Saving an image in the wrong format can make it ten times bigger than needed, or blur the text in a screenshot. The three formats you will meet most are JPG, PNG and WebP. This guide compares them clearly so you can choose, and shows how to switch formats with our free Image Converter.
JPG (JPEG)
- Best for photos
- Lossy compression: small files, slight quality loss
- No transparency
- Accepted almost everywhere
PNG
- Best for logos, screenshots, text and graphics
- Lossless: keeps sharp edges and every pixel
- Supports transparency
- Large files for photos
WebP
- Modern format from Google
- Smaller than JPG at similar quality, and supports transparency
- Supported by all major modern browsers
- Not accepted by some older software and many government or job portals
Comparison
| Feature | JPG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photos | Good | Large files | Best |
| Text / logos | Blurry edges | Best | Good |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Compatibility | Excellent | Excellent | Good |
Which to use
| Situation | Format |
|---|---|
| Uploading to a job or university portal | JPG |
| Website photos | WebP (with JPG fallback if needed) |
| Logo with transparent background | PNG or WebP |
| Screenshot with text | PNG |
| Sharing on WhatsApp | JPG |
HEIC photos from iPhones
iPhones often save photos as HEIC, which many websites do not accept. Convert them to JPG with the image converter before uploading. Read converting HEIC to JPG for more.
After converting
Converting a JPG to PNG does not improve quality; it just stores the same pixels losslessly, usually in a bigger file. To reduce size, use the Image Compressor. For exact dimensions, use the Image Resizer.
What about GIF and SVG?
GIF is an old format limited to 256 colours. It is still used for short animations, but for still images PNG or WebP is better in every way. SVG is a vector format: instead of pixels, it stores shapes, so logos and icons stay perfectly sharp at any size and files are tiny. Use SVG for logos on websites when you have the original vector file.
A simple rule of thumb
If it came from a camera, use JPG (or WebP for websites). If it has sharp text, lines or a transparent background, use PNG (or WebP). If a form only lists JPG, give it JPG, whatever the content.
Frequently asked questions
Is PNG better quality than JPG?
PNG is lossless, so it is better for text and graphics; for photos, a good JPG looks almost identical at a fraction of the size.
Should I use WebP on my website?
Yes, for most images; it is smaller and widely supported.
Can I convert WebP to JPG?
Yes, with the image converter.