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JPG vs PNG: Which One Should You Use?
Use JPG for photos and PNG for logos, screenshots and anything with transparency or sharp text. JPG gives much smaller files for photos. PNG keeps every pixel exact, so it is larger.
The main difference
JPG is a lossy format. It throws away detail your eye is unlikely to notice, and in return the file gets much smaller. PNG is lossless. It stores every pixel exactly as it was, so nothing is lost, but the file is bigger.
Quick comparison
- PhotosJPG. Far smaller with no visible difference at normal quality.
- Logos and iconsPNG. Edges stay crisp.
- Screenshots with textPNG. JPG can leave fuzzy marks around letters.
- Transparent backgroundPNG. JPG cannot be transparent.
File size in practice
On a test photo, converting a PNG to JPG at 75 percent quality made the file about half the size. Going the other way is the opposite: a 524 KB JPG became a 2.8 MB PNG, and it did not look any better, because PNG cannot bring back detail that JPG already removed.
Which should you pick?
- Sending or uploading a photo: JPG.
- Putting a logo on a website: PNG, or WebP for a smaller file.
- Need to edit the image many times: keep a PNG copy, since each JPG save loses a little more quality.
- A form asks for JPG: convert your PNG with the tool below.
What about WebP?
WebP is a newer format that does both jobs and is usually smaller than either. See what WebP is and when to use it.