BMP is Windows' basic bitmap that stores pixels as they are, without compression. BMP opens in most environments, but another format such as JPG may suit some uses better.
JPG is the most widely used lossy format for photos. When you convert BMP to JPG, you can open it in more places and the file gets smaller. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is BMP, then converts it to JPG right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
BMP vs JPG: what's the difference?
| Item | BMP | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | None (uncompressed) | Lossy |
| Transparent background | No | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Introduced | 1990 | 1992 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | broad | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 12× | baseline (1×) |
What is BMP?
BMP is a bitmap format from Windows that mostly stores pixel values as they are, without compression. Its simple structure makes it easy for programs to read, but the files are so large that it is rarely used on the web.
What is JPG?
JPG (JPEG) is a lossy format standardized in 1992. It drops information the human eye is less sensitive to, making photos very small. It is the format cameras and smartphones save by default, so it is the one you meet most often.
What changes when you convert BMP to JPG
Lossy compression is applied
BMP loses no quality, but JPG drops information the eye barely notices to shrink the file. Even next to the BMP original, the default quality of 90 is hard to tell apart, and the slider lets you tune size against quality.
You can adjust quality, size and background color
When converting BMP to JPG, you can use the quality slider (default 90), exact width-and-height sizing with margin fill, and percentage resizing. BMP is lossless, so lowering quality to around 80 usually still looks natural. Lower it when size matters, and raise it to 95 or more for archiving.
How the file size changes
JPG is far smaller than BMP (roughly 1/12 the size). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
JPG opens in more places
Support for BMP in programs, document tools and upload forms is broad, while JPG is nearly everywhere. If you need to upload somewhere BMP wouldn't open, try again after converting.
When to convert
- You need to upload to a program, messenger or upload form that can't open BMP
- You need to shrink a BMP file for an email attachment or an upload size limit
- You're preparing an image for typical JPG uses (sharing photos, blog and online-shop product photos)
BMP → JPG: practical tips
BMP has no compression, so converting to JPG usually shrinks it to a tenth or less. This helps the most when you're cleaning up picture files made by old programs.