HEIC vs JPG: Quality, File Size, and When to Use Each
HEIC and JPG are both lossy image formats designed for photographs, but they use fundamentally different compression technologies. Here’s how they compare in practice.
File size: HEIC wins by roughly 50%
The most significant difference is compression efficiency. HEIC uses HEVC (H.265) compression, while JPG uses DCT-based compression from 1992. For the same perceived quality, HEIC files are typically 40-50% smaller.
A real-world example: a 12-megapixel iPhone photo at default settings:
| Format | File Size | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| HEIC | 1.8 MB | Excellent |
| JPG (quality 92) | 3.5 MB | Excellent |
| JPG (quality 80) | 1.9 MB | Good (visible artifacts) |
To match HEIC’s file size, you’d need to reduce JPG quality to around 80, which introduces visible compression artifacts around edges and in gradients.
Visual quality: Nearly identical at default settings
When both formats are used at their default quality settings, the difference is virtually imperceptible to the human eye. Both produce sharp, detailed photographs suitable for printing and professional use.
The difference becomes more apparent at lower quality settings. HEIC degrades more gracefully — it tends to soften the image uniformly rather than creating the blocky artifacts typical of heavily compressed JPGs.
Color depth
HEIC supports up to 16 bits per channel (48-bit color), while standard JPG is limited to 8 bits per channel (24-bit color). This means HEIC can represent over 281 trillion colors versus JPG’s 16.7 million.
In practice, this matters most for:
- Photos with subtle gradients (sunsets, skies)
- Professional editing workflows where you need headroom for color grading
- HDR content display on modern screens
Feature comparison
| Feature | HEIC | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes (Live Photos) | No |
| Depth maps | Yes | No |
| Multiple images in one file | Yes | No |
| EXIF metadata | Yes | Yes |
| Universal support | Limited | Universal |
When to use JPG
JPG remains the better choice when:
- Sharing with others — every device, browser, and app supports JPG
- Uploading to websites — most platforms expect JPG or PNG
- Email attachments — recipients can always open JPGs
- Printing services — virtually all print shops accept JPG
When to keep HEIC
HEIC is ideal when:
- Storing photos on your iPhone — saves roughly half the storage
- Preserving maximum quality — HEIC’s 16-bit color retains more data
- Using Apple-only workflows — all Apple devices handle HEIC natively
- Live Photos and depth effects — these features require HEIC
Converting between formats
When you need to share iPhone photos outside the Apple ecosystem, converting HEIC to JPG is the practical solution. Use heic.site for instant, private conversion — your files never leave your device. Set quality to 92 or higher for results virtually indistinguishable from the HEIC original.