WebP vs PNG vs JPG: Which Format Should You Use?

The Three Most Common Web Image Formats

When working with images on the web, you'll most often choose between three formats: JPEG (JPG), PNG, and WebP. Each has distinct strengths and the right choice depends on your specific use case.

JPEG (JPG)

Type: Lossy compression | Transparency: No | Animation: No

JPEG has been the web's workhorse image format since the 1990s. It excels at compressing photographs with its lossy compression algorithm, which discards visual information humans are unlikely to notice.

When to use JPEG:

• Photographs and natural images

• Large hero/banner images where file size matters

• When universal compatibility is essential

• Social media sharing

File size example: A 1920×1080 photo might be ~300KB at 85% quality

PNG

Type: Lossless compression | Transparency: Yes (alpha) | Animation: No (APNG exists but limited)

PNG preserves every pixel of your image without any quality loss. Its biggest advantage over JPEG is full alpha transparency support — essential for logos, icons, and overlays.

When to use PNG:

• Logos and icons

• Screenshots and text-heavy images

• Images requiring transparency

• Graphics with sharp edges and flat colors

File size example: The same 1920×1080 photo might be ~2-5MB as PNG

WebP

Type: Both lossy and lossless | Transparency: Yes | Animation: Yes

WebP, developed by Google, combines the best of both worlds. It offers lossy compression comparable to JPEG (but 25-34% smaller) and lossless compression with transparency (but smaller than PNG).

When to use WebP:

• Almost any web image in 2024

• When you want the best size/quality ratio

• Replacing both JPEG and PNG on modern sites

• Animated images (better than GIF)

File size example: The same 1920×1080 photo might be ~200KB at equivalent visual quality to JPEG

Head-to-Head Comparison

Quality at Same File Size

WebP > JPEG > PNG (for photos)

PNG = WebP lossless (for graphics, but WebP is smaller)

File Size at Same Quality

WebP < JPEG < PNG (for photos)

WebP lossless < PNG (for graphics)

Browser Support (2024)

JPEG: 100% | PNG: 100% | WebP: ~97%

Transparency

JPEG: ❌ | PNG: ✅ | WebP: ✅

Our Recommendation

Default to WebP for most web images. Use JPEG as a fallback for older browsers, and PNG only when you need lossless quality for graphics and screenshots. This strategy gives you the best balance of quality, file size, and compatibility.

Convert Between Formats

Need to convert? FormatPic makes it easy to convert between JPG, PNG, WebP, and 7 other formats — all free and private in your browser.

• Convert JPG to WebP

• Convert PNG to WebP

• Convert WebP to JPG

• Convert WebP to PNG