ICO is a container format for favicons and Windows icons. Current browsers open ICO, but support in programs and services is uneven.
PNG is a versatile lossless format with transparency support. When you convert ICO to PNG, you can open it in more places. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is ICO, then converts it to PNG right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
ICO vs PNG: what's the difference?
| Item | ICO | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparent background | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No |
| Introduced | 1985 | 1996 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | moderate | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | n/a | about 3× |
What is ICO?
ICO is the format used for Windows icons and website favicons. Its distinguishing feature is that one file can hold several sizes, such as 16×16, 32×32 and 256×256.
What is PNG?
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless format created in 1996 to avoid the patent problems around GIF. Because not a single pixel changes when you save and reopen it, it suits original artwork that goes through many edits.
What changes when you convert ICO to PNG
Pixel values are preserved exactly
ICO and PNG are both lossless, so there is no change in quality. Only the file structure, compatibility and size differ.
An ICO with several sizes uses just one of them
An ICO can hold multiple sizes such as 16×16, 32×32 and 256×256. The result is one of those images. If you need a large image, use an ICO that contains the biggest size.
PNG has no quality setting
PNG is lossless, so the quality slider doesn't apply. Instead, when converting from ICO you can manage file size by resizing (exact width and height, or a percentage).
How the file size changes
ICO files are small icons, so the size difference after any conversion is only a few KB.
PNG opens in more places
Support for ICO in programs, document tools and upload forms is moderate, while PNG is nearly everywhere. If you need to upload somewhere ICO 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 ICO
- You want to pull a favicon or icon file out as an ordinary image for editing or documents
- You're preparing an image for typical PNG uses (logos and icons, screenshots)
ICO → PNG: practical tips
If the ICO file contains several sizes, only one of the images is used. If you need a specific size, adjust it after converting with the size option.
PNG is the easiest format to edit a favicon or put it into a document.