JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use?

Choosing the wrong image format can make a web page slow, a logo blurry or a screenshot full of artefacts. JPG, PNG and WebP each have a clear purpose. This guide explains how they differ and gives simple rules for picking one.

The three formats at a glance

JPG: the photo standard

JPG (or JPEG) throws away detail the eye rarely notices, which makes photographs much smaller. The trade-off is that every save loses a bit more quality, and sharp edges and text can show blurry halos. It cannot store transparency.

PNG: sharp and lossless

PNG keeps every pixel exactly, so text, line art and screenshots stay crisp. It supports transparency, which is why logos are usually PNG. For photographs it creates very large files, so avoid it for big pictures on web pages.

WebP: the modern all-rounder

WebP was designed for the web. It offers lossy and lossless modes, transparency and animation in one format, and typically produces files noticeably smaller than JPG at similar visual quality. Current versions of all major browsers support it. Some older software and email clients may not open WebP files, so keep a JPG or PNG copy for those uses.

How to choose

• Photo on a website: WebP, or JPG if you need maximum compatibility.
• Logo or icon with a transparent background: PNG, or WebP if you want smaller files.
• Screenshot or diagram with text: PNG.
• Photo you will print or send to a printer: keep the original, or high-quality JPG.
• Animated image: WebP, or video for long clips.

Size matters more than format alone

A 4,000-pixel-wide photo is far larger than any screen needs. Resizing to the display size usually saves more than switching formats, and then adjusting quality adds more. A quality setting around 75–85% is a good starting balance for photos. Our guide How to Compress Images for the Web walks through the process step by step.

Conversion tips

• Never convert a JPG to PNG expecting better quality; the lost detail does not return.
• Convert from the original file when possible, not from an already compressed copy.
• Use PNG or WebP when you need transparent backgrounds.
• Test the result at the size it will be shown, not zoomed in.

Other image formats worth knowing

How lossy and lossless compression work

Lossy compression, used by JPG and lossy WebP, discards information the human eye is least likely to notice, such as subtle colour variations. Lossless compression, used by PNG and lossless WebP, rearranges the data more efficiently but keeps every pixel intact. JPG also uses chroma subsampling, which stores colour at lower resolution than brightness. This is why red text on a dark background can look slightly smeared in a JPG but crisp in a PNG.

Image formats and website speed

Images often account for most of the bytes on a page, so format choice affects loading time, Core Web Vitals such as Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and the overall user experience. Serving a properly sized WebP instead of an oversized PNG can cut the download by more than half. Always specify width and height attributes in your HTML so the layout does not shift while the image loads.

Serve modern formats with a safe fallback

You can offer WebP to browsers that support it and fall back to JPG for the rest with the picture element:

Image SEO basics

• Use descriptive file names such as red-running-shoes.webp instead of IMG_4821.jpg.
• Write helpful alt text that describes the image for people using screen readers.
• Compress images, but keep them sharp enough to read.
• Use responsive images (srcset) so phones download smaller files.
• Lazy-load images below the fold with loading="lazy".

Printing and colour

For print, resolution is measured in dots per inch (DPI), and a common target is 300 DPI at the printed size. Most screens and web formats use the sRGB colour space, while professional printing may use CMYK. Keep your original high-resolution files for print and create smaller JPG, PNG or WebP versions for the web with the image compressor and resizer.

Quick decision guide

Key terms: lossy compression, lossless compression, transparency, alpha channel, bit depth, chroma subsampling, vector graphics, raster images, image optimization, responsive images, Core Web Vitals.

Frequently asked questions

Is WebP better than JPG?
For web use it usually gives smaller files at similar quality, so it is often better. JPG remains the safest choice for compatibility with older programs.

Does PNG have better quality than JPG?
PNG is lossless, so it does not degrade, but that does not make it look better for photos. It simply preserves the pixels exactly as they are, at a larger file size.

Can I convert between formats for free?
Yes. Figuro's Image Compressor & Resizer converts to JPG, PNG or WebP in your browser without uploading the file.

Which image format is best for SEO?
No format is automatically better for search rankings. What helps is fast loading, good alt text, descriptive file names and properly sized images, and WebP often helps with speed.

Is PNG or JPG better for text and screenshots?
PNG is usually better because it keeps edges sharp and avoids the blurry artefacts JPG can add around text.

Can I convert a WebP image to JPG or PNG?
Yes. Open it in an image editor or use the image compressor tool to export to JPG or PNG if you need a more widely compatible file.