JPG vs PNG vs WebP: which image format should you use?

Choosing the right format often matters more than any compression setting. Here's what each one is good at.

The short answer

You have…	Use
A photo for the web	WebP (or JPG for maximum compatibility)
A photo to email or print	JPG
A logo or icon	SVG if you have it, otherwise PNG or WebP
A screenshot with text	PNG or WebP
Anything needing transparency	PNG or WebP (never JPG)

JPG (JPEG)

Lossy compression designed for photographs in 1992 and still supported by every device on earth. Excellent for photos, poor for sharp edges and text (you'll see “ringing” artifacts). No transparency.

PNG

Lossless: every pixel is stored exactly, which makes screenshots, diagrams and logos crisp. Supports full transparency. For photos, files are typically 3–5 times larger than JPG.

WebP

Developed by Google and now supported by all major browsers. It does both lossy (like JPG) and lossless (like PNG) compression, supports transparency and animation, and is typically 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same visual quality. The only downside: some older desktop software and upload forms still refuse it — convert with WebP to JPG when needed.

GIF

Limited to 256 colours per frame. Only useful for simple animations; for still images, PNG or WebP is always better.

SVG

A vector format: shapes described as maths, not pixels. Perfectly sharp at any size and tiny for logos and icons. Not suitable for photos. When a platform doesn't accept SVG, export a PNG at the size you need with SVG to PNG.

Converting doesn't restore quality

Converting a JPG to PNG creates a larger file that preserves the JPG's existing artifacts — it can't bring back detail that was already lost. Always keep your best-quality original and convert copies.