JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use?
Picking the wrong image format can slow down your website, ruin your logo or make your pictures fail to open for others. The three most common formats are JPG, PNG and WebP, and each has an ideal use.
JPG: the format for photos
JPG (or JPEG) is the most widespread. It uses "lossy" compression: it throws away details the eye won't notice to cut the file size dramatically.
- Pros: small files, opens on every device and app.
- Cons: no transparency, and visible artifacts around text and sharp edges.
- Use it for: camera and phone photos, product shots, social posts.
PNG: for logos, text and transparency
PNG is "lossless": every pixel is stored exactly.
- Pros: transparent backgrounds, perfectly crisp text and edges.
- Cons: very large for photos (sometimes 5× a JPG).
- Use it for: logos, icons, screenshots, designs with text.
WebP: the modern web format
Developed by Google, WebP combines the best of both.
- Pros: about 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same quality, and supports transparency like PNG.
- Cons: some older editing apps can't open it.
- Use it for: website and online store images — faster loading and better SEO.
Quick decision guide
- Camera photo to send or print → JPG.
- Logo or image with a transparent background → PNG (or WebP on your site).
- Images for your website or store → WebP.
- Screenshot with text → PNG.
How to convert between formats
Use the Convert Image tool: drop your images and choose the target format. Note that converting a transparent PNG to JPG fills the background with white.
Tip for website and store owners
Images are the number-one reason most sites are slow. Before uploading any image:
- resize it to what you actually need (rarely more than 1600 px wide) with Resize Image;
- compress it to 75–80% quality as WebP with Compress Image.
Those two steps usually cut image sizes by 70–90% with no visible difference.