What Is WebP? Differences from JPG and PNG, and Benefits

A short history of WebP

Google announced WebP in 2010 to reduce the weight of images on web pages. Today all current browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, support it.

What does it offer?

Lossy and lossless modes: JPG-like compression for photos, PNG-like compression for graphics.
Transparency (alpha): transparent backgrounds that JPG lacks, even in lossy mode.
Animation: far smaller animations than GIF, with more colours.

How much smaller?

According to comparisons published by Google, WebP is roughly 25–35% smaller than JPG at equivalent visual quality and about 25% smaller than PNG in lossless mode. Real savings vary by image, so test with your own files.

When WebP, when something else?

Website images: WebP (or AVIF for even smaller files).
Email, older software, print: JPG / PNG, because compatibility is broader.
Some social platforms refuse WebP uploads; convert to JPG in that case.

How to convert

Use PNG to WebP and JPG to WebP to convert in bulk, or WebP to JPG to go back.

Frequently asked questions

Is WebP higher quality than JPG?

At the same file size WebP usually shows less visible distortion, but whether it is “better” depends on the encoder settings and the image.

Does WebP help SEO?

It is not a direct ranking factor, but smaller images improve page speed and Core Web Vitals (especially LCP).

Can I open WebP in Photoshop?

Current Photoshop versions support WebP; older versions may need conversion.