JPG, PNG and WebP cover nearly every image you'll ever put on the web — but picking the wrong one can triple your file size for no visible gain. Here is the honest, numbers-backed breakdown.
The short answer
Use WebP for photos on the modern web, JPG when a portal or device demands it, and PNG for graphics that need transparency or pixel-perfect edges (logos, screenshots, icons).
Head-to-head comparison
| JPG / JPEG | PNG | WebP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Lossy + lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No (APNG rare) | Yes |
| Browser support | Universal | Universal | All modern browsers |
| Best for | Photos, universal uploads | Logos, screenshots, graphics | Photos on the web |
Real size numbers
As a rule of thumb from everyday use: WebP runs about 25–35% smaller than JPEG at similar visual quality for photos. PNG is the heavyweight — a photographic PNG is often 3–5× larger than the same image as JPEG, which is why "my PNG is 4MB" is such a common complaint. For flat graphics (logos, UI), PNG stays small and sharp, and WebP lossless beats it slightly.
When to use which
- Uploading to a portal? Use whatever format it asks for — usually JPG. Convert with our image converter first if needed.
- Your own website? WebP for photos; PNG for logos and graphics needing transparency.
- Emailing or archiving? JPG — everything opens it.
- Need it tiny? Convert to WebP, then compress to your target size.