Comparative guide
JPEG vs PNG vs HEIC vs WebP Metadata Comparison
Last reviewed: September 16, 2026
Different image formats handle metadata differently
When capturing, saving, or exporting digital graphics, the file format you select dictates how metadata is structured, compressed, and preserved. Understanding the differences between JPEG, PNG, HEIC, and WebP helps you predict what data might accompany your files.
Format breakdown and metadata support
Here is how the four most prevalent consumer image formats manage embedded metadata:
- • JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group): The most ubiquitous image format in history. JPEG uses APP markers (such as APP1 for EXIF and XMP, and APP13 for IPTC) to store binary metadata records. Virtually every camera and operating system supports reading and writing EXIF in JPEG.
- • PNG (Portable Network Graphics): Originally engineered for web graphics and lossless imagery. PNG stores metadata in discrete textual chunks (tEXt, zTXt, and iTXt). In recent years, the PNG specification was updated to support dedicated eXIf chunks, meaning screenshots and edited graphics can now carry camera metadata.
- • HEIC / HEIF (High Efficiency Image Container): The default capture format on Apple iPhones since iOS 11. HEIC uses an ISO Base Media File Format container structure. It can store extensive EXIF, XMP, depth maps, audio clips, and burst sequences within a single file.
- • WebP: Developed by Google to provide superior lossy and lossless web compression. WebP files use the Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) container and support optional EXIF and XMP chunks.
Conversion and cleaning considerations
Converting a photo from one format to another (such as HEIC to JPEG) does not automatically strip metadata. Most conversion utilities conscientiously copy all existing EXIF tags into the destination file to preserve capture dates and camera settings.
CleanMyPhoto ensures complete metadata removal by decoding the source image into visual pixels and re-encoding a fresh, clean JPEG file devoid of any inherited metadata tags.