BMP vs ICO
Technical analysis 2026: differences, performance and which one you should use for your project.
Quick Verdict
"It depends on the use case: BMP excels at legacy windows applications, while ICO is better for favicons."
BMP
The native Windows format (legacy). It stores color information for every pixel without compression, resulting in very large files.
Best for:
- Legacy Windows applications
- Simple educational purposes
ICO
A specific container for Windows icons and website favicons. It can hold multiple sizes and color depths in a single file.
Best for:
- Favicons
- Desktop icons
Detailed Analysis
When comparing BMP (Bitmap Image File) with ICO (Microsoft Icon), it is important to understand the historical and technical context. BMP was established in 1990, while ICO appeared in 1985.
The main technical difference lies in their compression algorithm. BMP uses lossless compression: it keeps all the original data with no quality loss. ICO, on the other hand, uses hybrid (both lossy and lossless) compression: you can choose between maximum quality or maximum savings depending on the settings.
Compatibility
BMP
High (Not recommended)
ICO
100% (For favicons)
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