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format · legacy

BMP

BMP is an uncompressed Windows raster format that trades size for simplicity.

Also known as Bitmap.

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What is a BMP file?

A simple, usually uncompressed raster format from early Windows, still used where decoding must be trivial.

Technical characteristics

Representation
binary
Compression
None, RLE
Lossy
No
File signature
42 4D
Open specification
Yes

History and origin

Introduced
1986
Created by
Microsoft

Compatibility

  • Windowsfull
  • macOSfull
  • Linuxfull
  • Androidpartial
  • iOSpartial

Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge.

Advantages of BMP

  • Trivial to read and write
  • Lossless

Limitations to know about

  • Enormous files
  • No meaningful metadata support

When to use BMP

  • Legacy Windows software
  • Embedded systems

Convert BMP files

BMP scores

Deterministic scores calculated from the structured facts above. Identical facts always produce identical scores.

Overall score

64/100

  • Openness score

    100
    • the specification is published openly
    • an openly specified format can be implemented without a licence negotiation

    Confidence 46% · evidence coverage 100%

  • AI score

    82
    • open specifications are implemented by the open-source decoders that ML stacks rely on
    • the specification is published openly
    • only a narrow set of applications handles it
    • large lossless payloads cost bandwidth and memory

    Confidence 44% · evidence coverage 100%

  • Archiving score

    80
    • the specification is public, so a decoder can always be rebuilt
    • the specification is published openly
    • an openly specified format can be implemented without a licence negotiation

    Confidence 58% · evidence coverage 89%

  • Printing score

    78
    • it is lossless, so decoding returns the original pixels exactly
    • lossless data means no compression artefacts appear at print resolution
    • only a narrow set of applications handles it

    Confidence 36% · evidence coverage 88%

  • Longevity score

    68
    • the specification is published openly
    • the specification is public, so a decoder can always be rebuilt
    • it does not satisfy: mainstream applications ship support for it

    Confidence 58% · evidence coverage 100%

  • Web score

    67
    • every major browser engine renders it natively
    • browsers render it natively, so no conversion step is needed at request time
    • the specification is published openly
    • it stores data losslessly, so files stay large
    • large lossless payloads cost bandwidth and memory

    Confidence 59% · evidence coverage 92%

  • Editing score

    65
    • it is lossless, so decoding returns the original pixels exactly
    • lossless data survives repeated open-edit-save cycles without degrading
    • only a narrow set of applications handles it

    Confidence 37% · evidence coverage 88%

  • Photography score

    64
    • it is lossless, so decoding returns the original pixels exactly
    • lossless data survives repeated open-edit-save cycles without degrading
    • some devices ask the person to install something first
    • it stores data losslessly, so files stay large

    Confidence 37% · evidence coverage 78%

  • Compatibility score

    54
    • every major browser engine renders it natively
    • an open specification means cloud SDKs can implement it without licensing friction
    • some devices ask the person to install something first
    • at least one mainstream platform needs extra software

    Confidence 65% · evidence coverage 100%

  • Streaming score

    46
    • every major browser engine renders it natively
    • it stores data losslessly, so files stay large
    • large lossless payloads cost bandwidth and memory

    Confidence 58% · evidence coverage 63%

  • Performance score

    35
    • it stores data losslessly, so files stay large
    • large lossless payloads cost bandwidth and memory

    Confidence 54% · evidence coverage 100%

What BMP is recommended for

Every conclusion below is derived from the structured facts on this page — nothing is written by hand.

  • Browser compatibility100/100

    • Because every major browser engine renders it natively.
    • Because at least one shipping browser renders it.

  • Cloud compatibility100/100

    • Because an open specification means cloud SDKs can implement it without licensing friction.
    • Because it converts into many other formats, which suits automated pipelines.

  • AI compatibility100/100

    • Because open specifications are implemented by the open-source decoders that ML stacks rely on.
    • Because lossless pixels avoid compression artefacts leaking into training data.
    • Because wide library support means common data loaders can read it.

  • Open standards100/100

    • Because the specification is published openly.

  • Licensing100/100

    • Because an openly specified format can be implemented without a licence negotiation.
    • Because the core patents are old enough to have expired.

  • Long-term archiving81/100

    • Because the specification is public, so a decoder can always be rebuilt.
    • Because lossless storage preserves the original data for future migrations.
    • Because it has a decade or more of proven, stable implementations.

  • Printing suitability71/100

    • Because lossless data means no compression artefacts appear at print resolution.

What BMP is not recommended for

  • Everyday consumer usage0/100

    • Because some devices ask the person to install something first.
    • Because it does not satisfy: small files are easy to email, message and upload.
    • Because it is a legacy format that recipients may struggle to open.

  • Compression efficiency23/100

    • Because it stores data losslessly, so files stay large.
    • Because its codec generation predates modern entropy coding and block partitioning.

  • Popularity29/100

    • Because it does not satisfy: mainstream applications ship support for it.
    • Because it does not satisfy: every mainstream operating system handles it.
    • Because its usage is declining as tooling moves on.

  • Operating system compatibility33/100

    • Because at least one mainstream platform needs extra software.

  • Software compatibility33/100

    • Because only a narrow set of applications handles it.

Migration paths

  • BMP → PNG

    Everyday consumer usage improves by 75 points because it opens by double-clicking on every mainstream device.

    Convert BMP to PNG

Successors and legacy considerations

The knowledge graph marks BMP as legacy, so expect shrinking tooling support over time.

Related to BMP

File extensions

Media types

Alternatives

Created by

Data quality

Every claim on this page is classified as a verified fact, a derived fact or an assumption.

Overall confidence
78%
Verification status
verified
Last reviewed
2026-08-03
Verified facts
2

2 classified claims backed by 1 source.

  • Convert Always editorial review — Convert Always

Sources and review status

Review status: verified · confidence 80%

Last reviewed 2026-08-03 (revision 1).

  • Convert Always editorial review — Convert Always