JPG, PNG or WEBP? How to Choose the Right Picture Format
You take a photo, save a screenshot or download a logo, and a website rejects it, or it looks blurry, or it is far too big to email. Usually the problem is the picture format. Here is what you need to know to choose the right one every time.
The short answer
- Photos: JPG.
- Logos, icons, screenshots and anything with text: PNG.
- Pictures for your own website: WEBP.
- Anything that needs a see-through background: PNG or WEBP, never JPG.
JPG: the photo format
JPG (also written JPEG) has been the standard for photos since the early 1990s. It makes files small by throwing away tiny details the eye barely notices, such as small changes in colour between neighbouring pixels. For photos of people, places and food, the result looks almost identical to the original at a fraction of the size.
The trade-off shows up on sharp edges. Text, line drawings and logos saved as JPG often get faint smudges around them, called artefacts. Each time a JPG is edited and saved again, a little more detail is lost, so keep an original copy of photos you care about.
PNG: the sharp-edges format
PNG keeps every pixel exactly as it was. Nothing is thrown away. That makes it perfect for screenshots, diagrams, logos and pictures with writing in them, which stay crisp no matter how many times you save them.
PNG can also have see-through (transparent) areas, so a logo can sit on any background without a white box around it. The downside is size: a photo saved as PNG can be five times larger than the same photo as JPG.
WEBP: the modern web format
WEBP was created by Google for websites. It can work like JPG (small photos) or like PNG (transparent backgrounds), and it usually makes files 25–35% smaller than JPG at similar quality. Smaller pictures make pages load faster, which visitors and search engines both appreciate.
Every modern web browser and phone can show WEBP. Some older desktop programs and a few upload forms still cannot open it, which is why people sometimes need to change a downloaded WEBP picture into JPG or PNG.
Side-by-side comparison
| JPG | PNG | WEBP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photos | Excellent | Very large files | Excellent, smaller |
| Text and logos | Can look smudged | Excellent | Very good |
| Transparent background | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works in old programs | Yes | Yes | Not always |
| Typical use | Camera, email, printing | Screenshots, design | Websites, apps |
What about HEIC, GIF and others?
- HEIC: the format iPhones use for photos by default. It is small and high quality, but many Windows programs and websites cannot open it. Converting it to JPG solves this.
- GIF: an old format limited to 256 colours, still popular for short looping animations. For still pictures, PNG is better in every way.
- SVG: a drawing format for logos and icons that stays perfectly sharp at any size. Designers use it for websites, but it is not used for photos.
How to change a picture’s format
Open our free Picture Converter, choose your pictures, press JPG, PNG or WEBP, and save. Your pictures are converted on your own device and never uploaded, so it is safe for private photos.