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

By Gearboxly6 min read

JPG, PNG, WebP — you save images every day without thinking about which format to use, but the choice quietly decides how sharp your images look and how fast your pages load. Pick wrong and you get a bloated file or a blurry logo.

Here's what each format is actually good at, a simple rule for choosing, and how to convert between them in seconds.

JPG — for photographs

JPG (or JPEG) uses lossy compression that's tuned for photos: it discards detail the eye barely notices to make small files. It's the right choice for photographs and complex, colorful images.

Its weaknesses: it can't do transparency, it softens sharp edges and text (so it's poor for logos and screenshots), and every re-save loses a little more quality.

PNG — for graphics and transparency

PNG uses lossless compression, so every pixel stays exact. That makes it ideal for logos, icons, screenshots, and anything with sharp edges, text, or transparency (which JPG can't do at all).

The trade-off: PNG files of photographs are much larger than JPG or WebP, so don't use it for photos.

WebP — the modern all-rounder

WebP is the newer format built for the web. It does both lossy and lossless compression *and* transparency, and it's typically 25–35% smaller than JPG or PNG at the same quality. On the modern web it's supported everywhere that matters.

Use WebP as your default for website images. Keep a JPG or PNG fallback only if you need to support very old software.

The quick decision rule

  • Photo on a website? → WebP (JPG as a fallback).
  • Logo, icon, or anything with transparency? → PNG, or WebP for smaller files.
  • Screenshot with text? → PNG (or WebP) to keep the text crisp.
  • Emailing a photo or need max compatibility? → JPG.

How to convert between them

Use the free Image Converter to switch any image between JPG, PNG and WebP in your browser. Converting to WebP is one of the easiest page-speed wins there is.

Image ConverterConvert between JPG, PNG and WebP.

After converting, run the file through the Image Compressor to squeeze out any remaining size — and see how to compress images without losing quality for the full workflow.

Tools mentioned in this post

Image ConverterConvert between JPG, PNG and WebP.Image CompressorShrink JPG, PNG and WebP without uploading.Image ResizerResize images to any dimensions.Image to Base64Encode an image as a Base64 data URI.

Frequently asked questions

WebP for most images — it's smaller than JPG and PNG at the same quality and supports transparency. Keep JPG/PNG as fallbacks only if you need very broad compatibility.

For logos, icons, screenshots and anything needing transparency or crisp edges. Use JPG for photographs.

Usually, yes — WebP produces smaller files at the same quality and supports transparency, which JPG can't.

WebP has a lossless mode that preserves everything, and a lossy mode that's smaller. For photos, lossy WebP at a good quality setting looks great at a fraction of the size.

Yes. The Image Converter runs in your browser, so your images never leave your device.

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