HEIC to FITS Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
Convert FITS frames to PNG or JPG to preview telescope data, or pack them into a ZIP for sharing. If your files are still in HEIC format, this page is the shortcut: HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the default photo format of iPhones. It stores photos in roughly half the space of JPG, but many programs and older systems still cannot open it directly.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How HEIC compares to FITS
| HEIC | FITS | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy HEVC (lossless variant exists) | None (optionally Rice/GZIP) |
| Transparency | Supported | Not supported |
| Animation | Supported (bursts/sequences) | Not supported |
| Metadata | EXIF, depth maps, HDR gain maps | Rich text header (WCS) |
| Best for | iPhone photo storage | Telescope frames, science data |
How to convert HEIC to FITS
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your HEIC files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to FITS". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted FITS file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the HEIC format
HEIC (High Efficiency Image Container) is the HEIF container carrying HEVC-compressed image data, and it has been the default photo format on iPhones since iOS 11. At equivalent quality it stores photos in roughly half the space of JPG, keeps 10-bit color and HDR information intact, and can hold multiple images — bursts,Live Photos pairs, even depth maps — in one file.
Its weakness is everything outside Apple's ecosystem. Windows needs an extension from the Store to preview it natively, many web services still reject the upload, and HEVC's patent licensing slowed hardware adoption on non-Apple devices. Android 9+ phones generally handle it, but the desktop web remained JPG territory for years.
+Strengths
- ✓About half the size of JPG at the same quality
- ✓10-bit color and HDR survive the pipeline
- ✓One file can hold bursts, sequences and depth data
!Limitations
- −Windows and many web services need extras to open it
- −HEVC patent licensing complicated adoption outside Apple
- −Thumbnail and preview performance on old hardware is poor
About the FITS format
FITS (Flexible Image Transport System) has carried professional astronomy data since 1981: every file opens with a plain-text header that records telescope, instrument, exposure, filters and world coordinates, followed by raw pixel arrays — often 16-bit or float, sometimes data cubes.
Values can be negative or far above display range, so FITS never looks right in a photo viewer. Converting to PNG applies a simple scaling pass that reveals the nebula or galaxy in the numbers — good for previews, while science pipelines keep the original.
+Strengths
- ✓Self-documenting science headers
- ✓High bit depth (16/32-bit, float)
- ✓The standard of every observatory
!Limitations
- −Not display-ready
- −Files are large and uncompressed
Why convert HEIC to FITS?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of FITS meet what HEIC cannot give you. Self-documenting science headers Meanwhile Windows and many web services need extras to open it One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this HEIC to FITS converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will I lose quality converting HEIC to FITS?
No — FITS is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original HEIC file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
Can I convert several HEIC files at once?
Yes — drop as many files as you like into the tool and they are converted in one batch. When more than one file comes out, everything is bundled into a ZIP for a single download.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your HEIC files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.