Format comparison
WEBP vs PNG
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
The short answer
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.
WebP
Choose WEBP when
- The image goes on your own website
- You want transparency without PNG’s file size
- Page speed matters
Portable Network Graphics
Choose PNG when
- The file is going to someone else or into an editor
- Every pixel has to be exact
- Older apps need to open it
Side by side
| Property | WEBP | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | WebP | Portable Network Graphics |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Typical size | Typically 25–35% smaller than the same JPG | A 12-megapixel photo is often 12–20 MB; a screenshot is usually 100 KB–1 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 browser, phone, computer and image editor |
| Best for | Images on websites, where smaller files load faster | Screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with text or a transparent background |
| Introduced | 2010 | 1996 |
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 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.
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Questions
Is WEBP better than PNG?
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.
Which is smaller, WEBP or PNG?
WEBP is usually smaller for the same content. WEBP: Typically 25–35% smaller than the same JPG. PNG: A 12-megapixel photo is often 12–20 MB; a screenshot is usually 100 KB–1 MB.
How do I convert WEBP to PNG?
Use the free WEBP to PNG converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert PNG to WEBP?
Use the free PNG 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 JPG: which should you use?
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
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.