JPG, PNG or WebP? Choose by content and destination
Compare JPG, PNG and WebP for photos, transparency, screenshots, compatibility and websites.
Reviewed September 20, 2026
Image formats store pixels in different ways and support different features. Matching the format to the picture and to where it is going can improve quality, compatibility and file size.
Open the format converterJPG: practical for photos
- Lossy compression that almost everything can open.
- A sensible default for photos that do not need transparency.
- Saving the same JPG again and again slowly lowers its quality, so keep an original of important images.
PNG: transparency and crisp graphics
- Lossless, and supports transparent backgrounds.
- A good fit for logos, app screenshots, diagrams and graphics with sharp text.
- Photos saved as PNG can be many times larger than the same photo as JPG or WebP.
WebP: efficient for websites
- Has both lossy and lossless modes and supports transparency.
- Popular online because it often makes smaller files.
- Some older software and upload forms still expect JPG or PNG, so compatibility may decide for you.
Converting cannot bring back missing detail
Converting a JPG to PNG does not undo the earlier compression. The PNG keeps exactly the pixels it was given without losing more, but detail the JPG already threw away does not return.
Transparency needs a decision
JPG has no transparency. When you convert a transparent PNG or WebP to JPG, the empty areas must be filled with a solid background color.
Choose the format for what happens to the file next, rather than assuming one format is always higher quality.