WebP vs JPG: is it time to switch?

What WebP is

WebP is an image format released by Google in 2010. It can be lossy like JPG or lossless like PNG, and it supports transparency and animation. For photos at similar visual quality, lossy WebP files are typically 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPG.

Where WebP works well

• Websites and web apps. Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all display it.
• Images with transparency that would otherwise be large PNG files.
• Short animations, where animated WebP is usually much smaller than the same GIF.

Where JPG is still safer

• Email attachments, printing services and upload forms, many of which accept only JPG or PNG.
• Older desktop software and some photo printers that cannot open WebP.
• Very large images. WebP is limited to 16,383 pixels per side, while JPG allows up to 65,535.

Converting between them

JPG to WebP re-encodes the photo, so it is a lossy step on top of the existing JPG compression. Start from the best quality source you have. A WebP quality of about 80 to 85 is visually close to the original for most photos.

WebP to JPG is the fix when a site or app refuses a WebP file someone sent you. Transparent areas are filled with a background colour, white by default, and an animated WebP keeps only its first frame, because JPG has no animation.

Not sure which is smaller?

The saving depends on the picture. Format Shoot-out encodes your image as JPG, WebP and AVIF at the same measured visual quality and keeps the smallest, so you can decide with real numbers for your own image instead of averages.