HEIC to QOI Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
HEIC/HEIF Image and Quite OK Image exist for different jobs: 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. QOI is popular with hobbyist engines and emulators; convert to PNG to view it anywhere.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How HEIC compares to QOI
| HEIC | QOI | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy HEVC (lossless variant exists) | Lossless (RLE/delta) |
| Transparency | Supported | Supported |
| Animation | Supported (bursts/sequences) | Not supported |
| Metadata | EXIF, depth maps, HDR gain maps | None |
| Best for | iPhone photo storage | Hobby engines, lossless simplicity |
How to convert HEIC to QOI
- 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 QOI". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted QOI 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 QOI format
QOI (Quite OK Image, 2021) is a lossless format defined in one short specification document: a stream of simple run-length and delta ops over linear pixels. An encoder fits in 300 lines, decodes faster than PNG, and compresses comparably for photographic content.
It has found a home in emulators, demoscene projects and hobby engines — anywhere people want images without a codec dependency. Viewers rarely support it, so converting QOI to PNG is the way to bring these files into normal tools.
+ Strengths
- ✓Radically simple spec (~200 lines)
- ✓Lossless with fast decode
- ✓No patent or licensing questions
! Limitations
- −Almost no viewer support
- −Larger than modern codecs for many images
Why convert HEIC to QOI?
There is a concrete reason this conversion exists: Windows and many web services need extras to open it QOI sidesteps that — Radically simple spec (~200 lines) If that is your situation, the tool above settles it in seconds, entirely on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this HEIC to QOI 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 QOI?
No — QOI 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.
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.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to QOI?
Transparency is kept whenever QOI actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.