The Complete WebP Guide
Why bother with WebP?
WebP is a modern image format from Google that, at equivalent quality, produces files 25–35% smaller than JPG and more than 50% smaller than PNG. This guide covers what WebP is good for, where browser support stands, when to use it, and how to convert.
Contents
1. What is WebP?
WebP is an image format Google released in 2010. It was built to replace JPG and PNG, and it carries the strengths of both.
- Lossy mode — compresses photographs down small, like JPG
- Lossless mode — compresses with no quality loss, like PNG
- Transparency (alpha channel) — transparent backgrounds, like PNG
- Animation support — animated WebP replaces GIF
In short: everything JPG, PNG and GIF can do, in one format, at a smaller size.
2. What WebP gets you
① Smaller files mean faster pages
Images are one of the biggest drivers of page load time. Cut image weight by 30% with WebP and load times improve proportionally. Google PageSpeed Insights actively recommends it.
② Better SEO
Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. Shrinking images with WebP improves your Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS), which feeds back into search rankings.
③ Lower bandwidth costs
Smaller images mean less server bandwidth. On a high-traffic site, switching to WebP alone can noticeably cut your monthly hosting bill.
④ Better-looking results
A smaller file doesn't mean a worse image. At equal file size, WebP looks better than JPG — especially at low quality settings, where JPG shows obvious blocking and WebP degrades far more gracefully.
3. File size vs. JPG and PNG
Here's how the same 1920×1080 image compares saved in each format.
| Format | File size | vs. WebP |
|---|---|---|
| PNG (lossless) | About 3–6 MB | 5–15× larger |
| JPG 85% | About 600–900 KB | 1.5–2.5× larger |
| JPG 75% | About 350–550 KB | 1.2–1.8× larger |
| WebP 80% (lossy) | About 250–400 KB | Baseline |
| WebP lossless | About 1.5–3 MB | — |
What that means in practice: A blog with 100 images averaging 500KB as JPG carries 50MB in total. Convert to WebP at 80% quality and that drops to roughly 30–35MB — a direct improvement in load speed.
4. Browser support (as of 2026)
| Browser | WebP support | Market share |
|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome | Supported (v23+) | About 65% |
| Microsoft Edge | Supported (v18+) | About 5% |
| Mozilla Firefox | Supported (v65+) | About 4% |
| Apple Safari | Supported (v14+, iOS 14+) | About 20% |
| Samsung Internet | Supported (v4+) | About 3% |
| Internet Explorer | Not supported | Effectively 0% |
As of 2026 there is effectively no major browser that doesn't support WebP. Microsoft has ended support for IE entirely, and Safari has supported WebP fully since 2020 (v14). For an ordinary website or blog, you can use WebP without worrying.
5. When to use WebP — and when not to
Good cases for WebP
- Websites, blogs and product images in online stores
- Blogs where you control the HTML directly, like Naver Blog or Tistory
- Landing pages where load speed matters
- Mobile web optimization (saves your visitors data)
- Email marketing (supported by modern email clients)
Cases where JPG or PNG is the better call
- Uploading directly to social platforms like Instagram or X — some restrict WebP uploads
- Email attachments — the recipient's client may not handle WebP
- Print work — some print software still can't open WebP directly
- Offline sharing (USB sticks, external drives) — JPG and PNG are more universally readable
6. How to convert to WebP
In ImgFixIt, converting to WebP takes three steps.
- Upload your image (JPG, PNG — any format works)
- In the "② Format" step, choose WebP
- Adjust the quality in "③ Compress / Resize" for an even smaller file
- Click the download button
Recommended settings: Pick WebP as the format and set the quality slider to 75–80%. You get quality comparable to JPG at 85% with a far smaller file — the most effective combination for web optimization.
7. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can Photoshop open WebP files?
Adobe Photoshop CC 2022 (v23) and later support WebP natively. Earlier versions need a WebP plugin.
Q. Can I upload WebP to Instagram?
The Instagram app may block direct WebP uploads. For social uploads, converting to JPG is the safe choice.
Q. WebP or AVIF — which is better?
AVIF compresses harder than WebP, but browser support is thinner and encoding is slower. As of 2026, WebP is the more dependable choice for general web use.
Q. Can Windows preview WebP files?
Windows 10 and later open WebP in the built-in Photos app. Windows 11 also renders WebP thumbnails in File Explorer.