JPG, PNG and WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use?

JPG: a strong choice for photographs

JPG, also written JPEG, uses lossy compression. It can make photographs much smaller by discarding some image information, with a quality setting controlling how aggressive that compression is.

JPG does not support normal transparent backgrounds, so it is less suitable for logos or graphics that need transparency.

Want to try the idea yourself? Use the Image Converter.

PNG: useful for graphics and transparency

PNG uses lossless compression and supports transparency. It is often a good choice for logos, screenshots, interface graphics and images containing sharp text or flat areas of colour.

A photographic PNG can be much larger than an equivalent JPG because PNG is not designed to throw away visual detail in the same way.

If you want to explore this topic further, see How to Compress an Image Without Making It Look Bad.

WebP: modern web-friendly compression

WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression and can also support transparency. It is widely used on websites because it can offer good visual quality at relatively small file sizes.

Compatibility is strong in modern browsers, although a specific older system or workflow may still require JPG or PNG.

Which should you choose?

For ordinary photos, JPG or lossy WebP are often sensible. For transparent logos and sharp graphics, PNG or WebP may be better. The right answer depends on where the image will be used and what formats the destination accepts.

Do not convert purely because one format is newer. Compare quality, file size, transparency needs and compatibility.

Convert between image formats

The Image Converter lets you change image format in the browser. Keep the original if quality matters, particularly before converting to a lossy format.

Converting a low-quality JPG into PNG will not restore detail that was already removed by JPG compression.