How we picked these tools
We chose tools we would actually use ourselves, weighing privacy, price, speed, and how many formats each one handles. Some links to third-party products are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you sign up — at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure for the details. It never changes which tools we recommend or the order they appear in.
1. PNGifier — best free, private, in-browser converter
PNGifier is our own converter, and we built it to fix the thing that annoys us most about other tools: the upload. Your image is converted right inside your browser, so it never leaves your device — there is no signup, no watermark, and nothing to delete from a server afterward. It is genuinely free and fast for everyday jobs like turning a PNG into a JPG or a PNG into WebP.
The trade-off is honest: because everything runs on your machine, it is built for common image formats rather than the long tail of obscure file types, and it is not designed for automated server-side pipelines. If you want to try it, open the converter and drop a file in.
2. CloudConvert — best for many formats and an API
CloudConvert is the Swiss-army knife of the bunch. It converts between hundreds of formats — well beyond images — and offers a solid API and automation options, which makes it a real workhorse for developers and teams. Conversions are reliable and the controls are detailed.
The downsides are that your files are uploaded to its servers, and the free allowance is limited by conversion minutes per day, so heavy use means a paid plan. For occasional, varied conversions it is excellent; for private images it is not the most discreet choice.
3. Convertio — easiest online converter
Convertio is about as simple as online conversion gets: pick a file, pick a target format, download. It supports a wide range of formats and the free tier is fine for the occasional one-off conversion without creating an account.
The free tier caps file size and the number of daily conversions, and like other online tools it uploads your image to be processed. If you convert files all day you will bump into the limits quickly, but for a quick job now and then it is hard to fault.
4. XnConvert — best free desktop batch converter
XnConvert is a free desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux that is built for volume. Point it at a folder and it will convert, resize, rename, and apply filters to thousands of images in one pass — all locally, so nothing is uploaded.
It is a power tool, so the interface is busier than a one-click web page and there is a small learning curve. But if you regularly process large batches of PNGs on your own machine, nothing else here comes close for the price.
5. Adobe Express — best if you also want to edit
Adobe Express is Adobe's free web tool, and conversion is just one small part of it. The appeal is that you can convert a PNG and then crop, resize, or design around it in the same place, backed by a name you already trust.
It is heavier than a dedicated converter, usually wants a free Adobe account, and uploads your work to the cloud. If you only need a quick format swap it is overkill, but if conversion is one step in a wider design task it is a convenient home base.
How to choose a PNG converter
Start with the question that matters most: is the image private? If so, lean toward a tool that processes files on your device rather than uploading them. After that, weigh volume — a one-click web tool is perfect for the odd file, while batches of hundreds call for a desktop app. Finally, think about format range and whether you need an API; that is where versatile services earn their keep. For most people most of the time, the simplest free tool that keeps files private wins.
Why we recommend a browser-based tool
Modern browsers are powerful enough to convert images without any server at all. That means your file never travels across the internet, there is nothing to upload or wait for, and there is no account, queue, or watermark in the way. It is faster for everyday jobs and far better for anything you would rather not hand to a third party — which is exactly why we built PNGifier this way.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best free PNG converter?
- For most people, a browser-based converter like PNGifier is the best free option because it runs entirely on your device with no uploads, signup, or watermarks. If you need to batch-process thousands of files at once, a free desktop app like XnConvert is a better fit.
- Are online PNG converters safe to use?
- It depends on how they work. Tools that upload your image to a server can be fine for non-sensitive files, but anything private is safer with an in-browser converter that never sends your image anywhere. Always check whether a service deletes your files and how long it keeps them.
- Do I need to pay for a good PNG converter?
- No. The free tools in this roundup cover almost every everyday need. You typically only pay when you need very high daily volumes, an API, or batch automation built into a paid plan.
- Which converter is best for batch converting many PNGs?
- For large local batches, XnConvert is hard to beat because it is free, runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and processes whole folders at once. For occasional batches in the browser, PNGifier handles multiple files without uploading them.