WebP is a web format that is smaller than JPG and supports transparency and animation. Current browsers open WebP, but support in programs and services is uneven.
BMP is Windows' basic bitmap that stores pixels as they are, without compression. When you convert WebP to BMP, you can open it in more places, a solid background replaces transparency and the file grows. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is WebP, then converts it to BMP right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
WebP vs BMP: what's the difference?
| Item | WebP | BMP |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | None (uncompressed) |
| Transparent background | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Introduced | 2010 | 1990 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | moderate | broad |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 0.7× | about 12× |
What is WebP?
WebP is a web image format Google released in 2010. At the same quality it can be roughly 25-35% smaller than JPG, and it handles lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation in a single format.
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 changes when you convert WebP to BMP
Transparent areas are filled with the background color you choose
BMP can't represent transparency. Transparent and semi-transparent areas are composited onto the background color in the options (white by default), so pick a matching color first if the image will be used on a dark screen.
Quality doesn't improve, but it doesn't get worse either
Information lost when WebP was saved can't be recovered. BMP is lossless, so it keeps the image exactly as it is now and later edits and saves add no further degradation. File size will grow, though.
Moving images keep only their first frame
BMP can't hold animation. If your WebP file is animated, only the first frame is converted.
With no compression, the file size grows a lot
BMP stores pixels as they are. A 1920×1080 image becomes about 6MB, so unless equipment or software requires BMP, another format is recommended.
BMP has no quality setting
BMP is none (uncompressed), so the quality slider doesn't apply. Instead, when converting from WebP you can manage file size by resizing (exact width and height, or a percentage).
How the file size changes
For the same photo, BMP is much larger than WebP (roughly 17× or so). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
BMP opens in more places
Support for WebP in programs, document tools and upload forms is moderate, while BMP is broad. If you need to upload somewhere WebP 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 WebP
- You need to feed legacy equipment or embedded software that only reads BMP
- You're preparing an image for typical BMP uses (input for legacy equipment and software, simple image-processing exercises)