RAW to QOI Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
QOI is popular with hobbyist engines and emulators; convert to PNG to view it anywhere. If your files are still in RAW format, this page is the shortcut: RAW is the unprocessed sensor data from cameras — Canon CR2/CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Adobe DNG and friends. It holds maximum quality, but needs demosaicing before any normal app can show it.
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 RAW compares to QOI
| RAW | QOI | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless or lossy, per vendor | Lossless (RLE/delta) |
| Transparency | Not supported | Supported |
| Animation | Not supported | Not supported |
| Metadata | Full capture parameters | None |
| Best for | Photography masters and retouching | Hobby engines, lossless simplicity |
How to convert RAW to QOI
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your RAW 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 RAW format
RAW is not one format but a family: each camera maker packages the sensor's barely-processed readout differently — Canon CR2/CR3, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Panasonic RW2, plus Adobe's open DNG attempt at standardization. Instead of finished pixels you get 12- or 14-bit linear data straight off the sensor, which is why every RAW must be demosaiced and rendered before any ordinary app can show it.
The payoff is latitude. Because white balance, sharpening and tone curve were never baked in, a RAW file tolerates several stops of exposure correction that would destroy a JPG. The cost is workflow: files run 20–100 MB, every vendor's flavor needs its own decoder, and sharing means exporting a finished JPG or PNG.
+ Strengths
- ✓Maximum editing latitude — exposure and color can be re-decided later
- ✓12/14-bit depth avoids banding in shadows and skies
- ✓The archival master of digital photography
! Limitations
- −Unviewable without demosaicing — normal apps show nothing
- −Every camera vendor uses a different container
- −Large files (20–100 MB+)
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 RAW to QOI?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Unviewable without demosaicing — normal apps show nothing QOI works differently: Radically simple spec (~200 lines) If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this RAW 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 RAW to QOI?
No — QOI is a lossless format, so every pixel of the converted image matches your original RAW file. You can also adjust the quality/size balance before converting when the target format supports compression.
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.
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 RAW files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.