How do TIFF and ICOcompare? 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.
Icon File Format
ICO is the icon file format used by Windows for application icons and website favicons. It can contain multiple image sizes and color depths in a single file.
| Specification | TIFF | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Tagged Image File Format | Icon File Format |
| Extension | .tiff | .ico |
| MIME type | image/tiff | image/x-icon |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Aldus Corporation (now Adobe) | Microsoft |
| Year introduced | 1986 | 1985 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
Both TIFF and ICO have their strengths. TIFF excels at professional photography and print production, while ICO is better for website favicons.
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.