Use JPG for photos, PNG for logos and screenshots, and WebP for website images where loading speed matters. Those three rules handle 90% of situations. The rest of this guide covers why — and what to do when the easy rule doesn't fit.
Quick answer: Photos → JPG. Screenshots and logos with transparency → PNG. Website images where speed matters → WebP. When in doubt, JPG for photos and PNG for everything else.
When should you use JPG?
JPG has been around since the early 90s. It's the format your camera uses by default. It's what most photos on the internet are stored as.
How it works: JPG uses lossy compression. When you save a JPG, it throws away some image data to make the file smaller. The more you compress, the smaller the file — but the more quality you lose. High-quality JPG (90–95%) is nearly indistinguishable from the original. Low-quality JPG (below 60%) starts looking blocky and blurry.
Use JPG for:
- Photographs
- Complex images with lots of colors and gradients
- Social media uploads
- Email attachments
- Any photo where small file size matters
Don't use JPG for:
- Screenshots of text (the text gets blurry)
- Graphics with sharp edges and flat colors (logos, illustrations)
- Images that need transparency
- Images you plan to edit repeatedly (each save degrades quality)
Typical file size: A 2000x2000 photo might be 500KB–2MB as a high-quality JPG.
When should you use PNG?
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) uses lossless compression. This means it keeps every single pixel of detail — no quality loss at all, ever. The trade-off is larger files.
How it works: PNG finds patterns in the image and compresses them efficiently, but never throws away any actual data. What you put in is exactly what you get out.
Use PNG for:
- Screenshots (text stays sharp and readable)
- Logos and icons
- Graphics with flat colors or sharp edges
- Images that need transparency (PNG supports full alpha transparency)
- Images you'll edit multiple times without quality loss
Don't use PNG for:
- Photographs (file sizes are huge compared to JPG for photos)
- Web photos where page speed matters
Typical file size: The same 2000x2000 photo that's 1MB as JPG might be 5–10MB as PNG.
When should you use WebP?
WebP was created by Google in 2010 and has become well-supported in all modern browsers. It combines the best of both JPG and PNG.
How it works: WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression. In lossy mode, it typically produces files 25–35% smaller than equivalent JPGs with the same quality. In lossless mode, it produces files about 25% smaller than PNGs.
Use WebP for:
- Website images where loading speed matters
- Both photos and graphics (it handles both well)
- When you need transparency but also small file size (WebP lossless beats PNG)
Don't use WebP for:
- When you need maximum compatibility (sending to clients on very old devices)
- Submitting photos to platforms that don't accept WebP (some still don't)
- Printing (use high-quality JPG or TIFF for print work)
- Archiving originals — keep in the highest-quality format you have
Typical file size: That 1MB JPG photo might be 700–800KB as WebP at the same quality.
How do JPG, PNG, and WebP compare side by side?
| Feature | JPG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Both |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Photos | Graphics, screenshots | Web images |
| File size | Small | Large | Smallest |
| Browser support | Universal | Universal | All modern browsers |
| Print quality | Good (high quality) | Perfect | Good |
| Edit without loss | No | Yes | Lossless mode only |
Which format should I pick for my situation?
Scenario 1: You're uploading a product photo to your website Use WebP if your site supports it (most modern platforms do). Fall back to JPG if not. The smaller file size means faster page loads.
Scenario 2: You're designing a logo to use on different backgrounds Use PNG. You need transparency and sharp edges. File size doesn't matter as much since logos are small.
Scenario 3: You're sending a screenshot to support Use PNG. Screenshots contain text, which looks terrible as JPG. The larger file size is worth it for readability.
A designer I know learned this the hard way. She sent a client a logo "converted to JPG" because the client asked for "a regular image file." The logo arrived with a white box around it (no transparency) and slightly blurry edges. The client thought it looked unprofessional. She had to re-export as PNG and explain why the first version looked different. Now she sends PNG by default for anything with sharp edges.
Scenario 4: You're archiving family photos Use JPG at 90%+ quality. Your originals might actually be HEIC (iPhone) or RAW — keep those if you have them. JPG copies are fine for sharing and backup.
Scenario 5: You're building a website Use WebP for photos and most graphics. Have a JPG/PNG fallback for old browsers if needed.
What about HEIC, GIF, SVG, and other formats?
HEIC — Apple's format. Great compression, but poor compatibility outside Apple. Convert to JPG before sharing.
GIF — Old format for simple animations. WebP animations and MP4 are better in every way, but GIF is still ubiquitous because it's universally supported.
SVG — Not a photo format — it's vector graphics. Use SVG for logos and icons that need to scale to any size without quality loss.
TIFF — Professional print and archival format. Very large files. Use for work that will be professionally printed.
AVIF — Newer than WebP, even better compression, but not yet universally supported. Worth watching.
How do I convert between image formats?
If you have images in one format and need another, a browser-based image converter handles this in seconds. The important thing to know: you can't gain quality by converting. JPG → PNG doesn't make the image "better" — it makes it lossless at the current (possibly compressed) quality. Convert from the highest-quality version you have.
- Convert JPG to WebP — shrink photos for faster web loading
- Convert PNG to WebP — keep transparency while reducing file size
- Convert PNG to JPG — for photos that don't need transparency
- Compress images without conversion — reduce file size in the same format
Frequently asked questions
Does converting a JPG to PNG improve image quality? No. Converting from lossy to lossless format doesn't recover lost data. The PNG version will be lossless going forward — no further quality loss on saves — but it won't be sharper than the JPG you started with. Always work from the highest-quality source you have.
Is this completely free? Yes — no account, no payment, no watermark needed. You can use it as many times as you want.
Do my files get uploaded to a server? No. Everything runs directly in your browser using WebAssembly. Your files never leave your device.