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

They all show pictures, so why do three formats exist? Because each is good at something different. Here is the short version, then the details.

The short version

If you only remember one rule: photos are JPG, graphics and screenshots are PNG, and the web is happiest with WebP. The rest of this page explains why, and where the rule bends.

JPG (or JPEG): the photo workhorse

JPG throws away detail your eyes are unlikely to notice, and that is how it gets photos down to a tiny size. The catch is that the loss is permanent, and every time you edit and re-save a JPG, it loses a bit more. That is why editing pros work on uncompressed originals and export JPG only at the end.

JPG cannot do transparency. A logo saved as JPG always has a solid box behind it. It also blurs the crisp edges of text, which is why screenshots saved as JPG look slightly smudgy around letters.

PNG: sharp, lossless, and heavy

PNG keeps every pixel exactly. Text stays crisp, flat colours stay flat, and it supports transparency, so it is the natural choice for logos, icons, diagrams and screenshots.

The price is size. Save a photograph as PNG and it can easily be five to ten times bigger than the same photo as JPG, with no visible improvement. If someone sends you a 6 MB PNG of a holiday photo, converting it with PNG to JPG will usually make it a fraction of that size.

WebP: the web-friendly middle ground

WebP was built for the web. It can compress lossily like JPG or losslessly like PNG, it supports transparency, and at similar visual quality the files are often noticeably smaller than JPG. That is why many websites serve it, and why you sometimes save an image and end up with a .webp file that half your apps will not open.

All current major browsers display WebP without trouble. Older software, some printers and plenty of upload forms are less flexible, and that is when WebP to JPG or WebP to PNG becomes handy.

So which one should you pick?

• Sending a photo to a person or a form: JPG. It opens everywhere.
• Screenshot, diagram or text-heavy image: PNG.
• Logo or icon with a see-through background: PNG (or WebP for a website).
• Images on your own website: WebP, with a JPG fallback if you need to support very old browsers. Convert your JPGs with JPG to WebP.
• You need a specific small file size: JPG or WebP, then use the compressor to hit your target.

Three myths worth clearing up

"Converting JPG to PNG improves quality"

It does not. Quality lost to JPG compression is gone. Converting to PNG just stores the already-damaged picture losslessly, which stops further damage but makes the file much bigger. That is still useful when you plan to edit a picture several times, which is the honest reason to use JPG to PNG.

"Renaming the file changes the format"

Renaming photo.png to photo.jpg does not convert anything. The contents are the same, the name is just wrong, and some programs will fail to open it. Use a real converter like our image converter.

"WebP is always better"

Usually smaller, yes. Always better, no. If the person you are sending the file to uses older software, a JPG will save you a follow-up email.

What about HEIC and AVIF?

HEIC is the default photo format on many iPhones. It is efficient, but not every Windows program, website or browser can open it. If an app refuses your iPhone photos, you can switch the camera to "Most Compatible" in Settings to shoot JPG. AVIF is a newer web format that can be even smaller than WebP, with growing but not yet universal support.

Converting safely

When you convert, keep the original. Lossy formats lose data, so you can go from PNG to JPG but never back to the exact original. And if the photo is private, prefer a converter that works in your browser rather than uploading. More on that in Are online file converters safe?.