JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Format Should You Pick?
Three formats. Three different strengths. And you're not sure which one to use for your project.
JPG has been the photo standard since the 1990s. PNG handles transparency and lossless quality. WebP combines the best of both while being smaller. But each one has situations where it's the right call.
This guide breaks down exactly when to use each format based on what you're actually doing with the image.
What Are the Key Differences Between JPG, PNG, and WebP?
Here's the quick comparison:
| Feature | JPG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression type | Lossy only | Lossless only | Both lossy and lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No (APNG exists but rare) | Yes |
| Color depth | 16.7 million | 16.7 million + alpha | 16.7 million + alpha |
| Best for | Photos | Graphics, screenshots | Web delivery |
| File size (photo) | Small | Very large | Smallest |
| File size (graphic) | Medium | Small-medium | Smallest |
| Browser support | 100% | 100% | 97%+ |
| Email support | Excellent | Excellent | Poor |
| Print support | Excellent | Good | Poor |
The short version: JPG compresses photos well but can't do transparency. PNG does transparency and lossless quality but creates big files for photos. WebP does everything and produces the smallest files, but it doesn't work everywhere.
When Should You Use JPG?
JPG is the right choice when you need photos that work everywhere.
Photos for email. Sending images in an email? JPG. Every email client displays JPG correctly. WebP support is hit or miss. PNG works but files are huge.
Photos for printing. Print shops expect JPG (or TIFF). Don't send them WebP. They might not be able to open it.
Camera photos for storage. Your phone shoots JPG. Your camera shoots JPG. For general photo storage and sharing, JPG is the universal format.
Social media posts. While platforms like Instagram and Facebook accept multiple formats, JPG has been the standard for years. Results are predictable and consistent.
When file size matters and transparency doesn't. JPG at 85% quality gives you great-looking photos at a fraction of the PNG file size.
Avoid JPG for: logos, icons, text-heavy images, screenshots, anything needing transparency, and any image you'll edit repeatedly (quality degrades with each save).
When Should You Use PNG?
PNG is the right choice when quality and transparency matter more than file size.
Images with transparent backgrounds. Product cutouts, logos, icons, stickers, watermarks. If it needs to float on any colored surface, PNG handles transparency perfectly.
Screenshots. Text in screenshots stays crisp in PNG. JPG blurs text and creates ugly halos around letters. For tutorials, documentation, and bug reports, always use PNG.
Logos and icons. Sharp edges, flat colors, clean lines. PNG excels at these. A logo in PNG looks pixel-perfect. The same logo in JPG has fuzzy edges and color bleeding.
Graphics with text. Infographics, diagrams, charts, and any image containing readable text. PNG keeps the text sharp. JPG makes it fuzzy.
Source files for editing. PNG is lossless. Save it 100 times and nothing changes. Use PNG as your working format when editing images. Export to JPG or WebP when you're done.
Favicons and app icons. The standard for web favicons and mobile app icons is PNG. Browsers and operating systems expect it.
Avoid PNG for: photos on websites (way too large), large batches of web images, any situation where download speed matters.
When Should You Use WebP?
WebP is the right choice for almost any image on a website.
All website images. Photos, graphics, icons, backgrounds. WebP handles every type of image and produces smaller files than both JPG and PNG.
Transparent images for web. WebP gives you PNG's transparency at 30-70% smaller file sizes. Product photos with transparent backgrounds are a perfect use case.
Thumbnails and image galleries. Small images see the biggest relative savings. A 50 KB JPG thumbnail drops to 30 KB as WebP. Across a gallery of 100 thumbnails, that's 2 MB saved.
Progressive Web Apps. Apps that work offline need small assets. WebP keeps cache sizes manageable.
When you need both lossy and lossless options. WebP supports both modes. Use lossy for photos, lossless for graphics. One format, two modes.
Avoid WebP for: email attachments, print materials, files shared with people who might use old software, archival storage where universal compatibility is essential.
How Do File Sizes Actually Compare?
Real numbers for the same image in each format:
| Image content | JPG (85%) | PNG | WebP (85%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo 4000x3000 | 1.5 MB | 15 MB | 1.0 MB |
| Photo 1920x1080 | 500 KB | 5 MB | 340 KB |
| Screenshot 1920x1080 | 250 KB | 400 KB | 150 KB |
| Logo 500x200 | 35 KB | 25 KB | 15 KB |
| Icon 64x64 | 5 KB | 3 KB | 2 KB |
| Infographic 800x2000 | 200 KB | 350 KB | 130 KB |
For photos, PNG is absurdly large. 10x bigger than JPG and 15x bigger than WebP. Never use PNG for photos on the web.
For graphics with flat colors (logos, icons), PNG is actually reasonable. But WebP still beats it by 30-40%.
WebP wins every row. It's the smallest format across all image types. The only trade-off is compatibility. For our full recommendations on the best format for websites, see our dedicated guide.
Can You Use All Three Formats on One Website?
Yes, and many sites do. Here's a practical approach:
Serve WebP to browsers that support it. That's 97% of your visitors. They get the smallest, fastest images.
Fall back to JPG for photos and PNG for transparent images for the remaining 3%. Use the <picture> element in HTML.
Use PNG for favicons and other special files that browsers specifically expect in PNG format.
Keep originals in JPG or PNG in your project files. Generate WebP versions during your build process or use a CDN that converts on the fly.
If you want to go further, add AVIF to the mix. Our AVIF format comparison shows how it stacks up against WebP. Serve AVIF first, WebP second, and JPG/PNG third. For a complete guide on all formats and when to use each, see our image format guide.
How Do You Convert Between These Formats?
ConvertIMG handles all three formats and more. Convert JPG to WebP for web delivery. Convert PNG to WebP for smaller transparent images. Convert WebP to JPG for email compatibility. You can also compress your images for additional file size savings. Drop your files in, pick a format, and download. Free, private, and works entirely in your browser.
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