[Full Comparison] HEIC vs JPG/JPEG, Which is Better?

What are HEIC and JPG?

JPG is an extensively used compressed image format for containing digital photos. A compression ratio of 10:1 can be applied in JPG files and the significant details will be preserved. It means that the image data can be saved with Minimum to maximum compression as per users' taste. And JPG images are suitable for photographs and realistic paintings.

And if you are using iOS 11 or later, HEIC files may be the new kid on the block in your iPhone. When you take photos, the pictures are saved as HEIC files instead of the previous format, JPG. HEIC（short for High-Efficiency Image Container）was introduced to offer the latest advancements in compression technology and replace JPG as the iPhone’s default photo capture format. 

HEIC vs JPG: What are the differences?

Despite how mainstream JPG is, Apple still adopted HEIC in iOS 11 and later. This implies that the two formats have some key differences. Below, we will talk about their storage, quality, compatibility, etc and you can know what is the difference between heic and jpg.

HEIC vs. JPG – Compression

JPG format can compress large images into more manageable files, but the smaller file size leads to lossy compression. It means that whenever you edit and resave a JPG, it loses some background data. This can affect image quality.

In this point, the HEIC format obviously performs better. It offers a much more efficient, modern compression method than the older JPG format. And HEIC files break images into significantly smaller files without affecting quality. 

HEIC vs. JPG – Storage

According to the name you can see, HEIC is very “efficient” at compressing images. It’s a variant of HEIF (High-Efficiency Image Format) and uses HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Container) or H.265 video compression standards to encode pictures.

At WWDC 2017, Apple’s Craig Federighi revealed that HEIC could offer up to two times the compression of a standard JPEG image. So we can know that most HEIC files can take up significantly less room than JPG files on your devices.

HEIC vs. JPG – Quality

Technically speaking, HEIC images win out over JPG. And it has significant advantages over JPG format in the following ways:

• Improved highlights, shadow details, and mid-tones

• Extended dynamic range

• 16-bit colors (as opposed to JPG’s 8-bit color profile)

• Depth information

• Transparency

• Non-destructive edits

Although these features above apply to the HEIF format in general and may be not applicable to the HEIC variant of images taken on an iPhone. Such as Apple’s smartphone cameras are limited to capturing images in 10-bit color. You can also end up with terrific-looking images at just half the file size through the iPhone camera.

HEIC vs. JPG - Compatibility

JPG files have a longer history than HEICs for users. And JPGs are generally more compatible across operating systems, software and devices. It’s easy and comfortable to open and edit JPG images under most circumstances — from Windows PCs to MacBooks, Adobe Photoshop, GIMP and beyond. While JPGs have great universal compatibility, HEIC files don’t.

Although HEICs have gained popularity in recent years, their primary use is almost on Apple devices. If you want to edit them on the Windows PC, you may need to convert HEICs to JPGs.

HEIC vs. JPG - Editing

As an older lossy file format, JPG files lose data when you edit and resave an image. This means the quality of the file can degrade over time as you edit and re-edit, and more data will be destroyed each time. 

HEICs, while also a lossy file format, tend to maintain better image quality as time goes by. They also store editing information, so even if you’ve saved edits to an image, you can reverse them next time. 

HEIC vs JPEG/JPG: Which is better?

From the above explanation, we can get the key point. Both formats are raster files and can handle highly detailed photographs. But HEIC is better than JPG in many ways, especially in its photo compression capability which contributes to a lot of space saving without losing image quality. And HEIC can help you retain better image quality during the editing process, but HEICs can only work with Apple devices while JPG comes with great compatibility.

Ultimately, “HEIC vs JPG, which is better” depends on your personal preference and needs. If you are an Apple device user and value image quality, storage space, and editing experience, you may prefer to use HEIC files.

However, if you value compatibility, convenience, and simplicity, especially if you want to use your photos on Windows PC, android photos, or open on Photoshop, you may be more likely to use JPG format for your pictures.

Note:

If you want to stop saving photos as HEIC, you can go to the Settings app, choose Camera > format > compatible to turn off HEIC on your iPhone, then your iPhone camera will take photos in JPG format.

If you continue to use HEIC files, the main problem is how to open HEIC files or convert HEIC to JPG on Windows PCs. Now read on, and you will know the answer.

How to open a HEIC File on Windows PC

If you wish to open the HEIC file on your Windows PC, installing the extensions is a good method. And it will extend the capabilities of the app on your computer. But this way is only useful for Windows 10 and 11 PC.

Other Windows PCs need to install a photo converter to help convert your HEIC files to JPG format. Then you can open and view them easily.

Install the HEIF image extensions for Windows 10 and 11 PC

For Windows 10/11 PCs, installing HEIF Image Extension can help you open HEIC files. Once extended, the app will natively support the HEIC format like other image formats. Here we will teach you how to get it.

Step 1. Launch the browser on your computer and go to the HEIF Image Extensions page on the Microsoft store.

Step 2. Hit the Get button to download and install the extension.

Once the installation is completed, HEIC files on your Windows 10/11 PC could open in the Photos app without any compatibility issues. 

Converter HEIC to JPG/JPEG/PNG on Windows

For other Windows PCs users, the only way to open HEICs is to install the photo converter. As a professional image format converter, FoneTool works on Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/SP. You can convert HEIC photos to JPG/JPEG/PNG quickly by dragging and dropping the pictures in this excellent converter.

In addition, FoneTool won’t affect your photos. It helps you convert HEIC photos to JPG/JPEG/PNG without losing quality. And you can convert all of your HEIC at a time.

And it’s also a handy iPhone photos transfer tool. You can firstly transfer photos from iPhone to PC with this tool. After clicking the download button, you can get a free iPhone data management tool. Follow the steps below and you can see how to use it.

Step 1. Launch FoneTool. Click “Toolbox” > “HEIC Converter”.

Step 2. When the converter program is launched, select “Add Photos”, and choose photos you need to convert.

Step 3. Specify the format, quality, speed, and storage path. Then click “Start Converting”.

Then wait for a while, and go to the storage path to view your photos.

Conclusion

This guide has covered all the main things about HEIC vs JPG. And if you need to convert HEIC to JPG on Windows PCs, FoneTool will give you great help. Besides, FoneTool is more than a photo converter, it is also a powerful and professional iPhone transfer software. With its help, you can easily transfer media files from iPhone to PC.