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HEIC vs WebP

Comparing High Efficiency Image Container and Web Picture Format - which format should you use?

	HEIC	WebP
Full Name	High Efficiency Image Container	Web Picture Format
Extension	.heic	.webp
MIME Type	image/heic	image/webp
Category	image	image

HEIC Pros

+50% smaller than JPEG at same quality
+Supports 16-bit color depth
+Stores multiple images (Live Photos, bursts)
+Supports transparency and depth maps

HEIC Cons

-Limited browser support (no native web support)
-Requires conversion for most platforms
-Patent-encumbered (HEVC licensing)
-Not supported by many image editors

WebP Pros

+25-35% smaller than JPEG at same quality
+Supports transparency (like PNG)
+Supports animation (like GIF)
+Supported by all modern browsers

WebP Cons

-Not universally supported in older software
-Lossy mode can produce different artifacts than JPEG
-Limited support in print workflows
-Some social media platforms don't accept WebP

Use HEIC when...

-iPhone and iPad photography
-Apple ecosystem sharing
-Storage-efficient photo libraries
-Live Photos and burst sequences

Use WebP when...

-Website images (best format for web)
-Progressive web apps
-Replacing both PNG and JPEG on websites
-Animated images (better than GIF)

Learn more about HEIC Learn more about WebP