Image Format Converter
Four formats cover almost everything you will meet: HEIC, JPG, PNG and WebP. Each is good at something different, and converting between them always costs you something — file size, transparency or a little detail. Here is what each one does and when it is worth swapping.
At a glance
| Format | Quality | Transparency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPG | Lossy | No | Photos, upload forms, email |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | Screenshots, logos, editing |
| WebP | Either | Yes | Websites, smaller files |
| HEIC | Lossy | No | Storing photos on an iPhone |
HEIC — What your iPhone saves
iPhones have saved photos as HEIC by default since iOS 11 because it stores the same quality in roughly half the space. The trade-off is reach: most exam portals, Windows photo viewers and older editors still expect something else, and HEIC barely renders outside Apple's ecosystem.
Convert to JPG when a form or a Windows app refuses the file — that is the universally accepted option. Convert to PNG instead if you need lossless quality or transparency, or straight to WebP if the destination is a website.
JPG — The one everything accepts
JPG uses lossy compression that shrinks a photograph dramatically with little visible difference, which is why it is the default for photos and the format almost every upload form names. It cannot store transparency, and each re-save discards a little more detail.
Convert to PNG before repeated edits: it will not recover what the JPG already discarded, but it stops any further loss from that point, and PNG can hold a transparent background that a JPG never can. Convert to WebP for the web — typically 25–30% smaller at the same visual quality.
PNG — Lossless, transparent, large
PNG stores every pixel without loss and supports a transparent background, which makes it right for screenshots, diagrams, logos and anything you plan to keep editing. The cost is size: a photograph saved as PNG ends up several times larger than it needs to be.
Convert to JPG when a form caps the file size or you are emailing photographs. Convert to WebP for web graphics — it keeps the same transparency while compressing far more efficiently.
WebP — Built for the web
WebP is designed for fast-loading websites, supports transparency like PNG, and is handled by every current browser. That is also why images saved from the web so often arrive in this format — and why they then refuse to open in older software.
Convert to JPG when an upload form, an older editor or a printer rejects the file. Convert to PNG when you need to keep a transparent background and work in design or office software that will not read WebP.
Converting for a form with a size limit
Convert to the format the form asks for first, then bring the file under its KB limit with the resize-to-KB tool. Doing it the other way round wastes the compression, because the conversion changes the file size again.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting an image lose quality?
It depends on the direction. Converting to PNG or WebP-lossless keeps every pixel. Converting to JPG applies lossy compression, which discards some detail — usually invisible at normal quality settings, but it accumulates if you convert and re-save the same file repeatedly.
Can converting to PNG restore quality a JPG lost?
No. Detail a JPG discarded is gone permanently. Converting to PNG prevents any further loss from that point onward, which is useful before a run of edits, but it cannot recover what was already thrown away.
Which format should I upload to a government or exam form?
Use the format the form names, which is almost always JPG or JPEG. If it also states a file-size limit, convert first and then compress to the limit rather than the other way round.
Does transparency survive a conversion?
Between PNG and WebP, yes — both support an alpha channel. Converting either to JPG removes transparency, because JPG cannot store it; the transparent area is filled in, usually with white.
Are my images uploaded when I convert them?
No. The converter runs entirely in your browser using your own device, so the file never leaves it. There is no sign-up and no watermark.