How do I compress HEIC files?

Run "npx optimo photo.heic" to compress HEIC with lossless optimization. For stronger compression, add --lossy. For size reduction through resizing, add --resize followed by a percentage, dimensions, or target file size.

What is the best way to reduce HEIC file size?

The two biggest levers are resizing (reducing dimensions to match display size) and lossy compression. Resizing usually has a larger impact than codec-level compression. Sometimes converting to a more efficient format is the best approach.

Compress HEIC files

HEIC is great as a camera source, but it’s not web-native. Compression usually means converting to a delivery format like JPEG/WebP/AVIF.

Last updated: 2026-03-18

To compress HEIC files, run npx optimo photo.heic. Optimo applies ImageMagick-powered compression by default. For stronger reduction, use --lossy or --resize to shrink dimensions — often the single biggest lever for file size.

Start with optimo

First, run optimo on your image file:

npx optimo photo.heic

This is safe: optimo keeps the original if the output isn't smaller.

Two big levers

1) Lossy mode

npx optimo photo.heic --lossy

2) Resize (dimensions)

npx optimo photo.heic --resize w1280

Practical tips

For the web, convert HEIC to JPEG/WebP/AVIF rather than shipping HEIC.
If you need broad compatibility today, JPEG is the safest default.
If you want smaller files and can accept modern tooling, prefer WebP/AVIF.

Optimize HEIC Resize HEIC HEIC format guide

Consider converting

Sometimes the best compression is picking a better delivery format.

HEIC → PNG HEIC → JPEG HEIC → WebP HEIC → AVIF HEIC → JPEG XL HEIC → GIF

Popular conversions

Convert HEIC to JPEG Convert HEIC to WebP Convert PNG to HEIC Convert JPEG to HEIC Convert WebP to HEIC Convert AVIF to HEIC Convert HEIC to PNG Convert HEIC to AVIF

Frequently asked questions

How do I compress HEIC files?: Run "npx optimo photo.heic" to compress HEIC with lossless optimization. For stronger compression, add --lossy. For size reduction through resizing, add --resize followed by a percentage, dimensions, or target file size.
What is the best way to reduce HEIC file size?: The two biggest levers are resizing (reducing dimensions to match display size) and lossy compression. Resizing usually has a larger impact than codec-level compression. Sometimes converting to a more efficient format is the best approach.