JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Image Format Is Best for Websites?

TL;DR: WebP is best for most websites (60-75% smaller than PNG, 30% smaller than JPG). Use PNG for transparency and editing. Use JPG for maximum compatibility. Convert your images with our free PNG to WebP or JPG to WebP converters.

Choosing between JPG, PNG, and WebP can significantly impact your website's speed, SEO rankings, and user experience. The wrong format can slow your site by seconds—the right one can cut loading times in half.

This guide compares JPG vs PNG vs WebP with real data, helping you choose the best image format for every situation.

What's the Difference Between JPG, PNG, and WebP?

Each format has unique strengths:

JPG (JPEG):

• Lossy compression (some quality loss)
• No transparency support
• Universal compatibility (works everywhere since 1992)
• Best for photographs

PNG:

• Lossless compression (perfect quality)
• Full transparency support
• Larger file sizes
• Best for graphics, logos, screenshots

WebP:

• Both lossy and lossless modes
• Full transparency support
• 25-35% smaller than JPG, 60-75% smaller than PNG
• 95%+ browser support
• Best for modern websites

Why Image Format Matters for Websites

Image format directly impacts critical website metrics:

• Page Speed: Images often account for 50-80% of page weight. WebP can cut this in half.
• Core Web Vitals: Google uses LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) for rankings. Smaller images = faster LCP.
• Bandwidth Costs: Smaller images reduce hosting and CDN costs significantly.
• User Experience: Faster sites have lower bounce rates and higher conversions.
• Mobile Performance: WebP especially helps users on slow mobile connections.
• SEO Rankings: Google explicitly recommends next-gen formats like WebP.

JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Complete Comparison

When to Use Each Format

Use JPG When:

JPG remains relevant for specific situations:

1. Maximum Compatibility Required

   • Email attachments (some clients don't support WebP)
   • Printing services
   • Legacy systems and old browsers
   • Social media (though most now support WebP)

2. File Size Is Critical and WebP Isn't Available

   • When you can't use WebP for technical reasons
   • Quick sharing where format doesn't matter

Convert with: PNG to JPG or WebP to JPG

Use PNG When:

PNG is essential for:

1. Transparency Required

   • Logos on various backgrounds
   • UI elements and icons
   • Overlays and watermarks
   • Graphics that need to blend

2. Lossless Quality Needed

   • Screenshots and text-heavy images
   • Images you'll edit multiple times
   • Source files for design work
   • QR codes and barcodes

3. Maximum Compatibility with Transparency

   • When WebP transparency isn't supported
   • Design software that doesn't read WebP

Convert with: JPG to PNG or WebP to PNG

Use WebP When:

WebP is ideal for most modern web use:

1. Website Images (Primary Recommendation)

   • Hero images and banners
   • Product photos
   • Blog post images
   • Thumbnails and galleries

2. Performance Optimization

   • Improving Core Web Vitals scores
   • Reducing bandwidth costs
   • Faster mobile loading
   • Better SEO rankings

3. Replacing Both JPG and PNG

   • Photos that need compression (replaces JPG)
   • Graphics with transparency (replaces PNG)
   • Animated images (replaces GIF)

Convert with: PNG to WebP or JPG to WebP

Real-World File Size Comparison

Here's what happens when you convert the same image:

Example: 1920x1080 Photo

Example: Logo with Transparency

How to Convert Between Formats

Convert PNG to WebP (Recommended for Web)

Use our PNG to WebP converter:

1. Upload your PNG file
2. Adjust quality (80-90% recommended)
3. Download WebP (60-75% smaller)

Result: Faster loading website images with excellent quality.

Convert JPG to WebP

Use our JPG to WebP converter:

1. Upload your JPEG photo
2. Set quality level (80-90% for web)
3. Download optimized WebP

Result: 25-35% smaller than original JPG with similar quality.

Convert WebP to PNG (For Editing)

Use our WebP to PNG converter:

1. Upload WebP file
2. Click convert
3. Download PNG for editing

Result: Editable PNG that works in all software.

Convert WebP to JPG (For Compatibility)

Use our WebP to JPG converter:

1. Upload WebP image
2. Convert to universal JPEG
3. Share with anyone

Result: Maximum compatibility for sharing.

What About AVIF?

AVIF is even newer than WebP with better compression:

• 20-30% smaller than WebP
• ~90% browser support (slightly less than WebP)
• Slower encoding (minimal impact for pre-converted images)

Recommendation: Use WebP as your primary format with AVIF as a progressive enhancement for cutting-edge performance.

Convert with: PNG to AVIF or JPG to AVIF

Best Practices for Website Images

1. Use WebP as Your Default

Convert all website images to WebP:

• Use PNG to WebP for graphics
• Use JPG to WebP for photos

2. Keep Original Files

Always save your original PNG or high-quality JPG source files. You may need to re-export at different sizes or formats later.

3. Use Appropriate Quality Settings

• Photos: 80-85% quality (imperceptible loss, great compression)
• Graphics with text: 90-95% quality (preserve sharp edges)
• Thumbnails: 70-80% quality (small display size hides compression)

4. Consider Responsive Images

Serve different sizes for different devices:

• Desktop: Full resolution
• Tablet: 75% resolution
• Mobile: 50% resolution

5. Implement Lazy Loading

Only load images when they enter the viewport. Combine with WebP for maximum performance.

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: WebP not displaying in old browsers

Solution: Provide JPG/PNG fallback using <picture> element:

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
</picture>

Problem: PNG files are too large

Solution: Convert to WebP using our PNG to WebP converter. If transparency isn't needed, convert to JPG with PNG to JPG converter.

Problem: JPG quality looks bad

Solution: Use higher quality settings (90%+) or convert to WebP which maintains better quality at smaller sizes. Try our JPG to WebP converter.

Problem: Colors look different between formats

Solution: This can happen with color profile handling. For color-critical work, use PNG (lossless) or export with embedded color profiles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

For modern websites, WebP is the clear winner—smaller files, excellent quality, transparency support, and near-universal browser compatibility. Use PNG for source files and editing, JPG only when maximum compatibility is essential.

Ready to optimize? Convert your images with our free converters:

• PNG to WebP for graphics
• JPG to WebP for photos

Recommended Tools:

• PNG to WebP Converter - Reduce PNG files by 60-75%
• JPG to WebP Converter - Optimize photos for web
• WebP to PNG Converter - Convert for editing
• Image Compressor - Compress any format
• PNG to AVIF Converter - Maximum compression

Related Articles:

• Best Online Image Converters Guide
• How to Compress Images Without Losing Quality
• WebP Conversion Guide: Everything You Need to Know
• Image Formats Explained: Complete Guide