How to convert BMP to PNG online
- 1
Drop your BMP file
Drag and drop your Bitmap Image File file onto the converter, or click to browse your files. You can select up to 5 at once. Nothing leaves your device — conversion happens right here in the browser.
- 2
Hit Convert — it happens locally
Click Convert and watch it go. There's no upload, no server queue, no waiting. The converter runs Bitmap Image File → Portable Network Graphics entirely in your browser tab. Most files finish in 1–3 seconds.
- 3
Download your PNG
Your Portable Network Graphics file is ready. Click Download, or grab a ZIP if you converted a batch. Close the tab and everything disappears — no copies kept anywhere.
BMP vs PNG: format overview
Bitmap Image File
Microsoft · 1987
- Compression
- none
- Transparency
- No
- ✓ No compression — original pixel data preserved
- ✓ Universal Windows support
- ✗ No compression = massive files
Portable Network Graphics
PNG Development Group (Thomas Boutell) · 1996
- Compression
- lossless
- Color depth
- 16-bit
- Transparency
- Yes
- ✓ Lossless compression — pixel-perfect quality
- ✓ Full alpha transparency (8-bit alpha channel)
BMP magic bytes: 42 4D
PNG magic bytes: 89 50 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A
Why convert BMP to PNG?
If you've ever tried to open a BMP file and hit a wall — the app won't accept it, the website rejects it, or the preview just shows a broken icon — you already know why this conversion matters.
Bitmap Image File is great for what it was designed for, but it has real-world limitations: no compression = massive files and not suitable for web. The moment you step outside that original context, it gets frustrating fast.
Portable Network Graphics is the safer choice for Logos and UI assets, Screenshots, Images requiring transparency. Its main advantages — lossless compression — pixel-perfect quality and full alpha transparency (8-bit alpha channel) — mean it just works wherever you need it.
A few common reasons people end up here: - Their target app, site, or device doesn't accept BMP - They need a smaller file for email or upload (PNG often compresses better) - They need Portable Network Graphics's specific capability: lossless compression — pixel-perfect quality - Compatibility with older software that pre-dates Bitmap Image File
The conversion is one-way: you get a PNG that works everywhere Portable Network Graphics is expected. The original BMP file is not touched.
Quality & file size: BMP to PNG
Typical file sizes: BMP 35–40 MB → PNG 8–25 MB.
Both BMP and PNG use lossy compression. We transcode at high quality settings (equivalent to PNG's recommended web quality) to minimize generational loss.
Color depth: BMP supports standard color, PNG supports 16-bit.
Transparency: BMP does not support transparency. PNG preserves transparency.
Frequently asked questions
Privacy: how FormatDrop handles your files
Your BMPfiles are converted 100% inside your browser. They are never uploaded to our servers, never stored, and never seen by anyone other than you. This isn't a privacy policy claim — it's an architectural guarantee: our server has no endpoint that receives file bytes.