Format comparison
PNG vs JPG
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
The short answer
Use JPG for photographs and PNG for everything with sharp edges: screenshots, logos, diagrams and text. PNG never loses detail but makes photos several times larger; JPG keeps photos small but smudges lines and can’t be transparent.
Portable Network Graphics
Choose PNG when
- The picture is a screenshot, chart or logo
- You need a transparent background
- You’ll edit and re-save it several times
JPEG
Choose JPG when
- It’s a photograph
- A form or app only accepts JPG, or has a size limit
- You want the smallest file that opens everywhere
Side by side
| Property | PNG | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Portable Network Graphics | JPEG |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Typical size | A 12-megapixel photo is often 12–20 MB; a screenshot is usually 100 KB–1 MB | A 12-megapixel phone photo is usually 2–5 MB |
| Support | Opens everywhere | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Every browser, phone, computer and image editor | Every phone, computer, browser, printer and upload form |
| Best for | Screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with text or a transparent background | Photographs that need to open anywhere and stay reasonably small |
| Introduced | 1996 | 1992 |
Watch out with PNG
Photographs saved as PNG balloon in size. A holiday photo that is 3 MB as JPG can be 15 MB as PNG, because lossless compression can do very little with the fine grain of a real photograph.
Watch out with JPG
Re-saving a JPG again and again degrades it, because each save compresses the already compressed version. Keep an original and export to JPG once, at the end.
Need to switch?
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Questions
Is PNG better than JPG?
Use JPG for photographs and PNG for everything with sharp edges: screenshots, logos, diagrams and text. PNG never loses detail but makes photos several times larger; JPG keeps photos small but smudges lines and can’t be transparent.
Which is smaller, PNG or JPG?
JPG is usually smaller for the same content. PNG: A 12-megapixel photo is often 12–20 MB; a screenshot is usually 100 KB–1 MB. JPG: A 12-megapixel phone photo is usually 2–5 MB.
How do I convert PNG to JPG?
Use the free PNG to JPG converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert JPG to PNG?
Use the free JPG to PNG converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.
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WebP makes photos about a quarter to a third smaller than JPG at the same visible quality, and every current browser shows it. JPG remains the format every upload form, printer and email client accepts without question. - Format comparison
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