JPG, PNG and WebP are all useful, but they are optimized for different jobs. The easiest way to choose is to start with the content rather than the extension.
JPG: photographs and compact files
JPG uses lossy compression. It discards some image information so that photographs can be stored efficiently. For a typical photo, the reduction can be difficult to notice at sensible quality settings.
JPG does not provide a transparent background. If transparency is a requirement, choose another format.
Try JPG to WebP when a website needs a modern image format, or JPG to PNG when the destination specifically requires PNG.
PNG: sharp graphics and transparency
PNG uses lossless compression and supports transparency. That makes it a strong choice for logos, screenshots, diagrams and interface graphics with sharp edges.
The trade-off is size. A photographic PNG can be much larger than an equivalent JPG or WebP because PNG is not designed to throw away visual information.
WebP: efficient web delivery
WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression and can represent transparency. It is therefore flexible enough for many website images while often producing smaller downloads than older formats.
The main reason not to use WebP is compatibility with a particular destination or workflow that explicitly requires JPG or PNG.
Quick decision
| Image | Usually start with | |---|---| | Photograph | JPG or WebP | | Screenshot | PNG or WebP | | Transparent logo | PNG or WebP | | Website image where size matters | WebP | | Older software with strict format requirements | JPG or PNG |
Quality is part of the decision
Changing formats can change compression characteristics. A JPG-to-PNG conversion cannot recover detail already discarded by JPG compression; it simply stores the current pixels using a lossless encoding. Likewise, converting PNG to a lossy format can reduce file size while changing image data.
Use Browse Image Tools to compare the available conversion and editing options.