The three formats compared
| Format | Best for | Transparency |
|---|---|---|
| JPG | Photos, complex images with many colors | No |
| PNG | Screenshots, logos, graphics needing sharp edges | Yes |
| WebP | Web use — smaller files at similar quality to JPG/PNG | Yes |
JPG: the default for photos
JPG uses lossy compression — it discards some image data to shrink file size, which works well for photos because the human eye doesn't easily notice the loss in complex, continuous-tone images. It has no transparency support, and repeated editing/re-saving gradually degrades quality (a phenomenon called generation loss).
PNG: when you need transparency or sharp edges
PNG uses lossless compression — no data is discarded, so quality never degrades no matter how many times you re-save it. It supports transparency, which makes it the right choice for logos, icons, and screenshots with text. The trade-off is larger file sizes for photo-like images compared to JPG.
WebP: the modern all-rounder
WebP was built specifically for the web and generally produces smaller files than both JPG and PNG at comparable visual quality, while supporting transparency like PNG. Browser support is now near-universal, which makes it a solid default for web images when file size matters — like a site's loading speed.
How to convert
Upload your image
The Image Converter supports JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF.
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Choose based on whether you need transparency and how much the file size matters.
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If you're not sure, WebP is the safest modern default for web use — smaller files, transparency support, and broad browser compatibility.
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