Best Free Image Format Converters in 2026: HEIC, WebP, AVIF and More

If you've ever received a .heic photo from an iPhone and couldn't open it, or needed to convert a .webp image to .png for a design project, you know the frustration. Image format conversion is one of those tasks that should be trivial but often isn't. We tested the most popular free converters to find the best option.

Why Format Conversion Still Matters

Despite efforts to standardize, the image format landscape is more fragmented than ever:

The Contenders

CloudConvert

CloudConvert is a powerful multi-format converter that supports hundreds of file types. Quality is excellent, and batch conversion works well. The catch: files are uploaded to their servers, and the free tier is limited to 25 conversions per day. For sensitive images, the upload requirement is a drawback.

Pros: Huge format support, good quality controls, API available

Cons: Files uploaded to servers, 25/day free limit, can be slow for large batches

Convertio

Similar to CloudConvert in approach — upload your files, convert on their servers, download the results. The free tier caps at 100MB and 10 minutes of conversion time. The interface is clean but the constant upselling can be annoying.

Pros: Simple interface, many formats supported

Cons: 100MB free limit, files uploaded, aggressive upsells

Squoosh (Google)

Google's Squoosh is a fantastic browser-based tool that processes images locally. However, it only handles one image at a time — no batch conversion. It's primarily designed for compression and optimization rather than format conversion, though it does support output to WebP, AVIF, JPG, and PNG.

Pros: 100% local processing, excellent compression controls, open source

Cons: Single image only (no batch), limited input format support, no HEIC

FormatFlip

FormatFlip runs entirely in your browser with no uploads. It supports all the modern formats that matter — HEIC, WebP, AVIF, PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP, and TIFF — with batch conversion and ZIP download. The quality slider lets you fine-tune JPG and WebP output with real-time file size preview. It also strips EXIF metadata to clean files for sharing. Free tier allows 1 conversion per day.

Pros: No uploads (runs in your browser), all modern formats including HEIC, batch conversion, metadata stripping

Cons: 1/day free limit, browser-only

FreeConvert

FreeConvert offers a web-based converter with a generous 1GB free limit. It supports most common formats but processes everything server-side. The interface is clean, though cluttered with ads on the free tier.

Pros: High file size limit, decent format support

Cons: Server-side processing, ad-heavy free tier, no AVIF input

The Verdict

For privacy-conscious users who want modern format support, FormatFlip is the standout — it handles HEIC, WebP, and AVIF locally in your browser with no uploads. If you need to convert hundreds of files and don't mind uploading, CloudConvert offers the most comprehensive format support. Squoosh remains excellent for single-image optimization work.

The bottom line: if you regularly convert HEIC photos from your iPhone or work with modern web formats, pick a tool that handles them natively and doesn't require uploading your images to a third-party server.