HEIC vs JPEG: Which Image Format Should You Use in 2025?

Format Overview

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) has been the dominant photographic image format since it was standardised in 1992. It uses lossy compression based on Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) to reduce file sizes while maintaining acceptable visual quality. Nearly every device, operating system, browser, and piece of software supports JPEG natively — it is the most universally compatible image format in existence.

HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is Apple's implementation of the HEIF standard, using HEVC (H.265) compression. Introduced as the default iPhone camera format in iOS 11 (2017), HEIC offers significantly better compression efficiency than JPEG, along with additional features like transparency support, 10-bit colour depth, and multi-image storage. However, its compatibility outside Apple's ecosystem remains limited.

For a detailed explanation of what HEIC actually is and how it works, see our guide: What is HEIC and why do iPhones use it?

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	HEIC	JPEG
Compression type	Lossy (HEVC/H.265)	Lossy (DCT)
Typical file size (12MP photo)	~2–4 MB	~4–8 MB
Compression ratio advantage	~40–50% smaller than JPEG	Baseline
Colour depth	8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit	8-bit only
Transparency (alpha channel)	Yes	No
HDR support	Yes (wide colour gamut)	Limited
Multi-image storage	Yes (burst, Live Photo, sequences)	No
Depth map storage	Yes	No
Metadata support	EXIF, XMP, IPTC	EXIF, XMP, IPTC
Windows support	With codec only	Native
Android support	Partial (varies by device)	Universal
Browser support	Safari, Chrome (partial)	All browsers
Software editing support	Modern versions only	Universal
Web use	Not recommended	Widely used
Standard age	2015 (HEIF), 2017 (Apple adoption)	1992

File Size: How Much Smaller is HEIC?

The most immediately practical difference between HEIC and JPEG is file size. In real-world testing, HEIC files from an iPhone camera are consistently around 40–50% smaller than equivalent JPEG files from the same scene at the same quality level.

To put this in concrete terms: a 12MP iPhone photo that would be 5MB as a JPEG might be 2.5–3MB as a HEIC file. For a user who takes 500 photos per month, that difference compounds significantly over time — the HEIC photos occupy roughly half the storage space.

The compression efficiency advantage comes from HEVC's more sophisticated encoding algorithms. HEVC uses better inter-prediction (predicting the value of one pixel from its neighbours), larger transform block sizes, and more flexible entropy coding than the DCT approach used by JPEG. These improvements have a measurable effect on how well the codec encodes the spatial patterns found in natural photographs.

Image Quality: Which Looks Better?

At the same file size, HEIC produces visibly better quality than JPEG. The most noticeable differences are in:

• Smooth gradients: JPEG compression creates visible banding artefacts on smooth colour transitions (blue skies, skin tones, sunsets). HEIC's better prediction algorithms handle these gradients more cleanly.
• Fine detail: JPEG compression applies DCT to 8×8 pixel blocks, which can create "blocking" artefacts in areas with fine detail at high compression ratios. HEIC's variable-size coding units handle fine detail more naturally.
• Colour accuracy: HEIC's 10-bit colour depth preserves more subtle tonal variations than JPEG's 8-bit limit, which is particularly important in low-light photography where smooth shadow gradations matter.

However, for practical use at typical quality settings, the visible difference between a well-compressed JPEG and a HEIC file of the same scene is minimal for most viewers. The advantage of HEIC is primarily in achieving the same quality at a smaller file size, rather than in producing dramatically better-looking images at the same file size.

Compatibility: Where Each Format Works

This is where JPEG's 30-year head start matters enormously. JPEG is universally supported on every platform, device, browser, operating system, and piece of software in existence. When you email someone a JPEG, you can be 100% certain they can open it regardless of their device or software.

HEIC's compatibility has improved significantly since 2017 but is still far from universal. macOS and iOS handle it natively. Windows requires a codec. Android support varies by manufacturer and OS version. Most web browsers can display HEIC images in HTML pages, but website upload forms frequently reject HEIC files. Most image editing software added HEIC support in recent years but older installed versions may not support it.

When to Use Each Format

Use HEIC when:

• You primarily use and share photos within Apple's ecosystem (iPhone, iPad, Mac)
• Device storage is a concern and you want to maximise photo capacity
• You shoot Live Photos, Portrait mode, or HDR content and want to preserve those features
• You're archiving photos long-term on a Mac or iCloud

Use JPEG when:

• You regularly share photos with Windows or Android users via email or direct transfer
• You upload photos to websites, e-commerce platforms, or social media from a desktop
• You edit photos in software that may not support HEIC
• You are using photos on a website (JPEG is the standard web format alongside WebP and PNG)
• You need guaranteed universal compatibility for professional or commercial use

If you decide to switch formats or need to convert existing HEIC files, ToolMasta's free HEIC to JPG converter handles the conversion quickly and without quality loss. For a full guide on the conversion process, see How to Convert HEIC to JPG Online for Free.