When is ICO better than BMP?
ICO images support animations and transparency, while BMP images are multilayered but do not support animations, transparency, or alpha channels.
The ICO file type is suitable for creating desktop shortcuts to folders, files, or apps on a computer and ensuring that the icons appear professional and high-pitched.
When is BMP better than ICO?
BMP images are smaller, widely supported and recognized by different applications, platforms, and operating systems, including Android, iOS, Linux, and MacOS, while ICO images are compatible with operating systems like macOS and Windows, but incompatible with Linux, iOS and Android. BMP file extension is ideal for creating engaging multimedia content, online ads, and persuasive social media posts.
BMP versus ICO Comparison Table
| Element | BMP | ICO |
| Transparency | Does not support transparency | Supports transparency |
| File Size | Smaller files compared to ICO files. | Larger files than BMP files. |
| Image Quality | High-quality images. | High-quality images. |
| Performance | Smaller and loads faster on websites than ICO. | Larger and loads slower on websites than BMP. |
| Structure | Raster-based format with a file header, information header, color table, and pixel data. | Vector graphics with an Icon directory, image mask, bitmap data, a block, and the AND bitmap. |
| Animation | Does not support animation. | Supports animations. |
| Storage | Requires less storage space or memory than ICO. | Require more memory or storage space than BMP. |
| Compression | Supports lossless compression with RLE. | Lossless compression with Huffman coding. |
| Browser Support | Broader web browser support than ICO. | Limited browser support compared to BMP. |
Differences and similarities between ICO and BMP images
From the ICO versus BMP comparison table, high-quality images support lossless compression. However, the formats are structurally different in file size, web browser support, support for animations and transparency, storage needs, file structure, and web responsiveness.
Transparency
The ICO file type supports transparency, while the BMP extension lacks advanced features or support layers that enable it to support transparency or transparent backgrounds. The formats, however, support additional color spaces and alpha channels, which are applicable in other formats to support transparency.
The ICO file extension allows website developers to integrate semi-transparent expanses like glass-like or anti-aliasing effects and shades into an image. The format supports icons with different transparency levels and color depths, as well as supports 8 bits of transparency.
File Size
The ICO files are larger than BMP files. Whereas both file formats store lossless data, ICO has multiple images of varying sizes and color depths kept in a single file, unlike BMP format, which creates, compresses, and stores bitmap digital images or pixel information as a sequence of bits and stored individually.
While a single ICO file can be the same size as a BMP file, multiple files stored by ICO are relatively larger than BMP. For smaller file sizes, choose BMP over ICO.
Image Quality
BMP and ICO images are high-quality. The BMP format supports multiple color depths (RGB and ICC profiles), such as 1-bit monochrome, 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, and 24-bit true color images. Conversely, the ICO format supports 24 bits of colors and 8 bits of transparency, resulting in photorealistic or highly detailed icons.
Although ICO images are less detailed than BMP images, they can be scaled upwards and downwards without losing quality and resolution levels, unlike non-scalable BMP images that become indistinct, pixelated, or lose quality with scaling. However, BMP supports more color spaces than ICO.
Performance
ICO files are unique because they store multiple images within a single file, each at different resolutions. This allows the format to provide a range of "ICO resolutions" suitable for various display sizes. However, these multiple images within an ICO file tend to make the file size significantly larger than that of a single BMP image.
Due to their larger file size, ICO files have slower image loading times, take longer to transfer over low-bandwidth networks, and consume more bytes during online transmission or exchange than BMP files. Thus, choose BMP files instead of ICO files for enhanced online user experience and optimized search engines.
Structure
ICO files are vector-based, whereas BMP files are raster-based. Both formats’ structures differ, but they are exhilarating to compare. ICO has an Icon directory (ICONDIR) with the ICONDIRENTRY for each image in the ICO file. A contiguous block with image bitmap data closely follows the image file. ICO also has the AND bitmap, the XOR bitmap, and an image mask.
The image bitmap data is in PNG or Windows BMP format, excluding the BITMAPFILEHEADER structure. It contains multiple or a single small image with different color depths and sizes. The multiple sizes of an ICO image permit the scalability of each icon.
BMP stores bitmap digital images autonomously depending on the display devices, like graphics adapters. Its structure has a header, header data, pixel data, and color table. The BMP’s header comprises file size information, type, and the device-independent bitmap file layout.
The header data specifies the color format, compression technique, and dimensions. Besides, the BMP color table comprises various bitmap elements, such as colors found in the BMP file. BMP pixel data comprises different bytes that define its bits, like the real image data typified by successive scan lines and rows.
Animation
ICO files support animations, while BMP does not. Yet, digital bitmap images can be manipulated and edited using software programs and used in animations. Each pixel in a BMP file can be assigned a specific color value and used to create animations in other formats that support animation.
An ICO file extension consists of icon features that enable enhanced customization of websites or computer applications that support multiple color depths and resolutions. These features enable ICO file extensions to be animated. As a result, web developers and designers should select ICO over BMP for animations.
Storage
An ICO file format stores data in icons for folders, files, and programs. The stored data are encrypted to safeguard against unsanctioned processing or access. Multiple ICO files stored in a single file can be larger and require more storage space than BMP files. The BMP file format stores individual, lossless compressed image data.
Both formats store data indefinitely in storage mediums such as file systems, Content Delivery Networks, cloud, and sub-directory files, folders, or programs. On the other hand, BMP files or images are stored in Device-Independent Bitmap formats, cloud, file systems, and hard drives.
Compression
ICO and BMP file formats support lossless compression, which minimizes file sizes while preserving image details, higher quality levels, and larger file sizes. BMP images are compressed using the Run Length Encoding algorithms, resulting in smaller file sizes compared to ICO format.
In contrast, TinyPNG or PNGOUT algorithms compress ICO files into a slightly larger file size, but sometimes, this results in zero compression. Often, the resulting ICO (PNGOUT) file is nearly an exact image or file. The compression algorithms ensure no details are deleted. Thus, neither ICO nor BMP’s compression is efficient.
Browser Support
ICO and BMP are popular file formats in the digital space. Nonetheless, BMP files enjoy wider support and compatibility across web browsers and graphic design tools than ICO. BMP is supported by Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Discord, Vivaldi, Opera, and Samsung Internet, except IE 6.
ICO files lack universal web browser support and are only compatible with Edge, Firefox, Chrome, and Opera. Old browsers, such as Internet Explorer, which hardly supports scaling icons, do not support the ICO file format. Safari is compatible with or supports only ICO file previews.
Converting ICO to BMP or BMP to ICO
Convertjack helps users convert ICO to BMP easily and quickly. BMP images are detailed, precise (structured), high-quality, and preserve all image information, which makes them extensively approved in most online advertisements and medical imaging.
Convertjack is an efficient BMP to ICO converter. ICO formats are preferred because they store multiple images of varying color depths and sizes in a single file for easy editing and manipulation. Thus, users can design icons for display on varying screen resolutions.