How do JPG and HEICcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Joint Photographic Experts Group
JPG (also known as JPEG) is the most widely used image format for photographs and complex images. It uses lossy compression to significantly reduce file size while maintaining acceptable visual quality.
High Efficiency Image Container
HEIC is Apple's preferred image format, used by iPhones and iPads since iOS 11. It delivers significantly better compression than JPG while maintaining higher quality, but compatibility remains limited outside the Apple ecosystem.
| Specification | JPG | HEIC |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joint Photographic Experts Group | High Efficiency Image Container |
| Extension | .jpg | .heic |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | image/heic |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Joint Photographic Experts Group | MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) |
| Year introduced | 1992 | 2015 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
Both JPG and HEIC have their strengths. JPG excels at photography and photo sharing, while HEIC is better for iphone and ipad photography.
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