Guide · 2 min read
JPG vs PNG vs WebP: which image format to use and when
When each format makes sense, why a JPG screenshot looks blurry and a PNG photo is huge, and how to convert between them without uploading your images.
Last updated:
The three formats store an image very differently, and picking the wrong one has visible consequences: screenshots with fuzzy text, photos ten times larger than they need to be, or forms that reject the file. The short rule:
- JPG for photos you are sending anywhere.
- PNG for screenshots, logos and images with text.
- WebP for images going on a website.
JPG: the universal format for photos
JPG uses lossy compression: it discards detail the eye barely notices, mostly fine variations in colour. In a photo at quality 75 or 80, the difference is invisible and the file is a fraction of the original.
Its weak spot is sharp edges. In a screenshot or around text, compression creates halos and smudges around the letters. It has no transparency either.
Use it when: you are sending photos, uploading them to a form, or you do not know what the destination accepts. Practically everything opens a JPG.
PNG: exact, but heavy
PNG uses lossless compression: what you save is exactly what you get back, pixel for pixel. That makes it ideal for screenshots, diagrams, logos and anything with text, and it supports transparency.
The price is size. A photo saved as PNG can take five or ten times the space of a JPG without looking better, because the natural noise in a photo is exactly what PNG cannot summarise.
Use it when: the image has text, thin lines or transparent areas, or when you will edit it repeatedly and do not want it to lose quality with each save.
WebP: the best of both, with small print
Google created WebP for the web. It supports lossy and lossless compression and transparency. In lossy mode it is typically 25% to 35% smaller than a JPG of equivalent quality.
The small print is compatibility: every current browser displays it, but some older desktop programs, certain forms and some apps still do not accept it. And Safari can display WebP but cannot create it.
Use it when: the image is for your own website or online shop and you want it to load quickly.
How to convert between formats
Open Convert image, choose the target format and drop your images. You can convert several at once and download them as a ZIP. It all happens in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
Two things worth knowing:
- Converting to JPG fills transparent areas with white, because the format has no transparency.
- Converting does not restore quality. Turning a JPG into a PNG does not bring back the detail the JPG threw away.
If what you want is a smaller file
Changing format is only one way to make an image smaller. If you need it under a specific size, Compress image picks the format and quality for you, and never hands back a file larger than the original.