Softonic

BMP to PNG

Step 1 / 3 Upload BMP
Restoring selected file...
Format
BMP
Dimensions
x
File size

BMP files are everywhere on legacy Windows systems — large, uncompressed, and awkward to share. This converter reads your BMP in the browser, re-encodes it with PNG’s lossless DEFLATE compression, and hands back a file that is typically 60-90% smaller with pixel-identical results. Drop in one image or a batch; the tool never uploads anything to a server.

How to convert BMP to PNG

  1. 1

    Drop or select BMP files

    Single file or batch. 1-bit, 8-bit (indexed), 24-bit and 32-bit BMPs are all supported.

  2. 2

    Choose options

    Preserve the original colour depth, or force-convert to 24-bit truecolour. Optional: treat pure magenta or a specified colour as transparent.

  3. 3

    Convert in your browser

    Each image decodes pixel-by-pixel and re-encodes as PNG using the canvas API. No server round-trip.

  4. 4

    Download the PNG

    Single file downloads immediately. Batch jobs return a ZIP with all converted files.

BMP vs PNG — what you gain

Property BMP PNG
Compression Usually none (RLE rare) Lossless DEFLATE
Transparency 32-bit alpha only Full alpha channel + indexed transparency
Typical file size ~3 bytes per pixel ~0.3 - 1 byte per pixel
Browser support Limited (Chrome/Edge only) Universal
Metadata Minimal Rich (tEXt, gAMA, iCCP)
Streaming decode No Yes

When PNG is the right target

  • Web delivery: every browser handles PNG. BMP rendering is inconsistent.
  • Screenshots and UI mockups: crisp edges, no JPEG artefacts.
  • Transparency needs: BMP only supports alpha in 32-bit form; PNG is built for it.
  • Further editing: PNG keeps lossless quality through multiple open/save cycles.

When PNG is the wrong target

  • Photographs: JPEG or WebP will be 5-20× smaller at visually identical quality.
  • Animated frames: use APNG, GIF or WebP.
  • Line art with few colours: indexed PNG (8-bit) is great; SVG is often smaller still for genuine vector content.

Tips

  • For scanned documents with limited palette, force 8-bit indexed output to shave another 30-40% off size.
  • If your BMP has a magenta “chroma-key” transparent background (common in old games), enable the colour-to-transparency option to carry the effect over cleanly.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Both BMP and PNG are lossless formats. PNG just compresses better. Every pixel is preserved bit-for-bit unless you opt into colour depth changes.

No. Conversion happens entirely in your browser using the HTML canvas API. The BMP never leaves your device.

Yes. Drop in as many files as you need; the tool converts each one and packages the results into a single ZIP for download.

Supported. The converter reads the BMP palette and re-encodes as either indexed PNG (preserving the small size) or truecolour PNG if you prefer a universal output.

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