Why PNG is the editor’s format
If a .heif photo is heading into an editing app, a slide deck or a design tool, PNG is the safest stop on the way. It’s lossless, so you can open and save it as many times as you like without the image getting worse. Every image editor, layout tool and office suite reads it, which is more than you can say for HEIF.
JPG is the better choice when you’re simply sharing photos, because it’s much smaller. For that, use HEIF to JPG.
HEIF files that need PNG most
Phone shots you plan to retouch
Samsung and other Android phones can save photos as HEIF to save space. If you’re going to remove a blemish, swap a sky or apply several rounds of adjustments, start from a PNG so each save doesn’t add JPG artefacts.
Graphics and cut-outs
HEIF can carry an alpha channel. PNG is the most compatible way to keep it. JPG can’t store transparency at all and would flatten those areas onto a solid background.
Camera HEIF for print layouts
Some mirrorless cameras shoot 10-bit HEIF. PNG gives you a lossless 8-bit copy that layout and publishing software opens without complaint, while you keep the original HEIF as the master file.
Size versus fidelity
| You need | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Perfect pixels for editing | PNG | Lossless, keeps transparency |
| Easy sharing | JPG | Small and universal |
| Web pages | WebP | Smaller than JPG, modern browsers |
PNG files from photos get large quickly. If your editing doesn’t need the full 12 MP or more, the format switcher above can still help, or you can scale images down first with Resize HEIC, which also accepts .heif files.
A note on naming
The HEIF and HEIC labels confuse almost everyone, and devices aren’t consistent about which extension they write. If you’d like the full story, read HEIC vs HEIF. For this tool it doesn’t matter: drop either kind in and you’ll get PNGs out.
Works without a connection
The converter is a progressive web app. Load it once, install it to your desktop or home screen if you like, and it will convert HEIF to PNG even when you’re offline. That’s also your proof that the images never leave your machine: there’s nowhere for them to go.