HEIC is a compressed, space-saving photo format iPhones use by default; PNG is a lossless format best for graphics, screenshots, and images that need a transparent background. Convert HEIC to PNG when you want a lossless, universally-compatible copy for editing — but expect a much larger file than the original HEIC or a JPG.
Different formats for different jobs
HEIC is a photo storage format built to save space. PNG is a lossless format built for exactness — it's the right choice for logos, screenshots, and anything with sharp edges or a transparent background. Converting HEIC to PNG makes sense when you need a lossless, editable, widely-supported copy of a photo.
Is PNG bigger than HEIC?
PNG stores every pixel exactly (it's lossless), so a photo converted from HEIC to PNG can be several times larger than the HEIC and larger than a JPG. For a photograph you're just sharing, that's wasteful — JPG is the better target. PNG earns its size only when you genuinely can't afford any quality loss.
Do HEIC and PNG support transparency?
Both HEIC and PNG support transparency, while JPG does not. If your image has a transparent background — rare for a phone photo, common for a graphic or a cut-out — PNG preserves it and JPG would fill it with a solid colour.
When to choose PNG over JPG for a HEIC
- You'll edit and re-save the image repeatedly — lossless PNG avoids the quality loss that stacks up each time you re-save a JPG.
- You need a transparent background preserved.
- You need pixel-exact quality for print or archiving.
- Otherwise, JPG is far smaller and perfectly fine — see HEIC vs JPG.
Convert with HEIC to PNG for a lossless copy, or HEIC to JPG for a smaller shareable one. Both run in your browser — nothing is uploaded. Need to cut out the background too? Try the on-device background remover.