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

If you have ever right-clicked "Save image as…" and hesitated over the format dropdown, this guide is for you. JPG, PNG, and WebP each solve a different problem. Pick the wrong one and you either waste bandwidth or lose quality.

The 30-second answer

• Photographs? Use JPG.
• Logos, screenshots, or anything with transparency? Use PNG.
• Publishing to the web and want the smallest file? Use WebP.

The details

JPG (JPEG)

JPG uses lossy compression: it throws away detail your eye is unlikely to notice, which makes photo files dramatically smaller. The trade-off is that saving the same JPG over and over slowly degrades it, and hard edges (like text) pick up fuzzy "artifacts."

• ✅ Tiny files for photos
• ✅ Opens everywhere
• ❌ No transparency
• ❌ Not ideal for sharp lines or text

PNG

PNG is lossless — it preserves every pixel exactly — and supports transparency. That makes it perfect for logos, icons, screenshots, and diagrams, but files are much larger than JPG for photographic content.

• ✅ Perfect quality, every time
• ✅ Transparent backgrounds
• ❌ Large files for photos

WebP

WebP is the modern option from Google. It does both lossy and lossless compression and typically produces files 25–35% smaller than JPG or PNG at the same quality, with transparency support. Every current browser supports it; the only catch is some older desktop software still doesn't.

• ✅ Smallest files at equal quality
• ✅ Supports transparency
• ❌ Occasional compatibility gaps in old apps

Converting between them

Need to switch formats? These browser tools do it instantly, no signup:

• Convert to JPG — turn PNG or WebP into a universal JPG.
• Convert from JPG — turn JPGs into other formats.
• Bundling images to send? Combine them into one file with Image to PDF.

A note on file size

Whatever format you choose, you can shrink an oversized image without visibly hurting it using the Compress Image tool, or hit a specific target with MB to kB.

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Bottom line: photos → JPG, graphics → PNG, web-first → WebP. When in doubt, try both and compare the file sizes — the right choice is usually obvious once you see the numbers.