Image MIME Reference
HEIF
High Efficiency Image File Format
image/heif
VS
WebP Image
image/webp
WebP
A complete technical comparison of High Efficiency Image File Format and WebP Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
WebP wins on browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | HEIF | WebP |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | Yes |
| Animation Support | Yes | Yes |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | Yes | Yes |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | Yes |
High Efficiency Image File Format
image/heif
Extension
.heif.hif
Container
HEIF / ISOBMFF (ISO/IEC 14496-12)
Compression
Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
Codec Agnostic (HEVC, AVC, JPEG, AV1)
Color Depth
8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit
Developed by
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)
Released
2015
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 6D 69 66 31
WebP Image
image/webp
Extension
.webp
Container
RIFF
Compression
Lossy / Lossless
Algorithm
VP8VP8L
Color Depth
8-bit
Developed by
Google
Released
2010
Magic Bytes
52 49 46 46 XX XX XX XX 57 45 42 50
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | HEIF | WebP |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✕ |
✓ 32+
|
Firefox
|
✕ |
✓ 65+
|
Safari
|
✕ |
✓ 14+
|
Edge
|
✕ |
✓ 18+
|
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ | ✕ |
HEIF
HEIF Strengths
- Highly flexible container that can store image bursts, animations, focal stacks, and stereo 3D images in one file
- Natively supports depth maps and alpha channels, making it perfect for computational photography
- When paired with modern codecs like HEVC or AV1, it provides massive storage savings over legacy formats like JPEG
Limitations
- Codec agnosticism makes broad software decoding difficult, as the container might hold proprietary or unsupported codecs
- Zero cross-platform web browser support, requiring conversion for online publishing
- Often confused with the more specific 'image/heic' and 'image/avif' MIME types
WebP
WebP Strengths
- Superior lossy compression — 25–35% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality
- Supports both animation and full alpha transparency
- Lossless mode available with smaller file sizes than PNG
Limitations
- Slower encoding than JPEG, especially for lossless
- Not supported in Internet Explorer or very old browsers
When to choose which format
HEIF
Use HEIF when…
- Digital Photography
- Camera Capture
- Image Archiving
- Multi-image composites
WebP
Use WebP when…
- Websites
- Ecommerce
- Mobile Apps
- CMS Images