How do TIFF and HEICcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Tagged Image File Format
TIFF is a flexible, high-quality image format widely used in publishing, photography, and archival. It supports lossless compression, multiple layers, and high bit depths, making it the standard for professional imaging.
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 | TIFF | HEIC |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tagged Image File Format | High Efficiency Image Container |
| Extension | .tiff | .heic |
| MIME type | image/tiff | image/heic |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Aldus Corporation (now Adobe) | MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) |
| Year introduced | 1986 | 2015 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
Both TIFF and HEIC have their strengths. TIFF excels at professional photography and print production, while HEIC is better for iphone and ipad photography.
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