What is WebP?
How WebP compares to JPEG and PNG, when to use it, browser support, and how to convert your images.
What is WebP?
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google and released in 2010. It supports both lossy compression (like JPEG) and lossless compression (like PNG), as well as transparency (like PNG) and animation (like GIF) — all in a single format.
The primary advantage of WebP is file size. At equivalent visual quality, WebP files are significantly smaller than their JPEG or PNG counterparts, which translates directly to faster page loads.
WebP vs. JPEG vs. PNG
| Feature | WebP | JPEG | PNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lossy compression | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Lossless compression | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Transparency (alpha) | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Animation | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| File size vs. JPEG | 25–35% smaller | baseline | 2–5× larger |
| Browser support | 95%+ | 100% | 100% |
How much smaller is WebP?
Google's own benchmarks show:
Lossy WebP vs JPEG: ~25–34% smaller Lossless WebP vs PNG: ~26% smaller Example — a 500KB JPEG photo: At equivalent quality → ~350KB as WebP Saving: 150KB per image
For a page with 10 images, switching to WebP could reduce image payload by 1–2MB — a meaningful improvement for mobile users and Core Web Vitals scores.
Browser support
WebP is supported by all major browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari (14+), Edge, and Opera. As of 2025, global support is approximately 96%.
For the remaining ~4% (older Safari, some IE), use the HTML <picture> element to serve a fallback:
<picture> <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp"> <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description"> </picture>
When to use WebP
- Use WebP for
- Photos and complex images on the web, hero images, product images, thumbnails, blog post images — any image where file size matters.
- Stick with PNG for
- Images that require lossless quality with broad compatibility, or when working with tools that don't support WebP input (some older design tools).
- Stick with JPEG for
- Scenarios requiring maximum compatibility without a fallback strategy, or when uploading to platforms that re-encode images anyway (social media, CMSes that convert on upload).
Frequently asked questions
- Does WebP support transparency?
- Yes. WebP supports alpha channel transparency, making it a direct replacement for PNG in cases where transparency is needed — with significantly smaller file sizes.
- Can I use WebP for print?
- No. WebP is a web format and is not supported by most print workflows or professional design tools. Use TIFF or high-quality JPEG for print production.
- Does converting to WebP reduce quality?
- Lossy WebP compression at high quality settings (80%+) is visually indistinguishable from the original for most images. At 75–80% quality, you get the best size-to-quality tradeoff. Going below 60% introduces visible artifacts.