HEIC VS ICO
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between High Efficiency Image Container and Icon File.
HEIC
heicStandard format on modern Apple devices, highly efficient storage.
Pros
- Half the size of JPG
- 16-bit color
- Live photo support
Cons
- Limited support on Windows/Android
- Licensing issues
ICO
icoStandard format used for computer icons and favicons.
Pros
- Contains multiple resolutions
- Standard for Windows/Web icons
Cons
- Limited use case
- Inefficient for general images
When HEIC wins
Stay with HEIC when you need iphone photography or apple ecosystem. Its strengths center on half the size of jpg and a feature set native to MPEG.
When ICO wins
Choose ICO when your workflow prioritizes favicons or desktop icons. It delivers contains multiple resolutions plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | HEIC | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | image/heic | image/x-icon |
| Developer | MPEG | Microsoft |
| Release Year | 2015 | 1985 |
| Best For | iPhone photography, Apple ecosystem | Favicons, Desktop icons |
Need to switch?
Where HEIC still wins
Keep HEIC when you need half the size of jpg and workflows depend on iphone photography / apple ecosystem. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship ICO deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .heic glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use ICO for favicons while archiving originals as HEIC.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.