HEIC vs PNG: Difference Between HEIC and PNG

Are you looking for the difference between HEIC and PNG format? If yes, then go through this quick guide. Here, we have mentioned everything about HEIC vs PNG you want to know.

By Tom Boyer | Last Updated: May. 07, 2020

HEIC’s new file format came into reality when Apple adopt this as the default format for saving images in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11. HEIC is generally used interchangeably with HEIF. Whenever a new file format came into existence when we already have one of the most compatible formats i.e. PNG, it is obvious for users to become curious to know the difference between a new file format and a conventional format. That’s why we come up with this guide to show you the main difference between HEIC & PNG file formats you are looking for.

Also Read: What’s the Difference Between HEIC and JPG >

What’s the Difference Between HEIC and PNG

PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics and it is originally invented as an enhanced replacement for GIF. It is a lossless compressed file format that makes it ideal for both text documents and photographs. It is the most often used compressed raster image format on the web.

On the other hand, the HEIC stands for High-Efficiency File Container and it is a new image file extension or container format developed by MPEG, famous audio, and video compression standard. This new file holds single or multiple images saved in HEIF (High-Efficiency Image Format. In addition to it, the HEIC file can save not just more than one image, but it can also store image properties, image thumbnails, HDR data, and much more.

HEIC and PNG

Now, what’s the difference between HEIC & PNG? Below are the main differences between HEIC and PNG file formats.

1. HEIC vs PNG: Supported Operating System

The PNG file format is more compatible as compared to HEIC format. You can easily open and view the PNG image file on every platform, such as Android, Windows, Mac, iOS, etc. On the other side, HEIC is a new file format and that’s why it has compatibility issues with some platforms. Unlike the PNG file format, you may face problems while opening or viewing HEIC files on Windows and Android operating systems. Moreover, HEIC’s new file format also shows the problem in some Mac versions and iOS versions. Here is the list of the operating system that new file format support:

iOS 11 and above
macOS High Sierra and above
Latest Windows 10 version and above
Android Pie

Don’t Miss: How to Open a HEIC File in Windows 10/8/7 >

2. HEIC vs PNG: File Size and Image Quality

The new file format HEIC stores images with smaller file sizes as compared to common image file format i.e. PNG. Even, the size of the HEIC image is smaller than the PNG image file; there is high image quality as compared to PNG format.

3. HEIC vs PNG: Flexibility

As compared to the PNG file, the HEIC file is far more flexible as it can store a single image or sequence of images. And on the other hand, the PNG file can hold only one image. In addition to it, the HEIC file contains an image, along with its metadata.

4. HEIC vs PNG: Editing Support

Both HEIC and PNG file format provides transparency support. However, you can only perform editing features, such as rotate and crop on the HEIC file without resaving or altering the image. This means you can undo changes later on.

Check out the below articles to learn about the more comparison between HEIC and other image formats:

Comparison Between HEIC vs JPG >

Comparison Between HEIC & JPEG Format >

What is HEIC & What is HEIF >

The Bottom Line

That’s all about the difference between HEIC and PNG file format. No doubt, HEIC has some compatibility issues, but Apple converts HEIC images to the most compatible format automatically when you want to share them with platforms that do not provide native support for the new file format. Nevertheless, HEIC is better than the PNG format when it comes to filing size.