JPG vs PNG vs WebP
The Complete Image Format Comparison
Ever hesitated over which format to pick when saving or converting an image? JPG, PNG and WebP are each optimized for a different purpose. This guide covers everything from the technical differences between the three to the practical rules for choosing one.
Contents
1. The three formats at a glance
| Property | JPG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Both lossy and lossless |
| Transparency (alpha channel) | Not supported | Supported | Supported |
| File size | Small | Large | Very small |
| Quality retention | Depends on quality setting | Perfect | Excellent |
| Good for photos? | Excellent | Inefficient | Good |
| Logos & illustrations | Poor | Excellent | Good |
| Browser support | All browsers | All browsers | Chrome·FF·Edge·Safari 14+ |
| Animation | Not supported | Not supported | Supported |
2. JPG — lossy compression built for photos
JPG (JPEG) was standardized back in 1992, and it is still the most widely used format there is. Lossy It shrinks files by discarding the parts of the image data the human eye is least likely to notice.
What JPG is good at
- Renders millions of colors naturally — ideal for photographs
- Small files, which helps for web publishing and email
- Supported on every device, program and browser
- A quality setting lets you balance size against fidelity
Where JPG falls short
- Quality degrades every time you save — repeated edit-and-save cycles pile up damage
- No transparency — images without a background get filled with white
- Produces visible artifacts around hard edges like text and logos
Recommended JPG quality: 75–80% for web publishing, 85% for general archiving, 90–95% for high-quality printing. 100% bloats the file for no visible gain and isn't worth it outside master copies.
3. PNG — when you need transparency and sharpness
PNG is a Lossless format. Saving loses no image data at all, so the original quality is preserved exactly. Its defining feature is support for transparent backgrounds (an alpha channel).
What PNG is good at
- Full transparency support — essential for logos, icons and stickers
- Lossless compression — saving repeatedly costs you nothing
- Sharper than JPG for text, lines and hard-edged graphics
- Ideal for screenshots and UI images
Where PNG falls short
- Photos come out 3–5 times larger than the same image as JPG
- Inefficient for photos with a wide range of colors
- No animation support (except APNG)
Use PNG when you have: Logos and icons that need a transparent background, screenshots, images containing crisp text, or intermediate working files whose original data must be preserved.
4. WebP — the modern all-purpose format
WebP is a modern image format Google developed in 2010. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, plus transparency and animation. At equivalent quality it cuts file size by 25–35% versus JPG, and by more than 50% versus PNG.
What WebP is good at
- A single format that can replace both JPG and PNG
- Smallest files of the three at equivalent quality
- Supports transparency and animation
- Directly improves website loading speed
Where WebP falls short
- Not supported by old Safari (below iOS 14) or IE — largely a non-issue today
- Some image editors don't support it out of the box
- A few social platforms don't accept WebP uploads directly
Best uses for WebP: Website and blog images, landing pages where load speed matters, and mobile web optimization. For email attachments or offline sharing, though, JPG is the safer bet.
5. Which format for which situation
| Situation | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing landscape or portrait photos on the web | WebP (or JPG) | Small files, excellent quality |
| Logos and icons with transparent backgrounds | PNG (or WebP) | Transparency is mandatory |
| Screenshots and UI captures | PNG | Keeps text and edges crisp |
| Social uploads (Instagram, KakaoTalk) | JPG | Platform compatibility comes first |
| Blog and website images | WebP | Minimum size, faster pages |
| Email attachments and offline sharing | JPG | Universal support with reasonable size |
| Printing and high-quality archiving | PNG | Lossless, quality above all |
| Intermediate working files | PNG | No quality loss across repeated edits |
6. Real-world file size comparison
Here's how the same 1920×1080 photo typically compares when saved in each format.
| Format | Typical file size | vs. JPG |
|---|---|---|
| PNG (lossless) | About 3–6 MB | 3–5× larger |
| JPG (quality 85%) | About 500–800 KB | Baseline |
| JPG (quality 75%) | About 300–500 KB | 20–40% smaller |
| WebP (quality 80%) | About 200–400 KB | 30–50% smaller |
※ Actual sizes vary a lot with image content (complexity, number of colors). The figures above are reference values for a typical photograph.
7. How to convert between formats
In ImgFixIt, upload your image and click JPG, PNG or WebP in the "② Format" step. No software to install, no image sent to a server — the conversion happens right in your browser.
- Upload your image
- Pick JPG, PNG or WebP in the "② Format" step
- Click download and the converted file is saved