ICO vs BMP
Technical analysis 2026: differences, performance and which one you should use for your project.
Quick Verdict
"It depends on the use case: ICO excels at favicons, while BMP is better for legacy windows applications."
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
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
Detailed Analysis
When comparing ICO (Microsoft Icon) with BMP (Bitmap Image File), it is important to understand the historical and technical context. ICO was established in 1985, while BMP appeared in 1990.
The main technical difference lies in their compression algorithm. ICO uses hybrid (both lossy and lossless) compression: you can choose between maximum quality or maximum savings depending on the settings. BMP, on the other hand, uses lossless compression: it keeps all the original data with no quality loss.
Compatibility
ICO
100% (For favicons)
BMP
High (Not recommended)
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