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

Updated 27 September 2026 · 5 min read

JPG, PNG and WebP can all show the same picture, but they store it in different ways, and the wrong choice gives you blurry text, lost transparency or a file several times bigger than it needs to be. The short version: JPG for photos, PNG for screenshots and graphics that need exact pixels, and WebP for websites.

Lossy and lossless, in plain terms

A lossless format stores an image so it can be rebuilt pixel for pixel. PNG is lossless, and so is WebP in its lossless mode.

A lossy format throws away detail your eye is less likely to notice, in exchange for a much smaller file. JPG is lossy, and so is WebP in its lossy mode. A quality setting controls how much is thrown away. Push it too low and you'll see blocky patches in smooth areas like skies, and smudgy halos around text and sharp edges.

Two consequences are worth remembering. Every time you edit and re-save a JPG, it loses a little more. And converting a JPG to PNG doesn't bring lost detail back; it just gives you a bigger file of the same image.

The three formats

JPG: the everyday photo format

JPG (also written JPEG) dates from the early 1990s and opens everywhere: every browser, phone, email program, printer and upload form. It's excellent for photographs, where millions of slightly different colours hide the compression. It's poor at text, logos, line drawings and screenshots, where hard edges show artefacts. It has no transparency, so transparent areas have to be filled with a colour, usually white. For photos, a quality setting between about 60 and 85 is usually a good balance.

PNG: exact pixels and transparency

PNG is lossless and supports full transparency, including soft, partly see-through edges. That makes it the right choice for logos, icons, screenshots, diagrams, charts and anything with text in it, and it's supported everywhere.

The catch is photos. Because PNG keeps every pixel exactly, a photo saved as PNG is often several times larger than a good JPG of the same picture, with no visible benefit. If someone has sent you a huge PNG photo, converting it to JPG is usually the quickest way to shrink it.

WebP: smaller files, both modes

WebP was developed by Google for the web. It can be lossy or lossless, supports transparency and can be animated. Google's WebP page says lossless WebP files are 26% smaller than PNGs, and lossy WebP files are 25 to 34% smaller than comparable JPGs. Results vary from image to image, but the savings are real.

Browser support is no longer a worry. Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari and Opera all show WebP, and Can I use puts support at around 97% of browsers in use. Only Safari versions older than 14, which came out in 2020, can't display it.

Where WebP still falls short is outside the browser. Some upload forms, older desktop software and print services accept only JPG and PNG. If you save a picture from a website and your photo editor won't open it, it's probably WebP, and converting it fixes the problem.

You may also come across AVIF, a newer format that compresses even further and works in current browsers. MDN's image format guide covers it in detail. For everyday files and forms it's less widely accepted than WebP.

Side-by-side comparison

Which format to use for which job

• Photos on your own website: WebP, or JPG if your platform doesn't accept WebP.
• Photos to email, print or upload to a form: JPG, because it's accepted everywhere.
• Screenshots, especially with text: PNG. On a website, lossless WebP gives the same sharpness in less space.
• Logos with a transparent background: PNG, or WebP on the web. Never JPG.
• Scans and photos for job or government portals: exactly what the form asks for. If it says JPG, a PNG or WebP may be rejected even if it looks the same.
• Social media: JPG or PNG. The platforms recompress uploads anyway.
• iPhone photos: iPhones often save photos as HEIC, which many websites and browsers can't open. You can switch the camera to JPG under Settings > Camera > Formats > Most Compatible, as Apple explains.

Converting and compressing with SAA Tool

To change format, open the Image Converter, drop in a JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF or BMP, choose JPG, PNG or WebP under Convert to, and click Convert Image. It shows the old and new file sizes side by side. JPG and WebP are saved at 92% quality. If your image has transparent areas and you pick JPG, the tool warns you and fills them with white. An animated GIF becomes a single still image.

To make a file smaller, use the Image Compressor. Set the Quality (75% by default), choose JPG or WebP under Save as, and optionally pick a Max width. If the image has transparency, WebP is selected for you so it stays transparent. If the result isn't smaller than your original, the tool says so, and you should keep the original.

Both tools run in your browser, so your images aren't uploaded. Most browsers can't open HEIC files, so convert iPhone photos to JPG first. For dimensions and file size targets, see how to resize and compress images.

Frequently asked questions

Is WebP better than JPG?

For websites, usually yes: smaller files at similar quality, with transparency if you need it. For email attachments, printing and upload forms, JPG is still safer because everything accepts it.

Why did my file get bigger when I converted JPG to PNG?

PNG stores every pixel exactly, including the tiny speckles left by JPG compression. You get the same picture in a larger file, so only convert to PNG when a form or app requires it.

Can a JPG have a transparent background?

No. JPG has no transparency. Save as PNG or WebP instead, and if you need to cut out the background first, see how to remove a background from an image.

Does converting to PNG improve quality?

No. Converting can't add detail that isn't there. It does stop further loss from repeated saving, which helps if you'll edit the image many times, but it won't sharpen anything.