JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF
Updated · 5 min read
Picking the right format can make an image five times smaller — or make it unreadable for the person you send it to. Here’s the short version.
Side by side
| JPG | PNG | WebP | AVIF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless | Lossy or lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| File size | Small for photos | Large for photos, small for graphics | 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same quality | Often 50% smaller than JPG |
| Compatibility | Everywhere | Everywhere | Modern browsers | Modern browsers |
Quick answers
- Uploading to a form or portal → JPG
- Logo, screenshot or anything transparent → PNG
- Images for your own website → WebP (or AVIF for the smallest files)
- Sharing iPhone photos with non-Apple users → convert HEIC to JPG
JPG
JPG has been the default photo format since the 1990s. It shrinks photos by quietly throwing away detail your eye barely notices, which is why it opens on literally everything — but it can’t do transparency and it loses a little quality every time it’s re-saved.
PNG
PNG keeps every pixel exactly as it is and supports transparent backgrounds. That makes it perfect for logos, screenshots and cut-outs — but photos saved as PNG are often 5–10× bigger than the same photo as JPG.
WebP
WebP was made by Google to make websites load faster. It does everything JPG and PNG do — including transparency — in noticeably smaller files. The catch: plenty of desktop apps, government portals and older software still can’t open it.
AVIF
AVIF is the newest mainstream image format, based on the AV1 video codec. It squeezes photos dramatically smaller than JPG while keeping them sharp, and supports transparency and HDR. It’s still new, so many apps and websites don’t accept it yet.
Frequently asked questions
Which format is best for quality?
PNG is lossless, so it never loses quality — but it’s large for photos. For photos, a high-quality JPG, WebP or AVIF looks identical to the eye.
Which format is smallest?
AVIF, then WebP, then JPG. PNG is largest for photos.