Choosing the right image format can significantly impact your website's performance and visual quality. In this guide, we'll break down the three most popular formats: JPEG, PNG, and WebP.

Quick Comparison

Feature	JPEG	PNG	WebP
Compression	Lossy	Lossless	Both
Transparency	No	Yes	Yes
Best For	Photos	Graphics	Everything
File Size	Small	Large	Smallest
Browser Support	100%	100%	97%

JPEG: Best for Photographs

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) has been the standard for photographs since 1992. It uses lossy compression, meaning some data is permanently discarded to achieve smaller file sizes.

When to Use JPEG

Photographs - Natural images with millions of colors
Complex images - Images with gradients and color variations
Email attachments - When universal compatibility matters
Social media - Most platforms optimize for JPEG anyway

When NOT to Use JPEG

Images with text or sharp edges
Graphics requiring transparency
Images that will be edited multiple times
Screenshots or diagrams

PNG: Best for Graphics and Transparency

PNG (Portable Network Graphics) uses lossless compression, preserving every pixel perfectly. It's ideal for graphics, logos, and images requiring transparency.

When to Use PNG

Logos and icons - Sharp edges stay crisp
Transparent images - Full alpha channel support
Screenshots - Text remains readable
Graphics with text - No compression artifacts

When NOT to Use PNG

Photographs (files will be huge)
When file size is critical
Images with millions of colors

WebP: The Modern Choice

WebP, developed by Google, offers the best of both worlds. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and produces significantly smaller files than JPEG or PNG.

When to Use WebP

Web images - 25-35% smaller than JPEG
Any image type - Works for photos and graphics
Performance-focused sites - Faster load times
Modern web projects - 97% browser support

When NOT to Use WebP

Email attachments (not all clients support it)
Print projects (use TIFF or PNG)
When targeting very old browsers

File Size Comparison

Here's a typical comparison for a 1920x1080 photograph:

JPEG (80% quality): 250 KB
PNG: 2.5 MB
WebP (80% quality): 180 KB

WebP achieves approximately 28% smaller files than JPEG at equivalent quality!

Our Recommendation

For most use cases in 2026, we recommend:

Use WebP as your primary format for web images
Use PNG for logos, icons, and images with transparency
Use JPEG as a fallback for older systems and email

With fatpng, you can easily convert between formats and compress your images for optimal performance - all without uploading your files to any server.

JPEG vs PNG vs WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use?