JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF: Which Image Format Should You Use?

Short answer: use JPG for photos that must work everywhere, PNG for graphics, screenshots and anything needing exact pixels or transparency, and WebP or AVIF when you want smaller files on a website and compatibility is not an issue. The rest of this guide explains why.

The four formats in one table

	JPG	PNG	WebP	AVIF
Compression	Lossy	Lossless	Lossy or lossless	Lossy or lossless
Best for	Photos	Graphics, screenshots, logos	Web images of all kinds	Web photos where size matters most
Transparency	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Animation	No	Limited (APNG)	Yes	Yes
Compatibility	Universal	Universal	Modern browsers and many apps	Modern browsers, less common elsewhere
File size for photos	Medium	Large	Smaller than JPG at similar quality, in many cases	Often smaller still, depending on the image and encoder

This table describes the formats. Imgovo exports still AVIF images; its animation tools make GIF and animated WebP, not animated AVIF, and an animated AVIF that you open is exported as its first frame.

Browser support for WebP and AVIF has grown steadily, but it is worth checking a current compatibility table before you rely on a format in production. This guide was last checked on the date shown at the top of the page.

JPG

JPG (or JPEG) is the format most photos are saved in. It uses lossy compression, which discards detail the eye is less likely to notice. It has no transparency. Repeated saving can add visible artefacts, so keep an original.

Choose JPG when: you are sharing, uploading or printing photographs, or you do not know what software the other person has.

PNG

PNG is lossless. Every pixel is preserved, and it supports transparent backgrounds. That makes it ideal for logos, icons, screenshots with text and diagrams. For photographs, PNG files get large without a visible benefit.

Choose PNG when: you need transparency, sharp edges, or you will edit the image further and want no quality loss.

WebP

WebP can do lossy or lossless compression, transparency and animation in one format. In many cases it produces smaller files than JPG or PNG at similar visual quality. Support is broad in current browsers, but some older programs and some upload forms still reject it.

Choose WebP when: you publish images on a website and want smaller files than JPG or PNG.

AVIF

AVIF is a newer format that often compresses photos better than WebP and JPG, especially at low file sizes. The trade-offs are less support outside browsers, and in some cases slower encoding.

Choose AVIF when: you serve photos on the web and want very small files, ideally with a JPG or WebP fallback.

About size claims

You will see statements like “WebP is 30% smaller than JPG”. Treat these with caution. The saving depends on the image, the encoder and the quality setting. The honest answer is that WebP and AVIF are often smaller, and the size of the gain varies. The best test is to convert your own image and compare.

Quick decision guide

• Photo for an email, form or print: JPG.
• Logo, icon or screenshot: PNG.
• Photo or graphic for your website: WebP, or AVIF with a fallback.
• Need transparency: PNG, WebP or AVIF.
• Not sure who will open it: JPG (or PNG for graphics).

Switch formats in Imgovo

Imgovo converts in your browser, so your files are not uploaded.

• Convert Image handles the general case.
• JPG to WebP and PNG to WebP for smaller web images.
• JPG to AVIF for very small photo files.
• PNG to JPG when a form or app needs JPG. Note that JPG has no transparency, so transparent areas get a solid background.

If your goal is a specific file size, see how to compress an image to under 100 KB. If your iPhone photos are in HEIC, see how to convert HEIC to JPG.

Do it now

Open Convert Image, choose the target format and compare the file sizes yourself.