Guides / Web

WebP, PNG or JPEG: which image format should you actually use?

Photos, screenshots, transparency and web delivery have different needs. Choose the format for the image, not by age or hype.

PUBLISHED · UPDATED · 9 MIN

There is no universal winner among JPEG, PNG and WebP. The right format depends on the content and where the image will be used.

JPEG: strong for photographs

JPEG is effective for photos, gradients and complex natural detail because lossy compression can remove subtle information in exchange for a much smaller file. It is less attractive for text, interface screenshots and hard edges where compression artefacts become visible.

PNG: strong for screenshots and transparency

PNG is lossless and works well for UI, diagrams, logos and text-heavy images. It also supports alpha transparency, but photographic PNG files can become very large.

WebP: useful for web delivery

WebP supports lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation. It is often a strong web-delivery choice, although JPEG and PNG still offer excellent compatibility with older software and external workflows.

Convert JPG, PNG and WebP locally with Wenvo Tools:

https://tools.wenvo.top/image/convert

Inspect or remove EXIF metadata:

https://tools.wenvo.top/image/exif

Photos: JPEG/WebP. Screenshots and text: PNG. Transparency: PNG/WebP. Web delivery: consider WebP.