HEIC and JPG are both formats for storing photos. Your iPhone uses HEIC by default, while almost everything else expects JPG. Here is how they compare.
What is JPG?
JPG (or JPEG) dates back to 1992 and is the most widely supported image format in the world. Every phone, computer, browser, photo editor, website and printer can read it. Its compression is simple and fast, but by modern standards not very efficient.
What is HEIC?
HEIC is Apple’s name for photos stored in the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) container and compressed with HEVC (H.265), the codec used for 4K video. Apple made it the default camera format with iOS 11 in 2017.
Side-by-side comparison
| HEIC | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size (same quality) | About 50% smaller | Larger |
| Image quality | Excellent, fewer artefacts at small sizes | Very good at high quality settings |
| Colour depth | Up to 16-bit, wide colour | 8-bit |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Multiple images per file | Yes (bursts, Live Photos, depth maps) | No |
| Compatibility | Apple devices, partial elsewhere | Universal |
| Editing speed | Slower to decode | Fast |
Is HEIC better quality than JPG?
At the same file size, yes. HEIC keeps more detail and shows fewer blocky artefacts. At a high JPG quality setting, though, the difference is invisible for normal viewing. Converting a HEIC photo to a high-quality JPG doesn’t make it look worse; it just makes the file bigger.
When to keep HEIC
- Storing photos on your iPhone or in iCloud, where the space savings add up quickly.
- Sharing between Apple devices (AirDrop, iMessage), which handle HEIC natively.
When to use JPG
- Uploading to websites, job portals, government or visa forms, and marketplaces.
- Sending photos to people on Windows or older Android phones.
- Printing, and editing in software that doesn’t support HEIC.
The simple rule
Keep shooting in HEIC to save space, and convert to JPG whenever a photo needs to leave the Apple world. You get small files on your phone and compatibility everywhere else.