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

Pick the wrong image format and you will end up with either a file that is three times larger than it needs to be, or an image that looks noticeably degraded. JPG, PNG, and WebP each solve a different problem — and the format that wins for a photograph is the wrong choice for a logo, and the format that wins for a logo may be unnecessary for a website in 2026.

Here is a plain-English breakdown of how each format works, when to use it, and when converting between them is worth doing.

JPG: the format built for photographs

JPG (also written JPEG) uses lossy compression — when you save an image as a JPG, the encoder discards some of the colour and detail information to make the file smaller. For photographs, this trade-off is almost always invisible at typical quality settings (80–90%), because the human eye is not sensitive to the specific frequency patterns that JPG removes.

Where JPG wins

• Photographs and photorealistic images with smooth colour gradients
• Camera files exported from a DSLR or smartphone
• Product photos for e-commerce and social media
• Any image where absolute colour accuracy is not required

Where JPG fails

• Text and sharp edges. JPG compression produces visible block artefacts ("mosquito noise") around high-contrast edges like text, logos, and line art.
• Transparency. JPG does not support transparent backgrounds. Any transparent area becomes a solid colour (usually white or black).
• Repeated re-saving. Every time you open a JPG, edit it, and save it again, a new round of lossy compression is applied. Quality degrades noticeably after four or five re-saves. Never use JPG as a working format for images you are actively editing.

PNG: lossless quality and transparency

PNG uses lossless compression — the file size is reduced, but no information is discarded. When you open a PNG, every pixel is exactly what was originally saved. This makes PNG the format of choice wherever perfect accuracy matters.

Where PNG wins

• Logos, icons, and graphics with flat colours or sharp edges
• Screenshots of interfaces, code, or text
• Images that need a transparent background (icons on a website, stickers, product photos with cutouts)
• Working files that you will edit and re-save multiple times

Where PNG fails

• Photographs. Because PNG is lossless, it cannot discard redundant detail the way JPG can. A full-resolution photograph saved as a PNG can easily be 5–10× larger than the same image saved as a JPG at high quality. This makes PNG impractical for photo-heavy websites.
• Email and bandwidth-limited contexts. Large PNG files slow down page loads and eat into storage quotas faster than necessary for photographic content.

WebP: the modern default for the web

WebP is an image format developed by Google and released in 2010, specifically designed to be more efficient than both JPG and PNG for web delivery. It supports both lossy and lossless compression modes, as well as transparency and animation — making it a genuine replacement for all three older formats in web contexts.

In lossy mode, WebP typically produces files 25–35% smaller than JPG at equivalent visual quality. In lossless mode, WebP files are typically 26% smaller than equivalent PNGs. And critically, WebP handles transparency like PNG — so a logo that would be a large PNG can become a much smaller WebP without losing its transparent background.

WebP browser support: the concern that no longer applies

When WebP launched, Internet Explorer did not support it. This was a genuine reason to hesitate for several years. As of 2024, Internet Explorer has zero meaningful market share and Microsoft has ended all support for it. Every major browser — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge — has supported WebP for years. Global support exceeds 97%.

If you are building a website today, there is no valid reason to use JPG or PNG when WebP would do the job. The main exception is when images need to work in non-browser contexts: older desktop software, email clients, or print workflows that have not yet added WebP support.

When to convert between formats

JPG → PNG: when you are editing

Converting a JPG to PNG does not recover lost quality — the information discarded by the original JPG compression is gone. But it stops future re-saves from degrading the image further. If you are about to do several rounds of editing on a JPG, convert it to PNG first, edit in PNG, and export a final JPG only at the end.

JPG or PNG → WebP: for web performance

The most impactful conversion you can make for a website is switching from JPG or PNG to WebP. Smaller files improve Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which is one of Google's Core Web Vitals and directly influences search ranking. Convert your entire image library to WebP as part of any performance audit.

WebP → JPG or PNG: for compatibility

If someone sends you a WebP file and your software cannot open it, converting to JPG or PNG makes it universally compatible. This is the only reason to convert away from WebP — compatibility with older or non-browser tools.

Quick reference: format comparison

• Photographs on a website: WebP (smallest file, excellent quality)
• Photographs for email or printing: JPG (universal compatibility)
• Logos and icons on a website: WebP (supports transparency, small files)
• Logos and icons for design software: PNG (maximum compatibility)
• Screenshots of interfaces: PNG (lossless, sharp text)
• Working files during editing: PNG (no re-save degradation)
• Social media uploads: JPG for photos, PNG for graphics (platforms re-compress anyway)

File size rule of thumb

For a typical 1920×1080 photograph: a JPG at 85% quality is roughly 300–500 KB, the same image as a PNG is 1.5–4 MB, and a WebP at equivalent quality is roughly 200–350 KB. These are rough figures that vary widely with image content, but they give you a sense of the magnitude of difference.