Updated July 2026 · 3 min read
Three formats cover almost every image on the web — but they behave very differently. Here's the short, practical version.
| WebP | JPEG | PNG | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy + lossless | Lossy only | Lossless only |
| Transparency | Yes | No | Yes |
| Typical photo size | smallest | ~30% larger | 5–10× larger |
| Browser support | All since 2020 | Universal | Universal |
| Best for | Nearly everything on the web | Email, legacy systems | Screenshots needing pixel-perfect text, print |
Default to WebP for websites. It compresses photos ~25–35% smaller than JPEG at the same visual quality, supports transparency like PNG at a fraction of the size, and every modern browser renders it. Smaller images mean faster pages, better Core Web Vitals, and better SEO.
JPEG's only remaining advantage is universality outside browsers: old email clients, embedded systems, some CMS/marketplace uploaders, and office software. If a platform rejects WebP, send JPEG at quality 80.
PNG is lossless — every pixel exact. Use it when that actually matters: UI screenshots where 1-pixel text must stay crisp, images headed to print, or graphics you'll re-edit repeatedly (lossy formats degrade each time you re-save). For everything else, PNG is just wasted bytes.
Our free image compressor converts between all three formats with a quality slider and live before/after preview. It runs 100% in your browser: no upload, no account, no watermark.
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