Quick rule: use JPG for photographs, PNG for screenshots, logos, and anything that needs a transparent background, and WebP when you're publishing images on a website you control. If a form or app only accepts one format, that requirement wins.
The three formats at a glance
| JPG (JPEG) | PNG | WebP | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | No (APNG is a separate extension) | Yes |
| Best for | Photos | Screenshots, logos, text, line art | Web images of any kind |
| Compatibility | Accepted almost everywhere | Accepted almost everywhere | All current major browsers; some older software and upload forms still reject it |
JPG: small files for photos
JPG uses lossy compression: it throws away detail your eye is unlikely to notice in a photo. That makes photos small, but it causes blurry halos around sharp edges, so text, screenshots, and logos look worse as JPGs. JPG also has no transparency, so transparent areas must be filled with a color, usually white.
PNG: exact pixels, larger files
PNG is lossless, so every pixel is kept exactly. That's ideal for screenshots and graphics with flat colors and crisp edges, and PNG supports transparency. The cost is size: a photograph saved as PNG is usually far larger than the same photo as a JPG.
WebP: built for the web
WebP, developed by Google, supports both lossy and lossless compression plus transparency and animation. Google's own documentation reports that WebP files are typically smaller than comparable JPG and PNG files. The main drawback is compatibility outside browsers: some desktop software, older devices, and upload forms still don't accept it.
Which format for common situations
- Uploading a photo to a job portal or government form: JPG, because it's the most widely accepted.
- Sharing a screenshot of an error message: PNG, so the text stays sharp.
- A logo that sits on a colored background: PNG or WebP, for transparency.
- Images on your own website: WebP, with JPG or PNG as a fallback if you support very old browsers.
- Putting photos into a PDF: JPG keeps the PDF small.
Converting between formats
If a site rejects your WebP or PNG, convert it to JPG. Remember two things: transparent areas become white, and converting a JPG to PNG doesn't restore detail that JPG compression already removed, it only makes the file bigger.
Convert PNG, WebP, GIF, or BMP images to JPG in your browser.
Convert to JPGIf the file is still too large after converting, reduce the pixel dimensions with Resize Image, then lower the quality with Compress Image. Shrinking dimensions usually saves more than lowering quality alone.