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

JPG / JPEG — The Photograph Format

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) has been the standard format for photographic images since 1992. It uses lossy compression, which means some image data is permanently discarded when you save the file — but the compression is designed to discard data that is hard for the human eye to detect.

Best for: Photographs, product images, background images, and any image with complex colour gradients. JPG handles millions of colours well and produces small file sizes for photographic content.

Not for: Logos, icons, screenshots, or any image with sharp edges and text. JPG compression produces visible "artefacts" (blurry halos) around sharp edges and text, making logos and UI screenshots look bad. JPG also does not support transparency.

Typical quality setting: 70–85% for web use gives a good balance between file size and visual quality. Going below 70% produces noticeable quality loss; going above 85% adds file size with little visible benefit.

PNG — The Graphics Format

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) uses lossless compression — no data is discarded. The file is larger than JPG for photographs, but it preserves every pixel perfectly. PNG also supports an alpha channel for transparency.

Best for: Logos, icons, screenshots, UI elements, and any image with sharp lines, text, or areas of flat colour. Transparency is a major use case — PNG is the format of choice for images that need to sit on any background.

Not for: Full photographs on a website where file size matters. A PNG photograph can be 3–5× larger than the equivalent JPG. This is a meaningful performance cost for no visible quality improvement (since JPG handles photos excellently at quality 80+).

PNG-8 vs PNG-24: PNG-8 supports only 256 colours and produces much smaller files. PNG-24 supports true colour (16 million colours) and full alpha transparency. For simple logos and icons with limited colours, PNG-8 is a useful optimisation.

WebP — The Modern Standard

WebP was developed by Google and released in 2010. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, and both modes support transparency. WebP lossless is typically 26% smaller than PNG; WebP lossy is typically 25–34% smaller than JPG at the same visual quality.

Best for: Almost everything in 2026. WebP has excellent browser support (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge — over 97% of browsers as of 2026). For new websites, WebP should be your default format for both photographs and graphics with transparency.

Not for: Email (many email clients still don't support WebP), some CMS platforms that haven't been updated, or contexts where you need maximum compatibility with older software.

You can convert any image to WebP using our Image Format Converter. The conversion runs entirely in your browser.

GIF — The Animation Format

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is a very old format (1987) that supports animation and simple transparency. It is limited to 256 colours, which makes it terrible for photographs but adequate for simple graphics and short animations.

Best for: Short looping animations where video would be overkill. GIFs are universally supported and easy to share.

Not for: Any static image (PNG or WebP will be smaller and higher quality), or long animations (video formats like MP4 are dramatically more efficient). A 2-second GIF can easily be 5× larger than an equivalent MP4 video.

For new animated content, prefer MP4 with the HTML5 <video> element and the autoplay muted loop playsinline attributes. Or use WebP animated — which supports full colour at much smaller file sizes than GIF.

AVIF — The Next Generation

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is the newest entry and currently the most efficient format available. It achieves file sizes 20–50% smaller than WebP for the same visual quality. Browser support is now very good: Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all support AVIF.

Best for: High-quality photographs and detailed graphics on modern browsers. Use it with a WebP fallback for maximum compatibility.

Implementation: Use the HTML <picture> element to serve AVIF to browsers that support it with WebP as a fallback:

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif">
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
</picture>

Quick Reference: Which Format to Use

• Photograph for website: WebP (lossy) or JPG
• Logo / icon with transparency: WebP (lossless) or PNG
• Screenshot / UI graphic: WebP (lossless) or PNG
• Animation: WebP (animated) or MP4 video
• Email image: JPG or PNG (WebP support is poor in email clients)
• Highest quality at smallest size: AVIF with WebP fallback

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WebP better than PNG?

WebP is better for file size — WebP lossless is typically 26% smaller than PNG. PNG is better for compatibility in contexts where browser support is not guaranteed, and for tools that don't yet support WebP. For web use, WebP is the better choice in 2026.

When should I use PNG instead of JPG?

Use PNG when you need a transparent background, when the image contains sharp text or line art (logos, screenshots, icons), or when you need lossless quality. Use JPG for photographs and images with gradients where some quality loss is acceptable.

Does WebP support transparency?

Yes. WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression, and both modes support transparency (alpha channel). WebP with transparency is typically 3x smaller than an equivalent PNG with the same visual quality.

What is AVIF and should I use it?

AVIF is a next-generation image format based on the AV1 video codec. It achieves smaller file sizes than WebP while maintaining excellent quality. Browser support is now very good (Chrome, Firefox, Safari). It is worth using for new projects, with WebP as a fallback.