JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF: which image format should you use?

Updated October 18, 2026

Most of the time you don't need to think about image formats, until a form rejects your file, a page loads slowly, or a logo ends up with a white box around it. Here's how the common formats differ and when to use each.

The short answer

Photos you share, email or upload: JPG.
Screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with text: PNG.
Images on your own website: WebP (or AVIF if you want the smallest files).

JPG (JPEG)

The universal photo format. It uses lossy compression: it throws away detail your eye is unlikely to notice, which makes photos small. Every device, app and website accepts it.

Weak spots: no transparency, and sharp edges like text or lines get fuzzy "artifacts" around them. Re-saving a JPG many times slowly degrades it.

PNG

Lossless: every pixel is stored exactly. That makes it ideal for screenshots, interface images, logos and diagrams, and it supports transparency. For photos, though, PNG files are typically several times larger than JPG with no visible benefit.

WebP

A newer format designed for the web. It can be lossy (like JPG) or lossless (like PNG), supports transparency, and is usually 25–35% smaller than JPG at similar quality. All current browsers display it. Many older desktop apps, editors and upload forms still don't accept it, which is why people often need to convert WebP to JPG.

AVIF

An even more efficient format that's increasingly used by websites. Files can be considerably smaller than WebP. Support in current browsers is good, but many editors, forms and older devices can't open it yet, so convert AVIF to JPG when you need to share one.

HEIC

Apple's default camera format on iPhone. It's efficient, but poorly supported outside Apple devices. Our guide to HEIC files explains your options.

Comparison

	JPG	PNG	WebP	AVIF
Best for	Photos	Graphics, text	Web images	Web images
Compression	Lossy	Lossless	Both	Both
Transparency	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Photo file size	Small	Large	Smaller	Smallest
Accepted by forms and apps	Everywhere	Almost everywhere	Often	Sometimes

Myths worth knowing

"Converting to PNG improves quality." It doesn't. It preserves the current quality exactly, including any JPG artifacts, in a bigger file.

"Changing the file extension converts the image." Renaming photo.webp to photo.jpg doesn't change the data inside, and many sites will still reject it. Use a real converter like the Image Converter.

"Higher DPI means a better photo." DPI only affects printing. On screens and in upload forms, what matters is the pixel dimensions and the file size.

Tools used in this guide

Image ConverterConvert images between JPG, PNG and WebP. PNG to JPGConvert PNG images to JPG in your browser. JPG to WebPConvert JPG photos to WebP and cut file size by around 25–35% at similar quality. Compress ImageShrink JPG, PNG and WebP images to an exact file size in KB.