HEIC VS PNG
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between High Efficiency Image Container and Portable Network Graphics.
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
PNG
pngLossless format supporting transparency, ideal for logos and digital art.
Pros
- Lossless quality
- Alpha channel transparency
- Wide support
Cons
- Larger file sizes than JPG
- Not good for print (RGB only)
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 PNG wins
Choose PNG when your workflow prioritizes logos or screenshots. It delivers lossless quality plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | HEIC | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | image/heic | image/png |
| Developer | MPEG | PNG Development Group |
| Release Year | 2015 | 1996 |
| Best For | iPhone photography, Apple ecosystem | Logos, Screenshots, Graphics with transparent backgrounds |
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 PNG deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .heic glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use PNG for logos 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.