WebP vs JPG vs PNG: which image format should you use?

The short answer

Use JPG for photographs, PNG for logos, screenshots and anything transparent, and WebP for images on your own website when you want smaller files. If you are uploading to a form, email or older software, JPG is the safest choice. You can switch between them with our free converters, which run in your browser.

JPG: the safe choice for photos

JPG (also written JPEG) is the best all-round format for photographs. It uses lossy compression, which means it throws away detail the eye barely notices to make the file much smaller. Almost every phone, camera, website, form, email app and printer accepts it.

Choose JPG when:

• The image is a photo, or has smooth colour gradients.
• You are uploading to a form or portal. Most ask for JPG, as in our guide on compressing a photo to 50KB.
• You need maximum compatibility.

JPG has two weaknesses. It cannot store transparency, and each time you re-save it, quality drops a little. Sharp text and thin lines can also show fuzzy artefacts around them.

PNG: sharp edges and transparency

PNG uses lossless compression, which means the picture is stored exactly, with no detail thrown away. That makes it ideal for flat graphics and sharp edges, and it supports transparent backgrounds.

Choose PNG when:

• The image is a logo, icon, diagram, chart or screenshot.
• It contains text that must stay crisp.
• You need a transparent background, for example a logo on top of a coloured page.
• You will edit the file repeatedly and want no quality loss.

The cost is size. A photo saved as PNG is often several times larger than the same photo as JPG, so PNG is a poor fit for photos on the web or in email.

WebP: smaller files for the web

WebP is a newer format from Google that can do both jobs. It supports lossy compression like JPG and lossless compression like PNG, plus transparency, and its files are typically smaller than JPG or PNG at similar visual quality. The exact saving depends on the image, so test your own pictures instead of trusting a fixed percentage.

Choose WebP when:

• You publish images on a website and want faster pages.
• You need transparency but want a smaller file than PNG.

Its weakness is compatibility outside browsers. Modern browsers display WebP, but some older apps, editors, print shops and many upload forms still do not accept it. Saving a picture from a website often gives you a WebP file you cannot upload anywhere else.

Quick comparison

• File size for photos: WebP is usually smallest, then JPG, then PNG, which is far larger.
• Transparency: supported by PNG and WebP, not by JPG.
• Lossless option: PNG always, WebP optionally, JPG no.
• Compatibility: JPG is the widest, PNG is nearly as wide, WebP is good in browsers but patchy elsewhere.
• Best for: JPG for photos and forms, PNG for graphics and screenshots, WebP for web delivery.

How to convert between formats

Each conversion has its own page, and each runs in your browser without uploading your image:

• JPG to WebP and PNG to WebP make web-ready files.
• WebP to JPG fixes images that a form or app will not accept.
• PNG to JPG shrinks a photo or screenshot that is saved as PNG. Transparent areas become white, so check the result.
• JPG to PNG is for tools that need PNG. It will not improve the picture.

To convert, open the page, add your image, click convert and download the new file. Always keep your original, especially before converting to a lossy format.

Mistakes to avoid

• Renaming instead of converting. Changing photo.png to photo.jpg does not change the format, and some forms detect that and reject it.
• Converting a JPG to PNG to "improve" it. The detail is already gone, so you just get a bigger file.
• Saving a logo as JPG. You get fuzzy edges and a white box instead of transparency.
• Re-saving a JPG many times. Each save loses a bit of quality. Edit from the original and export once.

What if you need a specific file size?

Format alone does not guarantee a small file, so size limits are a separate step. For a limit such as 50 KB or 200 KB, convert to JPG and then use compress image or a fixed-size page such as compress image to 100KB.

A simple rule of thumb

Ask what the image is for. A photo going anywhere people upload things: JPG. A graphic, screenshot or logo: PNG. A picture on your own website where speed matters: WebP, with a JPG or PNG copy available if some software cannot open it.