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Convert BMP to JPG free, without uploading
BMP to JPG shrank our 1281×1600 px test portrait from 5.87 MB to 254 KB (−96%). Quality stays high unless you set a KB limit. Drop the BMP (.bmp, .dib) on the tool below and download the JPG; nothing is uploaded.
BMP to JPG
JPG · no file-size limit · original pixel size · white background
No file-size limit is set: PixelFit saves at high quality and changes only the format and any pixel size you set.
Fit, background and padding white background
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
What changes from BMP to JPG
Both points below lose or alter something on the way from BMP to JPG.
- Lost or changed: JPG is lossy: the exact pixels of the BMP are approximated, which is invisible on photos at high quality but can blur sharp text and edges.
- Lost or changed: Metadata is not carried over: the BMP's header resolution fields are dropped by the canvas.
Measured file size: BMP vs JPG
sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7, 31 October 2026, long edge 1600 px; JPG saved as quality 85, 4:2:0, white background, BMP as computed: 24-bit uncompressed.
| Sample | BMP | JPG | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| portrait photo (1281×1600 px) | 5.87 MB (6,150,454 bytes) | 254 KB (259,778 bytes) | −96% |
| landscape photo (1600×1200 px) | 5.49 MB (5,760,054 bytes) | 640 KB (655,531 bytes) | −89% |
| scanned typed letter (1273×1600 px) | 5.83 MB (6,112,054 bytes) | 331 KB (338,899 bytes) | −94% |
| flat chart with a transparent background (1600×1000 px) | 4.58 MB (4,800,054 bytes) | 39.6 KB (40,504 bytes) | −99% |
What the numbers mean for BMP to JPG
Our portrait photo at 1281×1600 px: BMP 5.87 MB → JPG 254 KB (−96%, 23.7 times smaller).
Our landscape photo at 1600×1200 px: BMP 5.49 MB → JPG 640 KB (−89%, 8.8 times smaller).
Our scanned typed letter at 1273×1600 px: BMP 5.83 MB → JPG 331 KB (−94%, 18.0 times smaller).
Our flat chart with a transparent background at 1600×1000 px: BMP 4.58 MB → JPG 39.6 KB (−99%, 118.5 times smaller).
Per pixel, the portrait took 24.01 bits as BMP and 1.01 bits as JPG, a difference of 5.62 MB on 2,049,600 pixels.
Per pixel, the chart took 24.00 bits as BMP and 0.20 bits as JPG, a difference of 4.54 MB on 1,600,000 pixels.
JPG came out smaller than BMP on all 4 samples, from −89% to −99%.
For graphics a 256-colour PNG beat the JPG: the chart was 12.5 KB as a palette PNG against 39.6 KB as a JPG, without blurred edges, so a BMP graphic may be better off as PNG.
How to convert BMP to JPG
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Add the BMP file
Drop the .bmp, .dib file on the tool at the top of this page, tap to choose it, or paste it.
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Keep JPG selected
JPG is pre-selected at quality 85. Type a maximum size in KB or exact pixel dimensions only if the destination sets them; PixelFit then searches the highest quality that fits and shrinks the pixel size only when quality alone is not enough. Our BMP test portrait came out at 254 KB as JPG with no limit set.
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Download the JPG
Save the file ending in .jpg; its size in KB shows before you save.
BMP and JPG side by side
BMP (1990) next to JPG (1992); browser figures checked 31 October 2026.
| Property | BMP | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| File extensions | .bmp, .dib | .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe |
| MIME type | image/bmp | image/jpeg |
| Compression | lossless | lossy |
| Transparency | no | no |
| Animation | no | no |
| Largest size | 32,767 px per side | 65,535 px per side |
| Colour depth | 1 to 32 bits per pixel | 8 bits per channel (baseline) |
| Metadata | header resolution fields | EXIF, ICC and XMP data |
| First published | 1990 | 1992 |
| Opens in | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser) | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser) |
| Good for | old Windows programs and scanners that need raw pixels | photos for upload forms, e-mail and the web |
| Weak for | anything you upload or e-mail, because pixels are usually stored uncompressed | text, line art and anything that needs a transparent background |
| Specification | Bitmap Storage (Microsoft Win32 documentation) | ITU-T Recommendation T.81 (JPEG) |
When not to change BMP to JPG
- Avoid JPG for screenshots, text, signatures and logos when the destination accepts PNG: JPEG compression softens hard edges; PNG keeps them sharp at a similar or smaller size: our flat chart was 39.7 KB as a full-colour PNG and 12.5 KB with 256 colours, against 39.6 KB as JPG.
- Keep the original BMP if a program or archive needs it; the JPG is for sending and uploading.
- If the destination already accepts BMP, upload the original: every change of format re-encodes the pixels.
Browser support for BMP and JPG (October 2026)
Reading BMP (.bmp, .dib): Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser).
Writing JPG from that BMP: Chrome 50+, Edge 79+, Firefox 18+, Safari 11+ (MDN compatibility data for canvas.toBlob, checked 31 October 2026).
Upload forms that ask for JPG
53 of the 61 application portals we checked accept JPG photos, 16 of them with a limit of 50 KB or less. A few of them, for this BMP file (verify with the official notice before you upload):
- Canada PR card: JPG photo, up to 4 MB, 715–2000 × 1000–2800 px.
- IGNOU: JPG photo, up to 100 KB.
- Indonesia e-Visa: JPG photo, up to 2 MB, 400 × 600 px (also takes PNG).
- ISRO ICRB: JPG photo, 20–50 KB, 200 × 230 px.
Where BMP files come from
BMP files usually come from old Windows programs, Paint, scanners or screenshots tools that store raw pixels. Because the pixels are uncompressed, a BMP photo is several megabytes, far above typical upload limits, and changing it to JPG fixes that.
Sources
- Bitmap Storage (Microsoft Win32 documentation), Microsoft Learn, checked 31 October 2026: learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/gdi/bitmap-storage
- ITU-T Recommendation T.81 (JPEG), ITU, checked 31 October 2026: itu.int/rec/T-REC-T.81
- MDN Web Docs, Image file type and format guide (which browsers decode BMP), checked 31 October 2026: developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats…
- MDN browser-compat-data, HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob (which browsers write JPG), CC0, checked 31 October 2026: github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data/blob/main/api/HTMLCanv…
- Test photo “President Barack Obama.jpg” by Pete Souza (Official White House photo), public domain, measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama.jpg
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert BMP to JPG for free?
Yes. The BMP to JPG change runs free on your device, with no sign-up and no upload, one file or up to 25 at a time; Pro raises the batch to 500 with one ZIP download.
How do I convert BMP to JPG?
Drop the BMP on the tool above, keep JPG selected, and download the .jpg file. Add a KB limit if the destination has one.
Does converting BMP to JPG reduce quality?
JPG is lossy: the exact pixels of the BMP are approximated, which is invisible on photos at high quality but can blur sharp text and edges. In our test a 1281×1600 px portrait went from 5.87 MB as BMP to 254 KB as JPG (−96%).
Why convert BMP to JPG?
JPG suits photos for upload forms, e-mail and the web; BMP is a poor fit for anything you upload or e-mail, because pixels are usually stored uncompressed.
Related
More BMP format changes
- BMP to PNG same BMP input
- BMP to PDF same BMP input
Other files to JPG
- ICO to JPG also ends as JPG
- GIF to JPG also ends as JPG
- JFIF to JPG also ends as JPG
- PNG to JPG also ends as JPG
- AVIF to JPG also ends as JPG