BMP (Windows Bitmap)

.bmp .dib · image/bmp · 1990 · Microsoft

Uncompressed Windows bitmaps. Huge files — almost always worth converting. Below is what BMP is best at, where it falls short, and how it compares — plus free, in-browser tools to convert BMP to and from other formats, with nothing uploaded.

BMP is the native Windows bitmap format from 1990. Pixels are usually stored uncompressed, so files are enormous — a 12-megapixel photo is ~36 MB as BMP versus ~3 MB as JPEG. It survives in legacy Windows software, scanners and embedded systems. Unless a specific tool demands BMP, converting to PNG (lossless) or JPEG (photos) saves 90%+ with nothing lost in practice.

Compression

Lossless

Transparency

Animation

Browser display

All browsers

Strengths & limitations

Strengths

Dead simple, universally readable
No compression artifacts ever
Fast to write on old hardware

Limitations

Massive file sizes (usually uncompressed)
No real transparency support in practice
No animation, poor metadata

Best used for

Legacy Windows applications
Scanner output
Embedded systems

Tools for BMP

Compress BMP BMP → JPEG BMP → PNG JPEG → BMP PNG → BMP

Frequently asked questions

Is BMP lossy or lossless?+

BMP is lossless: it preserves every pixel exactly, with no quality loss.

Does BMP support transparency?+

No — BMP has no alpha channel, so transparent areas are flattened onto a solid background. It is a still-image format (no animation).

Can browsers open BMP files directly?+

Yes — every mainstream browser displays BMP natively.

How do I open or convert a BMP file for free?+

Drop your BMP file into the EditItAll converter and choose an output format — it decodes and re-encodes entirely in your browser, with nothing uploaded, no account and no watermark.