BMP (Bitmap) is an uncompressed raster image format developed by Microsoft. It stores images pixel-by-pixel without compression, resulting in large file sizes but maximum compatibility with Windows applications and legacy software.

Is this image converter free to use?

Yes, our image to BMP converter is completely free with no sign-up required. Convert unlimited images to BMP format without any cost or file size restrictions.

Convert Image to BMP Format

Convert images to BMP format instantly. Create uncompressed bitmap images for maximum software compatibility and legacy system support.

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How to Use This Image to BMP Converter

Upload any image in JPG, PNG, WebP, or other common formats, and the converter instantly transforms it to BMP format. BMP stores images without compression, preserving every pixel exactly as captured. This makes BMP ideal for legacy Windows applications, embedded systems, and situations requiring maximum compatibility over file size efficiency.

Upload Any Image

Supports JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, and most common image formats. Convert to uncompressed BMP bitmap format for universal compatibility.

Maximum Compatibility

BMP works with virtually all Windows applications, legacy software, and embedded systems. No compression artifacts or compatibility issues.

Instant Download

Download your converted BMP image immediately after processing. No waiting, queues, or complicated export procedures.

What is BMP Format?

BMP (Bitmap) is a raster graphics image format developed by Microsoft for the Windows operating system. It's one of the simplest and oldest image formats still in use today:

Uncompressed storage: Stores images pixel-by-pixel without any compression or data loss
Large file sizes: BMP files are significantly larger than compressed formats like JPEG or PNG
Maximum compatibility: Supported by virtually all image viewing and editing software
Simple structure: Straightforward file format making it easy for software to read and write
No quality loss: Preserves exact pixel data without compression artifacts
Windows integration: Native format for Windows Paint and many Windows applications

Why Convert Images to BMP?

Despite large file sizes, BMP format serves important purposes in specific scenarios:

Legacy software: Older Windows applications often require or work best with BMP format
Embedded systems: Simple BMP structure makes it ideal for resource-constrained embedded devices
Quality preservation: No compression means zero quality loss or artifacts from encoding
Editing workflows: BMP provides lossless intermediate format for multi-stage image editing
Compatibility testing: Universal support makes BMP useful for testing image display across platforms
Screen capture: Some screen capture tools default to BMP for exact pixel reproduction

BMP vs. JPEG Comparison

File size: BMP files are 5-10x larger than equivalent JPEG images. A 100KB JPEG might be 500KB-1MB as BMP.

Quality: BMP preserves exact pixels without compression artifacts. JPEG uses lossy compression creating quality degradation.

Compression: BMP uses no compression (or optional RLE compression). JPEG always compresses images, losing some data.

Use cases: BMP for editing workflows and compatibility. JPEG for photographs and web use where small files matter.

BMP vs. PNG Comparison

Compression: PNG uses lossless compression producing smaller files than BMP. BMP typically stores images uncompressed.

Quality: Both formats preserve exact pixel data without quality loss. PNG adds compression without sacrificing accuracy.

File sizes: PNG files are 30-50% smaller than BMP for the same image due to efficient lossless compression.

Transparency: PNG supports alpha channel transparency. Standard BMP format doesn't support transparency (though some BMP variants do).

Compatibility: BMP has better support in legacy Windows software. PNG is better for web and modern applications.

BMP Format Variations

Uncompressed BMP: Standard BMP storing raw pixel data without compression. Results in largest file sizes but fastest loading.

RLE-compressed BMP: Optional run-length encoding compression for BMP. Reduces file size slightly while maintaining BMP compatibility.

Color depth options: BMP supports 1-bit (monochrome), 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256 colors), 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit color depths.

DIB format: Device Independent Bitmap variant used internally by Windows for device-independent image handling.

When to Use BMP Format

Good uses for BMP: Legacy Windows applications, embedded systems, intermediate editing format, compatibility testing, exact pixel preservation requirements.

Avoid BMP for: Web images (use JPEG, PNG, or WebP), email attachments (too large), long-term storage (inefficient space usage), mobile apps (excessive bandwidth).

Modern alternatives: PNG provides better compression with the same lossless quality. TIFF offers more features for professional workflows. Consider BMP only when compatibility requires it.

BMP File Size Considerations

Calculation: BMP file size equals width × height × bytes per pixel. A 1920×1080 24-bit BMP is approximately 6.2MB.

Color depth impact: 24-bit images use 3 bytes per pixel (RGB). 32-bit adds alpha channel using 4 bytes per pixel.

Comparison: The same image as JPEG might be 200-500KB. As PNG, 1-3MB. As BMP, 5-10MB depending on dimensions and color depth.

Storage impact: Large BMP files quickly consume disk space. 100 high-resolution BMP images can exceed 1GB easily.

BMP Compatibility and Support

Windows: Native support in all Windows versions. Default format for Windows Paint and many legacy applications.

macOS: Fully supported in Preview, Photos, and most Mac applications. Not as common as PNG or JPEG on Mac.

Linux: GIMP, ImageMagick, and most Linux image viewers support BMP. Less commonly used than PNG or JPEG.

Web browsers: All modern browsers can display BMP images, but format is rarely used for web due to large file sizes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are BMP files so large?

BMP stores images without compression, saving every pixel's exact color data. This preserves perfect quality but creates files 5-10x larger than compressed formats like JPEG or PNG.

Should I use BMP or PNG?

Use PNG for most purposes. PNG provides lossless quality like BMP but with 30-50% smaller file sizes through compression. Choose BMP only when legacy software compatibility requires it.

Does BMP support transparency?

Standard 24-bit BMP doesn't support transparency. Some 32-bit BMP variants include alpha channels, but PNG provides better and more universal transparency support.

Can I use BMP images on websites?

Technically yes, but don't. BMP files are too large for web use, causing slow page loads. Convert to JPEG (for photos), PNG (for graphics), or WebP (for modern browsers) instead.

Will converting to BMP improve quality?

No. BMP can't recover quality lost in previous compression. Converting JPEG to BMP creates a larger file with the same quality, not better quality. BMP only preserves whatever quality exists in the source.