MorphjetGet Morphjet

Images conversion

Convert PNG to HEIC

Short answer

PNG stores an image losslessly, which is why screenshots and graphics look perfect in it and why the files get large. HEIC uses modern compression and typically lands at a fraction of the size. Converting PNG to HEIC is worth it when the pictures are photographic, and a poor trade when they are screenshots or line art.

All 2,748 conversions verified on macOS, Windows, and Linux against the shipping release, this one included. Every conversion runs entirely on your own computer.

Extension
.png
Type
Images
Typically
Screenshots, logos, UI assets
Transparency
Supported
Extension
.heic
Type
Images
Typically
Default iPhone photo format
Compression
Lossy
Transparency
None
Metadata
Carries EXIF

Convert PNG to HEIC on your own computer. Nothing uploads.

One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.

How to convert PNG to HEIC

  1. Open Morphjet and drag in the PNG files, or point it at a folder full of them.
  2. Choose HEIC as the output. Transparency is preserved, so a cut-out image stays cut out.
  3. Convert. The originals are left untouched and the smaller copies are written alongside them.

PNG vs HEIC: what actually changes

PNGHEIC
CompressionLossless, every pixel exactLossy, tuned to be invisible on photographs
File sizeBaseline, often very largeDramatically smaller on photographic images
TransparencyYesYes
Text and sharp edgesPerfectly cleanCan soften slightly, which shows on screenshots
Where it opensEverywhere, without exceptionNative on Apple devices, varies elsewhere

When to convert, and when not to

Convert PNG to HEIC when a folder of photographs was saved as PNG and is taking far more space than it needs, which happens a lot with exports from cameras, scanners, and design tools that default to lossless output.

Do not convert screenshots, logos, diagrams, or anything with fine text. Lossless is the whole point of PNG for those, and HEIC will soften exactly the edges you cared about.

Why not just use an online converter?

PNG files exported from a camera workflow or a phone can still carry an embedded metadata block with the capture time, the device, and sometimes GPS coordinates. Because PNG is so often assumed to be a clean screenshot format, that information tends to go unnoticed and gets uploaded without a second thought. Converting on your own machine means it is never handed to a service, and you can strip the location on the way through.

Questions

Will converting PNG to HEIC lose quality?

Some, because HEIC is lossy and PNG is not. On photographs the difference is very hard to see at normal viewing sizes. On screenshots, diagrams, and text the softening is noticeable, so those should stay as PNG.

Does HEIC keep the transparent background?

Yes. HEIC supports an alpha channel, so a PNG with a cut-out subject keeps its transparency rather than gaining a white box behind it.

How much smaller will the files be?

For photographic content the saving is large, often several times over. For flat graphics with big areas of one colour the saving is much smaller, because PNG already compresses those very efficiently.

Will the HEIC files open on Windows?

Modern Windows can open HEIC, though it sometimes needs a codec from the store. Apple devices handle it natively. If the images are going to unknown recipients, JPG remains the safer choice.

Morphjet runs this conversion and 2,747 others, all on your machine. Available now.

One-time purchase, no subscription. 14 days to change your mind.