The short answer
Use JPG for photos, PNG for screenshots, logos and anything that needs a transparent background, and WebP when you want smaller files and the place you are uploading to accepts it. The rest of this guide explains why, so you can decide for yourself in unusual cases.
JPG: the everyday photo format
JPG (also written JPEG) uses lossy compression. It throws away detail that the human eye notices least, which makes photo files much smaller. At a sensible quality setting you will rarely see the difference.
- Best for: photographs, big images with smooth colour changes.
- Weak at: sharp text, thin lines and flat graphics, which can look fuzzy around the edges.
- No transparency. Transparent areas become a solid colour.
- Quality drops each time you re-save it. Keep an original and edit copies.
PNG: sharp and lossless
PNG keeps every pixel exactly as it was, so text and lines stay crisp, and it supports transparent backgrounds. The price is size: a PNG photograph can be several times larger than the same picture as a JPG.
- Best for: screenshots, logos, icons, diagrams, and anything with text.
- Weak at: large photographs, where the file gets very heavy.
WebP: smaller files for the web
WebP is a newer format that can do lossy compression like JPG, lossless compression like PNG, and transparency. At comparable visual quality it is often noticeably smaller than both, which is why many websites use it. All modern browsers can display it. Some older software, and some upload forms, still only accept JPG or PNG, so check before you convert.
Which one for which job?
- Phone photo for a form with a size limit: JPG.
- Screenshot with text: PNG.
- Logo on a coloured background: PNG (or WebP).
- Photos on your own website: WebP, with JPG as a fallback.
- Anything you will keep editing: PNG, to avoid repeated quality loss.
Common mistakes
- Saving a screenshot as JPG. The text turns fuzzy and the file is often bigger than a PNG would be.
- Saving a photo as PNG. The file becomes huge for no visible gain.
- Converting JPG to PNG to “improve quality”. Quality that is already lost cannot be restored. You only get a bigger file.
- Re-saving a JPG again and again. Each save loses a little more detail.
A quick example
Imagine you take a photo of a sunset and also a screenshot of a spreadsheet. Saved as JPG, the sunset might be 400 KB and looks perfect, while the spreadsheet looks a little smudgy around the numbers. Saved as PNG, the spreadsheet is razor sharp, but the sunset could balloon to 3 MB or more. That is the whole story in miniature: photos like JPG, and sharp graphics like PNG.
Converting between formats
You can switch between the three formats with the convert image tool, and shrink the result with the compress tool. Both run in your browser, so your pictures are never uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is WebP better than JPG?
Usually it makes smaller files at similar quality, but it is not accepted everywhere. If you are not sure the destination accepts it, use JPG.
Which format keeps the best quality?
PNG is lossless, so it keeps every pixel. JPG and lossy WebP trade a little detail for much smaller files.
Can I make a JPG transparent?
No. JPG has no transparency. Use PNG or WebP if you need a see-through background.
What about GIF and SVG?
GIF is used for simple animations and SVG for scalable vector graphics such as logos and icons. This guide covers the three most common formats for photos and everyday pictures.