Convert PNG to HEIC — Free & Private

How much quality is lost when converting PNG to HEIC?

PNG is lossless — it stores every pixel exactly. Converting to HEIC introduces lossy compression that permanently discards some pixel detail. At a quality setting of 85-90%, the loss is invisible for photographs at normal viewing sizes on any screen. For graphics with text or sharp geometric edges, HEIC compression can create visible fringing around edges at lower quality settings, so flat-colour graphics and screenshots are usually better kept as PNG or WebP lossless.

• Photos at quality 85: invisible quality loss at normal screen sizes
• Text and sharp edges: some fringing possible at lower quality — keep PNG for graphics
• Once saved as HEIC, the discarded detail is gone permanently — keep your original PNG
• Recommended quality: 85 for web, 90-95 for print or large-display use

What happens to transparency when converting PNG to HEIC?

HEIC can technically support an alpha channel, but support for it is inconsistent across devices and software — many tools that open HEIC files treat them as fully opaque regardless of what the source contained. PNG's transparency is reliable, so if your image relies on a transparent background, check the converted HEIC carefully before relying on it.

• PNG transparency is reliable; HEIC transparency support is inconsistent
• Check the converted file — transparent areas may appear as a solid colour
• If transparency matters, keep the PNG or convert to WebP instead
• WebP's alpha channel support is consistent across modern browsers and tools

What quality setting gives the best size-to-quality trade-off?

Quality 85 is a good all-purpose setting for most use cases — it produces files significantly smaller than quality 100 with no visible difference at normal viewing sizes. For thumbnails where file size is critical, quality 70-80 is common. For images that will be printed or displayed at very large sizes, use 90-95.

• Quality 85: best all-purpose setting — invisible loss, meaningful size reduction
• Quality 70-80: thumbnails, previews, social media stories
• Quality 90-95: large prints, product zoom views, editorial photography
• Quality 100: rarely necessary — file is much larger with minimal visible benefit

How much smaller will the HEIC be compared to the PNG?

For photographic images, HEIC at quality 85 is typically 70-90% smaller than lossless PNG, because PNG can't apply lossy compression no matter how repetitive the pixels are. A 4 MB PNG photo commonly becomes a 300-800 KB HEIC with no perceptible quality difference. For flat-colour graphics (logos, icons, UI), the size reduction is smaller — PNG already compresses these efficiently, so HEIC may only be 20-50% smaller, and text can come out blurrier.

• Photos: 70-90% smaller than PNG at quality 85
• Screenshots and UI: 20-40% smaller (less repetitive pixel content)
• Flat-colour graphics: 10-50% smaller depending on complexity
• Images with text: keep as PNG or WebP lossless — HEIC can blur text edges