JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use?
Updated 5 October 2026 · 7 min read
A plain-English comparison of the three image formats every browser supports: how each compresses, when each is the right choice, and when converting helps.
Saving an image in the wrong format is one of the most common reasons for blurry screenshots, enormous photo files and images that will not upload. The rules are simple once you know what each format was designed for.
The short answer
| Image | Best format |
|---|---|
| Photo from a camera or phone | JPG (or WebP for your own website) |
| Screenshot, especially with text | PNG |
| Logo, icon or graphic with flat colours | PNG (or SVG if you have it) |
| Anything that needs a transparent background | PNG or WebP |
| Images on a website you control | WebP |
| A file someone else must open, and you are unsure what software they use | JPG |
JPG: built for photographs
JPG (or JPEG) uses lossy compression. It divides the image into small blocks and throws away detail the eye is least sensitive to, mostly subtle variations in colour and very fine texture. For photos this is extremely effective: a JPG at 80% quality typically looks identical to the original at a fraction of the size.
Its weakness is sharp edges. Around text, thin lines and flat areas of colour, JPG produces faint smudges and “ringing”, called compression artefacts. Each time a JPG is edited and saved again it loses a little more. JPG also cannot store transparency.
PNG: built for graphics and exact pixels
PNG is lossless: every pixel is stored exactly. That makes it perfect for screenshots, diagrams, logos, interface designs and any image you will keep editing. PNG supports full transparency, which is why logos are usually distributed as PNG.
Its weakness is photographs. Because it cannot discard anything, a photo saved as PNG is often 5–10 times larger than the same photo as a JPG, with no visible benefit.
WebP: the modern all-rounder
WebP, developed by Google, can do both: lossy compression like JPG, typically 25–35% smaller at the same visual quality, and lossless compression with transparency like PNG. Every current browser supports it, which is why so many websites now serve WebP.
Its weakness is compatibility outside browsers. Some older image editors, office software, printers and upload portals still reject WebP. That is why images you save from a website sometimes will not open or upload elsewhere.
Side by side
| JPG | PNG | WebP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Photos | Excellent | Very large files | Excellent, smaller |
| Text and sharp lines | Artefacts | Excellent | Good (lossless: excellent) |
| Compatibility | Universal | Universal | Browsers: universal; other software: mostly |
When converting helps, and when it does not
- Photo saved as PNG → JPG: big size reduction with no visible change. Use PNG to JPG.
- WebP that will not open or upload → JPG or PNG: fixes compatibility. Use the WebP Converter.
- JPG photos for your website → WebP: smaller pages, faster loading.
- Blurry JPG screenshot → PNG: stops it getting worse with further edits, but cannot remove artefacts already there. Retake the screenshot as PNG if you can.
- Small JPG → PNG to “improve quality”: does nothing except make the file bigger.
Format is only half the story. If a photo is 4000 pixels wide but will be shown at 1000, resizing it saves far more than any format change.