✦Compared · October 2026HEIC converter for Windows: iMazing, CopyTrans, the Store apps and PlainJPG compared

The converters, in one line each

You want the one that opens your photos with the least fuss, at a price you know before installing. One line each, in the format Google's answers use. We make PlainJPG, and we say so where that colours the verdict.

• Microsoft's route: the free HEIF Image Extension plus the $0.99 HEVC Video Extensions from the Store, after which Photos and Paint open HEIC and can save a copy as JPG, one photo at a time.
• iMazing Converter (formerly iMazing HEIC Converter): a free Windows and Mac app from DigiDNA that converts HEIC to JPEG or PNG and HEVC video to MP4. Drag and drop files or folders, adjustable quality and resolution, EXIF kept when writing JPEG, all processing on your device.
• CopyTrans HEIC: a Windows 7 to 11 shell extension with free and premium plans. It lets Explorer and Windows Photo Viewer show HEIC, makes Office accept HEIC, and adds Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans to the right-click menu, up to 100 images in one go. PNG and PDF output and unlimited conversion need CopyTrans HEIC Pro, priced by quote.
• Microsoft Store converters: a shelf of free apps, among them HEIC to JPG Real Converter (JPG, PNG or BMP, converts locally, optional Premium purchase), Unlimited HEIC Converter (batch, JPG or PNG, no fees) and HEIC to JPG batch converter (JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP with a quality slider).
• PlainJPG: a $15 Windows app that converts whole folders of HEIC, WebP and AVIF to JPG or PNG on the PC, keeps EXIF and file dates, nothing uploaded. Decoder built in, Explorer right-click, free for the first 25 images.

The comparison table

"Not listed" means the maker's site or Store listing does not mention the feature; it is not a no. Prices are as shown on 23 October 2026.

Which HEIC converter to pick

A few photos, nothing to pay

Install iMazing Converter. It is free, it takes a drag and drop, and it keeps the EXIF block when it writes JPEG, which is what you want for photos. If you already paid Microsoft the $0.99 for HEVC, Photos or Paint will save a copy as JPG, one photo at a time, and Paint drops the camera data.

You want a right-click in Explorer and you only need JPG

CopyTrans HEIC's free plan is the fastest way to convert a few dozen photos: select them, right-click, Convert to JPEG with CopyTrans. The JPGs appear next to the originals. It stops at 100 images per go and at JPEG; PNG and unlimited batches are Pro features priced by quote, and it does not make the Photos app open HEIC, only Windows Photo Viewer. If you only need JPG, that is a fine deal.

A whole camera roll, sorted by month, that must stay sorted

This is where PlainJPG earns its $15. Drop the top folder and every HEIC in it and its subfolders becomes a JPG with the same name, in the same place, and the folder still sorts by date because the file's created and modified dates are copied, not just the EXIF date taken. Orientation is written into the pixels and the rotation tag reset, so nothing shows sideways in a program that ignores tags. XMP ratings and keywords survive. The same metadata is written to PNG, which the free apps either do not state or limit to JPEG. And because the HEIC decoder is built into the app, it works on a fresh Windows install with no Store purchase; when Microsoft's HEIF and HEVC extensions are present it uses them for hardware decoding.

You already have ImageMagick or XnConvert

Both are free for private use and read HEIC on Windows; the batch conversion guide covers them.

What to check before trusting a converter with your photos

• Date taken and location. A JPG without its EXIF block lands at the bottom of every gallery, dated the day you converted it. Convert one photo, open its Properties in Explorer, Details tab, and look for Date taken and GPS.
• Orientation. iPhones store many photos sideways with a rotation tag. A converter that copies the tag but not the pixels produces a JPG that is upright in Photos and sideways in an older viewer or a web form.
• File dates. Sorting a folder by Date modified is how most people find last summer. Few converters copy the file's own dates; PlainJPG does.
• Where the originals go. A converter that deletes HEICs as it goes is dangerous if it fails halfway. PlainJPG's Replace option moves the original to the Recycle Bin after the copy is written and checked, so it can always be restored.
• Where the photos go. Every online converter uploads each photo, with its GPS coordinates, to a server. All the desktop apps in the table convert on the PC.

How PlainJPG converts a folder of HEIC photos

Download it free, drop the folder, and the first 25 photos convert with every feature on, so you can check that the dates and GPS survived before paying anything. After that a licence is $15 once for 2 PCs, with free updates and a 14-day refund.

1. Install PlainJPG from the free download, Windows 10 (version 2004 or later) and Windows 11, x64 and ARM64.
2. Drop the folder on the window, or right-click one or more .heic files in Explorer and choose Convert to JPG with PlainJPG.
3. Pick JPG (quality 92 by default), PNG, or Auto, which chooses PNG only for images with transparency.
4. Click Convert. Every CPU core takes a file. The History panel remembers where each batch was saved.

The step-by-step guide is on the HEIC to JPG page; PNG output has its own page.

HEIC converter questions