WebP vs PNG vs JPG vs AVIF: Which to Use

Picking the right image format is the single biggest lever on page-load speed and visual quality. This guide breaks down JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, and GIF — what each is good at, when to convert, and how to do it in your browser without uploading anything.

JPG (JPEG) — the photo default

JPG uses lossy compression tuned for photographs. It's the best choice for anything with smooth gradients — skies, skin, landscapes — but it's terrible at hard edges (screenshots, text, line art) because the block-based DCT introduces ringing artifacts.

PNG — lossless with transparency

PNG is lossless and supports full alpha transparency. Use it for logos, icons, screenshots, and any image with sharp edges or text overlays. It's larger than JPG for photos but far cleaner for graphics.

WebP — the modern default for the web

WebP compresses 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same perceived quality, supports lossless mode and alpha channel, and is supported by every modern browser. If you're publishing images to the web in 2026 and don't have an old-browser constraint, WebP is the default.

AVIF — the compression champion

AVIF beats WebP by another 20–30% at high compression ratios and handles gradients beautifully. Support is now near-universal in evergreen browsers. Use it when file size matters more than legacy support.

GIF — animated, but obsolete for stills

GIF only supports 256 colors and is huge compared to modern formats. For animation, WebP and AVIF both do better. For stills, never use GIF.

Quick decision table

• Photograph for the web → WebP or AVIF.
• Logo, icon, screenshot with text → PNG.
• Photo for print or email attachments → JPG.
• Anything with transparency → PNG or WebP (lossless).
• Legacy compatibility required → JPG (photos) or PNG (graphics).

How to convert in your browser

1. Open the Convert tool.
2. Drop your source image.
3. Pick the target format from the dropdown.
4. Adjust quality if converting to a lossy format (WebP, JPG, AVIF).
5. Download.