Deciding between HEIC and JPEG can be a challenge when you need to store digital images on your devices. Both formats are raster files and can handle very detailed photos. Learn about the key features, pros and cons, and key differences in this helpful guide.
- What you will learn
- What is a HEIC file?
- What is a JPEG file?
What is the difference between HEIC files? HEIC and JPEG ?
HEIC vs. HEIC.JPEG Files: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a HEIC file
HEICs store images in the High Efficiency Image Format. HEIC files use the .HEIC extension
Learn more about HEIC file types
What is a JPEG file?
Short for Joint Photographic Experts Group, the JPEG format stores digital photos using colored pixels. JPEG image can store 16 million colors.
Learn more about JPEG file types
The difference between HEIC and JPEG files
Despite their common ability to store detailed photos, there are many differences in compression, image size and quality , and compatibility between HEIC and JPEG files to consider before choosing between them:
Compression
Because they can compress large images into more manageable files, JPEGs are the most popular choice for many web designers. The trade-off for this smaller file size is what is known as lossy compression, which means that every time you edit and re-save a JPEG file, some background data is lost. This can affect the picture quality.
On the other hand, HEIC offers a much more efficient modern compression method than the old JPEG format. convert HEIC to JPG files without sacrificing quality.
Storage space
Most HEIC files take up much less space on your computer, tablet or smartphone than JPEG. Its innovative compression process means HEICs take up half the storage space of a JPEG file. This can free up your hard drive while storing a much larger number of files. More optimized storage is one of the reasons Apple switched from HEIC to JPEG in 2017.
Picture quality
When it comes to compression and image quality, HEIC files beat JPEG. The HEIC format can improve the quality of photos with transparency and a larger dynamic range.
Compatibility
JPEG files have a longer history than HEIC files and are generally more compatible across operating systems and devices. It’s an easy process to open and edit JPEG files almost anywhere, from Windows computers to Mac, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP and more. You can also view JPEG files in most modern web browsers by simply dragging and dropping the file. , HEIC files do not. HEICs have become increasingly common in recent years, but are mainly used in Apple devices. You may even need to convert your HEIC files to JPEG when transferring photos from iPhone to PC.
Transparency
HEICs support image transparency in a similar way as PNG files. Transparency is particularly useful in web design, allowing images such as logos or graphics to blend seamlessly into the existing background of a web page.
The JPEG format, on the other hand, does not support transparency. This limits your flexibility when designing websites and can make you less suitable for logos.
Edit
Because JPEG is a lossy file format, files lose data every time you edit and resave an image. This means that the quality of a file can degrade over time as you edit and re-edit it, destroying more data each time
While HEIC is also a lossy file format, it tends to retain better image quality over time at. They also store editing information, so once you’ve saved changes to an image, you can undo them later.
