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What Is WebP, and Is It Better Than JPG?
WebP is an image format made by Google. It is usually smaller than JPG or PNG at similar quality and supports transparency. The catch is that some older programs and upload forms still do not accept it.
What it is
WebP is one format that can do the work of both JPG and PNG. It can be lossy like JPG or lossless like PNG, and it can have a transparent background.
How much smaller is it?
According to Google, lossless WebP images are about 26 percent smaller than PNG, and lossy WebP images are 25 to 34 percent smaller than comparable JPG images. Your results depend on the picture.
Where it works
All current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari show WebP. That is why many websites serve it, and why you often get a WebP file when you save an image from a page.
Where people run into trouble is older software, some email and document tools, and upload forms that only list JPG or PNG.
When to convert it
- A site rejects your file: convert WebP to JPG.
- You need transparency kept: convert WebP to PNG.
- You run a website: WebP is a good choice for smaller pages. You can make one with the compress tool by choosing WebP as the output.
One thing to expect
Converting WebP to JPG often makes the file bigger, not smaller. That is normal. JPG is the less efficient format, so it needs more space for the same picture.