JPEG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use?

Choosing the right image format can halve your file sizes. The three you'll meet most often are JPEG, PNG and WebP. Here's exactly when to use each.

The short version

• JPEG — best for photographs. Small files, no transparency.
• PNG — best for logos, icons, screenshots, and anything needing transparency or razor-sharp edges.
• WebP — the modern all-rounder. Usually smaller than both, supports transparency and photos.

JPEG

JPEG uses lossy compression: it throws away detail your eye won't miss to get small files. That's perfect for photos with smooth gradients, but bad for sharp text or hard edges, where it creates fuzzy "artifacts". JPEG has no transparency.

PNG

PNG is lossless — it preserves every pixel exactly and supports an alpha (transparency) channel. That makes it ideal for logos, UI elements, and screenshots with text. The downside: photos saved as PNG are much larger than as JPEG or WebP.

WebP

WebP supports both lossy and lossless modes and transparency. At the same visual quality, lossy WebP is typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG, and lossless WebP is smaller than PNG. It's supported in every current browser, which is why it's the recommended default for new sites.

Side-by-side

What about PDF, GIF, SVG, AVIF?

GIF is only worth it for simple animations (use video or animated WebP instead when you can). SVG is for vector graphics like icons and logos — infinitely scalable, tiny. AVIF can beat WebP on size but isn't as universally supported yet.

Convert in one click

Our image compressor lets you convert between JPEG, PNG and WebP while compressing — all in your browser, with no uploads or limits. Try saving the same photo as JPEG and WebP and compare the file sizes; WebP usually wins.

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