PNG vs JPG
PNG vs JPG explained: compression, transparency, file size, and quality. A practical guide to picking the right format every time.
PNG and JPG are the two most common image formats on the web. They look similar, but under the hood they're solving completely different problems.
The short answer
- Photos → JPG. Smaller files, invisible quality loss.
- Logos, screenshots, transparency → PNG. Sharp edges, no compression artifacts.
How they compress
JPG uses lossy compression — it discards visual detail your eyes barely notice to shrink the file. PNG uses lossless compression — every pixel is preserved, so the file is bigger but never degrades.
Transparency
PNG supports full alpha transparency. JPG does not — save a transparent logo as JPG and the background becomes white or black.
File size comparison
A 1920×1080 photo is typically 200–500 KB as JPG and 2–4 MB as PNG. For photos, JPG wins by 10×.
Quality
At quality 85+, JPG artifacts are invisible for photos. But save-and-resave a JPG many times and it degrades. PNGs never degrade.
Rule of thumb
- Photo of the real world → JPG
- Screenshot, logo, icon, text → PNG
- Needs transparency → PNG
- Modern site optimizing speed → consider WebP or AVIF
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