JPG vs PNG vs WebP: Which image format should you use?

JPG (JPEG) is the go-to for photographs and complex images. Its lossy compression keeps file sizes small while maintaining acceptable quality. Use it for camera photos, social media images, and anywhere file size matters more than pixel-perfect quality.

PNG uses lossless compression, meaning every pixel is preserved exactly. It supports transparency (alpha channel), which makes it ideal for logos, illustrations, icons, and screenshots where crisp edges matter. The trade-off is larger file sizes than JPG.

WebP is Google's modern format that supports both lossy and lossless compression, plus transparency. It typically produces files 25–35% smaller than JPG or PNG at equivalent quality. Browser support is now near-universal, making it the best choice for web images.

Quick decision guide

[table — see full article]

Converting between formats

You can convert any of these formats using Morfo's free tools: - [PNG to JPG](/tools/png-to-jpg) — shrink PNGs into smaller JPGs - [JPG to PNG](/tools/jpg-to-png) — add transparency support - [PNG to WebP](/tools/png-to-webp) — modern format for web