than 256 pixels. SVG output embeds the raster image as base64 data inside an SVG wrapper. TIFF output writes uncompressed RGBA pixel data in the baseline TIFF format. For formats that do not support transparency (JPEG, BMP), the tool composites the image onto a white background.
Who should use this
iPhone and iPad owners who need to share photos with people on Windows, or upload them to sites that reject HEIC, can convert Apple photos to JPEG or PNG in seconds. Web developers optimizing images for faster page loads will find the WebP and AVIF options valuable. Graphic designers who need specific formats for different platforms can convert between any of the supported formats. Anyone creating a favicon can convert directly to ICO. Photographers and anyone working with scans or print files can convert to and from TIFF, or export from PNG to JPEG for sharing.
Limitations
HEIC and HEIF are supported as inputs only, because browsers cannot encode them. AVIF encoding support depends on your browser. Recent versions of Chrome and Edge can encode it, while Safari and Firefox generally cannot, in which case the AVIF option is disabled automatically. Converting a raster image to SVG embeds the raster data inside an SVG wrapper rather than performing true vectorization. GIF output is limited to 256 colors, so photographic images may show banding. ICO output automatically scales images larger than 256 pixels to fit the format's size limit. TIFF output is uncompressed, so the resulting files are large but pixel-exact. Converting from a lossy format (like JPEG or HEIC) to a lossless one (like PNG) preserves the image exactly as decoded but cannot recover quality lost during the original compression.
FAQs
Q: Can I convert HEIC files from my iPhone? A: Yes. Drop a HEIC or HEIF file in and convert it to JPEG, PNG, WebP, or any other supported output format. The decoding happens entirely in your browser.
Q: Can I convert an image to HEIC? A: No. HEIC and HEIF are input-only because no mainstream browser can encode them. To shrink a photo, convert to WebP or AVIF instead, which reach similar file sizes and are widely supported.
Q: Does converting JPEG to PNG improve quality? A: No. Converting a lossy format to a lossless one preserves the decoded pixels exactly, but cannot recover detail lost during the original JPEG compression. The file will likely be larger.
Q: Which format gives the smallest file size? A: AVIF typically produces the smallest files for photographs, followed by WebP, then JPEG. For simple graphics with few colors, PNG can sometimes be smaller than lossy formats.
Q: Why is my AVIF option grayed out? A: Your browser cannot encode AVIF. Try a recent version of Chrome or Edge.
Q: Why is my TIFF file so large? A: TIFF output is uncompressed to preserve every pixel exactly, which is what print and archival workflows expect. For a smaller lossless file, choose PNG instead.
Q: What happens to transparency when converting to JPEG? A: JPEG does not support transparency. The tool fills transparent areas with white before converting.
Q: Can I convert animated GIFs? A: The tool converts the first frame of an animated GIF. Full animation conversion is not supported.
Q: Why does my GIF look different from the original? A: GIF is limited to 256 colors. Photographic images with millions of colors will be reduced to 256 using a popularity-based palette, which can cause visible color banding.
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