What's the difference between HDR and JPEG XL?

Radiance HDR (.hdr) stores high-dynamic-range images using an RGBE encoding — a shared exponent per pixel that captures a far wider range of brightness than ordinary 8-bit formats. JPEG XL is a modern, royalty-free image format with state-of-the-art compression.

What quality should I pick?

For JPEG XL, quality 75-85 is the sweet spot — small files with no visible difference from the original. Lower than 60 starts to show artifacts. Higher than 90 mostly just makes the file bigger.

Why convert away from HDR?

Radiance HDR (.hdr) stores high-dynamic-range images using an RGBE encoding — a shared exponent per pixel that captures a far wider range of brightness than ordinary 8-bit formats. Where it falls down: direct display on the web (needs tone-mapping first); general-purpose photo sharing. JPEG XL addresses that for most workflows.

When is JPEG XL the right format?

JPEG XL is a good choice for: high-quality archival images at small sizes; losslessly shrinking existing JPEG libraries; workflows where you control decoding (apps, pipelines). It is a poor choice when broad web delivery today (inconsistent browser support).

Anything surprising about HDR or JPEG XL?

Converting HDR to an 8-bit format tone-maps it — the extreme highlights/shadows are compressed to fit. And on the JPEG XL side: JPEG XL can recompress a JPEG losslessly ~20% smaller and restore the exact original.

Does this work on mobile?

Yes. The drop zone falls back to your phone's file picker, and conversions run on-device just like desktop. Large files may be slower on mobile due to CPU and memory constraints, but the workflow is identical.

What's the maximum file size?

No hard limit — the browser handles it. Files under 50MB convert in a few seconds. Larger files work but may take longer as the browser allocates memory. If you hit issues, batch in smaller groups.

Convert HDR to JPEG XL

Convert HDR to JPEG XL for smaller files with no visible quality loss. High dynamic range is tone-mapped down to standard range. Free, in your browser.

Drop images to convert

PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, JPEG XL, TIFF, BMP, GIF, SVG, HDR, ICO — any combination

Files stay on your device. Open DevTools' Network tab to verify.

Output format

JPEG XL

Quality82%

Overview

Why convert HDR to JPEG XL

JPEG XL is a more practical choice than HDR for most modern workflows: high-quality archival images at small sizes. Coming from HDR, the thing to know is that direct display on the web (needs tone-mapping first).

Comparison

HDR vs JPEG XL: what actually differs

HDR compared with JPEG XL across encoding, fidelity, file size and support.
Attribute	HDR	JPEG XL
Compression	Lossless	Lossy or lossless
Transparency	No	Yes
Animation	No	Yes
Typical file size	Varies	Small
Browser support	Not natively displayable in browsers — convert to PNG, JPG, or WebP to view or share.	Limited — Safari 17+ supports it; Chrome and Firefox are still behind flags or pending. Great for archival and apps that control their own decoder.

How to

How to convert HDR to JPEG XL

01
Drop your HDR files
Drag one or more HDR files onto the dropzone above, or click to browse. Files stay on your device — nothing uploads.
02
Convert in your browser
convert.now decodes each HDR and re-encodes it as JPEG XL via WebAssembly. The conversion runs in a Web Worker so the page stays responsive.
03
Download the result
Download a single JPEG XL file or, for batch conversions, a zip of all converted files. Filenames preserve the originals.

Why here

Why convert.now

Private
Files stay in your browser. No upload step. Nothing for anyone to see.
Fast
No queue, no upload wait. Conversion starts the moment you drop a file.
Free
No ads. No file-count limit. No sign-up wall. Just the converter.

FAQ

HDR to JPEG XL: common questions

No. The conversion from HDR to JPEG XL runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Files never leave your device. Open DevTools' Network tab if you'd like to verify — there are no network requests with file contents.

Related HDR converters

Last updated 27 August 2026

Why convert HDR to JPEG XL

HDR vs JPEG XL: what actually differs

How to convert HDR to JPEG XL

Drop your HDR files

Convert in your browser

Download the result

Why convert.now

HDR to JPEG XL: common questions

Related HDR converters