JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Complete Format Comparison
Posted on Oct 15, 2025 by img2resizer team
I spent years saving everything as PNG because "it's better quality." My website loaded like it was 1999. Then I learned the truth: different formats exist for different purposes.
Quick Format Guide
TL;DR: JPG for photos. PNG for graphics/transparency. WebP for modern web (best of both).
JPG (JPEG)
- Best for: Photographs, complex images with many colors
- Compression: Lossy - throws away some data to reduce size
- Transparency: No support
- File size: Small to medium
- Browser support: Universal (100%)
Use JPG when: You're saving photos, vacation pictures, product images with solid backgrounds, or any image where small quality loss is acceptable.
PNG
- Best for: Graphics, logos, screenshots, images with text
- Compression: Lossless - no data lost
- Transparency: Full support (alpha channel)
- File size: Large
- Browser support: Universal (100%)
Use PNG when: You need transparency, sharp text/lines, logos, or images that will be edited multiple times.
WebP
- Best for: Everything on modern websites
- Compression: Both lossy and lossless options
- Transparency: Full support
- File size: 30% smaller than JPG, 50% smaller than PNG
- Browser support: 95%+ (all modern browsers)
Use WebP when: Building modern websites, optimizing for speed, you want smaller files with same quality.
File Size Comparison (Same Image)
Original 1920x1080 photo:
- PNG: 5.2 MB
- JPG (85% quality): 450 KB
- WebP (85% quality): 310 KB
When to Use Each Format
Use JPG For:
- Photos and photographs
- Complex images with many colors
- Email attachments (universal support)
- Social media posts
Use PNG For:
- Logos and icons
- Screenshots
- Images with text
- Anything needing transparency
- Graphics with sharp edges
Use WebP For:
- Website images (photos and graphics)
- Web apps and PWAs
- Any image where file size matters
- Modern web development
Pro Tip: For websites, use WebP with JPG/PNG fallback. Best performance with universal compatibility.