Format comparison
WEBP vs JPG
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
The short answer
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.
WebP
Choose WEBP when
- Photos for your own web pages
- You need transparency in a photo-like image
- You’re trying to cut page weight
JPEG
Choose JPG when
- Uploading to a portal, form or print service
- Sending by email or chat
- Maximum compatibility matters more than size
Side by side
| Property | WEBP | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | WebP | JPEG |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Typical size | Typically 25–35% smaller than the same JPG | A 12-megapixel phone photo is usually 2–5 MB |
| Support | Current browsers and apps | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Every current browser, but plenty of desktop apps, print shops and upload forms still refuse it | Every phone, computer, browser, printer and upload form |
| Best for | Images on websites, where smaller files load faster | Photographs that need to open anywhere and stay reasonably small |
| Introduced | 2010 | 1992 |
Watch out with WEBP
Images saved from websites arrive as WEBP even when the page looked like it showed a JPG, and then a document editor or upload form refuses them.
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?
Convert in your browser in a few seconds. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no size limit.
Questions
Is WEBP better than JPG?
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.
Which is smaller, WEBP or JPG?
WEBP is usually smaller for the same content. WEBP: Typically 25–35% smaller than the same JPG. JPG: A 12-megapixel phone photo is usually 2–5 MB.
How do I convert WEBP to JPG?
Use the free WEBP to JPG converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert JPG to WEBP?
Use the free JPG to WEBP converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.
More format comparisons
- Format comparison
PNG vs JPG: which should you use?
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. - Format comparison
WEBP vs PNG: which should you use?
For images on a website, WebP does everything PNG does, transparency included, in a noticeably smaller file. PNG is still the safer choice for files you send to other people or open in older software. - Format comparison
AVIF vs WEBP: which should you use?
AVIF usually produces the smallest file of any image format at the same quality, especially for photos, but it is slower to encode and slightly less widely supported. WebP is the practical middle ground: small, fast and supported everywhere modern. - Format comparison
HEIC vs JPG: which should you use?
HEIC stores iPhone photos in about half the space of JPG with the same quality, which is why Apple uses it. The catch is compatibility: Windows, Android apps and most upload forms still expect JPG, so convert when a photo leaves your Apple devices.