How to Convert JPG to PNG (Free, Lossless Output)

You need a PNG. Maybe a design tool requires it. Maybe you need a transparent background and your source is a JPG. Maybe you are editing an image and want lossless re-saves going forward. Whatever the reason, converting JPG to PNG is quick.

One important thing first: converting JPG to PNG does not recover quality lost during JPEG compression. The PNG output is a pixel-perfect lossless copy of the JPEG — including any compression artifacts. What it does give you is a lossless container: every future edit and save preserves the current quality instead of degrading it further.

Convert JPG to PNG in Your Browser

Pixotter's format converter handles JPG-to-PNG conversion entirely in your browser. No upload, no server processing.

1. Open pixotter.com/convert and select PNG as the output format.
2. Drop your JPG file(s) onto the page. Batch conversion is supported.
3. Click Convert and download your PNG files.

The output is a lossless PNG containing the exact pixel data from your JPEG. File sizes will be larger than the source JPG — that is expected. PNG is lossless, so it stores every pixel without compression shortcuts.

Why Convert JPG to PNG?

JPG and PNG serve different purposes. Here is when switching from JPG to PNG makes sense:

You need transparency. JPG does not support transparent backgrounds. If you need to place an image on a colored or patterned background — a logo on a website, a product photo on a marketplace listing — you need PNG (or WebP). Note: converting a JPG to PNG does not magically create transparency. You still need to remove the background using a tool like Pixotter's background remover or an editor like Photoshop or GIMP. The PNG format just enables storing the result.

You plan to edit the image repeatedly. JPEG is lossy — every time you open, edit, and re-save a JPEG, quality degrades slightly. Converting to PNG first gives you a lossless working file. Edit and re-save as many times as you need without accumulating compression artifacts.

A platform or tool requires PNG. Some design tools, print services, and submission portals accept only PNG. Converting is faster than arguing with the upload form.

You need pixel-exact reproduction. Screenshots, UI mockups, and technical diagrams should be PNG because JPEG compression creates visible artifacts on sharp edges and text. If your source is already a JPG, converting to PNG freezes it losslessly — but the JPEG artifacts in the source remain.

How to Convert JPG to PNG on Windows

Method 1: Pixotter (Browser, No Install)

Open pixotter.com/convert in any browser. Drop your JPG, select PNG output, download.

Method 2: Paint

1. Open the JPG file in Paint (right-click → Open with → Paint).
2. File → Save as → PNG picture.

Simple and built-in. No quality settings to worry about — PNG is always lossless.

Method 3: PowerShell + ImageMagick

# Requires ImageMagick 7.1.1-29+
# Install: winget install ImageMagick.ImageMagick

# Single file
magick input.jpg output.png

# Batch convert all JPGs to PNG
Get-ChildItem -Filter *.jpg | ForEach-Object {
    magick $_.FullName "$($_.BaseName).png"
}

How to Convert JPG to PNG on Mac

Method 1: Pixotter (Browser)

Same process — pixotter.com/convert works in Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.

Method 2: Preview

1. Open the JPG file in Preview (double-click).
2. File → Export.
3. Change format to PNG.
4. Save.

For batch conversion: select multiple JPGs in Finder → right-click → Open With → Preview → Edit → Select All → File → Export Selected Images → choose PNG.

Method 3: Terminal (sips)

# Single file
sips -s format png input.jpg --out output.png

# Batch convert
for f in *.jpg; do
    sips -s format png "$f" --out "${f%.jpg}.png"
done

How to Convert JPG to PNG on Linux

Method 1: Pixotter (Browser)

Open pixotter.com/convert in any browser.

Method 2: ImageMagick

# Install
sudo apt install imagemagick  # Ubuntu/Debian

# Single file
magick input.jpg output.png

# Batch convert with optimized PNG compression
for f in *.jpg; do
    magick "$f" -define png:compression-level=9 "${f%.jpg}.png"
done

The -define png:compression-level=9 flag maximizes lossless PNG compression, producing the smallest file without any quality tradeoff. It takes slightly longer to encode but saves storage.

JPG vs PNG: When Each Format Wins

Use JPG for photographs and complex images where file size matters and minor quality loss is acceptable.

Use PNG for graphics with sharp edges, text, transparency, or when you need lossless preservation.

For a more detailed comparison, see JPG vs PNG: Which Format Should You Use? and Best Image Format for Web.

Important: What JPG-to-PNG Conversion Does NOT Do

It does not improve image quality. A blurry, heavily compressed JPEG saved as PNG is still blurry and heavily compressed — it is just stored losslessly. PNG preserves whatever data it receives. It cannot reconstruct what JPEG discarded.

It does not add transparency. Converting a JPG to PNG gives you a PNG with an opaque background — the same solid background the JPG had. To get a transparent background, you need to remove the background first (using background removal software), then save as PNG.

It does not reduce file size. PNG files are almost always larger than the equivalent JPG. If you converted to reduce file size, PNG is the wrong direction. Need the opposite conversion? See How to Convert PNG to JPG. Or use Pixotter's compressor to reduce a JPG's file size while keeping it in JPG format. Or convert to WebP for even smaller files — see PNG vs WebP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does converting JPG to PNG improve quality?

No. The conversion preserves the current pixel data exactly — including any artifacts from JPEG compression. The benefit is that future edits and re-saves will not degrade quality further, because PNG is lossless. Think of it as a one-way valve: no more quality loss going forward, but no recovery of what was already lost.

Why is the PNG file so much bigger than the JPG?

Because PNG stores every pixel without compression shortcuts. A photograph that is 500 KB as JPEG might be 2-4 MB as PNG. This size increase is the cost of lossless storage. If file size is important, consider keeping the file as JPG or converting to WebP instead. For more on PNG file sizes, see What is PNG?.

Can I make the PNG file smaller?

Yes. Run the PNG through Pixotter's compression tool — lossless PNG optimization can reduce file size by 20-50% by improving the DEFLATE encoding without changing any pixels. If you need even smaller files, consider WebP lossless, which is typically 26% smaller than PNG. See How to Make a PNG File Smaller for all the options.

Should I convert JPG to PNG for my website?

Usually no. For photographs, JPG (or better, WebP) produces much smaller files. Use PNG on your website only for images that need transparency, contain text, or have sharp edges where JPEG artifacts would be visible. For most web images, see Image Size for Websites.

How do I convert JPG to PNG with a transparent background?

Two steps: (1) remove the background using a background removal tool — Pixotter, Photoshop, GIMP, or remove.bg — and (2) save the result as PNG. You cannot get transparency by simply converting the format. The background removal step is what creates the transparent areas; PNG is just the format that preserves them.

Can I batch convert many JPGs to PNG?

Yes. Pixotter supports batch conversion — drop multiple files at once. ImageMagick handles batch processing via shell loops. macOS Preview can batch export via its sidebar. See the batch examples for each platform above.

Is PNG or WebP better for transparency?

Both support full alpha-channel transparency. WebP files are typically 26% smaller than equivalent PNGs. If your transparency needs are for web delivery, WebP is the better choice. If you need compatibility with design tools, print workflows, or legacy software, PNG is more widely supported. See PNG vs WebP for the full comparison.