JPEG vs PNG vs WebP for Websites
Three formats cover almost every image on the web, and each makes a different trade-off. Pick the wrong one and you either ship a blurry photo or a file several times larger than it needs to be.
JPEG — for photographs
JPEG uses lossy compression: it discards detail your eye is unlikely to notice to make files much smaller. That's ideal for photos with smooth gradients and lots of colour. Its weaknesses are sharp edges (text and logos get halos) and the lack of transparency.
PNG — for graphics and transparency
PNG is lossless — every pixel is preserved — which makes it right for logos, icons, screenshots and anything needing a transparent background. The cost is size: a detailed photo saved as PNG can be several times larger than the JPEG equivalent for no visible benefit.
WebP — the modern default
WebP supports both lossy and lossless modes and transparency, and typically produces files 25–35% smaller than JPEG or PNG at similar quality. Every current browser supports it, so for websites it's usually the best default; keep a JPEG/PNG fallback only if you must support very old software.
The rule
Photograph? JPEG or WebP. Logo, icon or transparency? PNG or lossless WebP. Optimising a site? WebP first. When in doubt, convert and compare the output before committing.
Convert and compare in your browser
Use the Image Converter to move between JPG, PNG and WebP (with quality control and transparency handling), then the Image Compressor to check the size. Both run locally — nothing is uploaded.
Sources
Ready to do it?
Open the Image Converter