WebP vs JPG
WebP was designed to replace JPG on the web. It makes smaller photos, but JPG still works in more places.
| Feature | WebP | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Photo size at same quality | 25–35% smaller | Baseline |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Lossless option | Yes | No |
| Camera metadata | Supported | Standard |
| Compatibility | Browsers, most current apps | Everything |
Compression and quality
WebP's lossy mode is based on the VP8 video codec. It predicts each block of the image from its neighbours and stores only the difference, which is more efficient than JPEG's approach from 1992. Google's studies found WebP files 25 to 34 percent smaller than JPGs of equal visual quality.
At very high quality settings the gap narrows, and modern JPEG encoders such as MozJPEG close some of it. At low quality, WebP tends to blur fine detail, while JPG shows blocky artefacts; which looks worse depends on the image.
Features JPG doesn't have
WebP supports transparency, so you can have a photo-quality cut-out with a transparent background in a small file. It supports animation, replacing large GIFs, and a lossless mode for graphics. JPG does none of these.
JPG, on the other hand, is understood by every camera, printer, photo lab, social network, email client and image editor, and has decades of tooling built around its EXIF metadata.
Why do images download as WebP?
Many websites now serve WebP to browsers that support it, because smaller images make pages load faster. When you right-click and save, you get the WebP file the site sent, even if the original was a JPG. If an app won't open it, converting it back to JPG solves the problem.
Which one should you use?
If you run a website, serve WebP, or AVIF, which is smaller still, with JPG as a fallback for very old browsers if needed. Most image CDNs and frameworks can do this automatically.
For everything else, such as sending photos to friends, uploading to forms, printing or archiving, JPG remains the most compatible choice. Converting a WebP to JPG at high quality keeps it looking the same, though the file grows a little.
Free Tools for This
They run in your browser, so your files are never uploaded.
Questions
Is WebP better quality than JPG?
At the same file size, WebP usually looks better. At the same quality, it's 25 to 35 percent smaller.
Should I convert all my photos to WebP?
Only for use on a website. For personal photos, JPG is more compatible with apps, printers and services.
Does WebP keep EXIF data?
It can, but many tools strip it when converting. Check with an EXIF viewer if it matters.
Can I upload WebP to social media?
Most major platforms accept WebP now, but some forms and older services don't. JPG always works.