HEIC to WebP Converter

HEIC vs WebP — Differences Explained

The two formats for replacing JPG are from different worlds. HEIC is Apple’s format for storing photos taken with the camera of an iPhone (since iOS 11, which was released in 2017), and WebP is Google’s open web format for the browser. Both compress images much better than JPG, but only one opens without problems across different web platforms, while the other works only within the ecosystem it was created for.

Compressed HEIC images are 30-50% smaller than similar images saved as JPG files. However, support for HEIC images is usually limited to Apple devices; Windows servers, CMS systems, and websites can all struggle to open HEIC images without additional software. In contrast, WebP images are supported by all modern web browsers, work “out of the box” in WordPress, Shopify, and Squarespace sites, and are 35-60% smaller than comparable JPG images at the same image quality and dimensions.

If you’re uploading iPhone photos to a website, sending HEIC images to someone running Windows, or switching between Apple and non-Apple platforms, then converting to WebP is the best way to go – it’s smaller than JPG, has better compatibility, and has minimal visual quality loss.

What is HEIC?

HEIC stands for High Efficiency Image Container. Apple’s implementation of HEIF (the HEIF standard) is HEIC, and it’s compressed using the same math that Apple uses to compress 4K video into HEVC containers. So, every iPhone from the iPhone 7 onward captures photos in HEIC by default. They’re around half the size of JPGs and look fantastic.

HEIC saves everything JPG can’t, like motion in a Live Photo (basically a very short animation), the depth data in a Portrait photo, a burst mode, or even several exposure shots of a single scene in one container. But outside of Apple devices, HEIC support is often restricted to third-party Windows codecs or only partially implemented on Android devices. If you specifically need the Windows-friendly route, use the HEIC to JPG converter instead. Most web forms even today don’t support HEIC files.

What is WebP?

WebP is an image format released by Google in 2010 to help make the web faster. It supports all kinds of compression (including lossless), transparency (like PNG), and short animated movies (like GIF). The result is extremely small images (compared to JPG). If you’re weighing WebP against newer formats, this AVIF vs WebP vs JPEG comparison breaks down where each one wins.

All major browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and mobile browsers, have been able to natively render WebP images since 2016. It’s the default image format used by Google in its own products and is highly recommended for use in all images on websites optimized for Core Web Vitals.

Why convert HEIC to WebP?

• Universal compatibility: WebP works on every platform HEIC doesn’t, including Windows, Android, and Linux, as well as all browsers and CMSs.
• Smaller than JPG: WebP saves between 25% and 35% compared to JPG when compressed to the same quality as HEIC — the same tradeoff you’d get going from JPG to WebP directly.
• Web-ready: WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, and Webflow will work with WebP images uploaded directly to the CMS without requiring a plugin to open HEIC images.
• Faster page loads: Images load faster online, leading to improved LCP scores, reduced bandwidth usage, and therefore better SEO and user experience — especially when you’re batch-converting hundreds of photos at once.
• Transparency and animation: In addition to HEIC images of your iPhone photos, WebP also supports PNG transparency and short GIF animations, which you can replace with WebP images as well. If you need lossless transparency specifically, try the HEIC to PNG converter.
• No Apple lock-in: Photos in WebP can be opened by anyone, just like any other photo — no need for codec packs, or to have been stored in iCloud or uploaded from an Apple device. For an even smaller next-gen option, see the HEIC to AVIF converter.