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

4 min read

Picking the wrong image format makes files several times larger than necessary — or ruins a logo's transparent background. Here's when to use each of the three formats you'll meet most often.

JPG: photos and anything you'll upload

JPG uses lossy compression tuned for photographs, so real-world photos stay small with little visible loss. It's accepted by virtually every website, form and app. It doesn't support transparency, and repeated editing and re-saving gradually degrades quality.

  • Use for: photos, application-form uploads, email attachments.
  • Avoid for: logos, screenshots with text, images needing transparency.

PNG: screenshots, logos and transparency

PNG is lossless: every pixel is preserved exactly, which keeps text and sharp edges crisp. It supports transparency. The cost is size — a photo saved as PNG can be five to ten times larger than the same photo as JPG.

  • Use for: screenshots, logos, icons, graphics with text, images you'll keep editing.
  • Avoid for: large photos, especially where upload size matters.

WebP: the best default for websites

WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression plus transparency. At similar quality, lossy WebP files are typically 25–35% smaller than JPG, which makes pages load faster — something both visitors and search engines reward. Every current browser supports it, but some older desktop software and upload forms still don't.

  • Use for: images on your own website or app.
  • Avoid for: forms or systems that only list JPG or PNG.

Quick decision guide

  • Uploading to a form or sending to someone? JPG.
  • Logo or anything needing a transparent background? PNG (or WebP on the web).
  • Screenshot with text? PNG.
  • Publishing on your website? WebP.

Converting between formats

Converting can't recover detail that's already been lost: turning a JPG into a PNG keeps it exactly as it is, artefacts included, just in a bigger file. Convert from the best original you have. EasyToConvert's converters run in your browser, so your images are never uploaded.