What Is WebP, and Should You Use It?

WebP is a more modern image format built specifically to do what JPG and PNG each do, only more efficiently - and for most everyday use, especially anything going on a website, it's a genuine upgrade over both.

What makes WebP different

WebP compresses photographic content more efficiently than JPG, meaning a similar-looking image typically comes out as a smaller file. It also supports transparency the way PNG does, which historically meant choosing between JPG's smaller size and PNG's transparency support - WebP offers both at once.

Where WebP still falls short

Browser support is no longer a real concern - every modern browser handles WebP natively. The remaining gaps are in older or more specialized software: some older image editors, certain print workflows, and a handful of apps that simply haven't added WebP support yet. If you know a file needs to go somewhere with unclear WebP compatibility, it's worth checking first or keeping a JPG/PNG version as a fallback.

When switching to WebP makes sense

• Images for a website, where smaller file sizes directly improve page load speed
• Any image that currently needs PNG for transparency but doesn't need PNG's lossless quality
• General photo sharing where the smaller file size is a meaningful benefit and the destination supports it

When to stick with JPG or PNG instead

If a file is headed somewhere with unclear or known-limited software support - certain older content management systems, some print services, specific third-party integrations - sticking with the more universally supported JPG or PNG avoids compatibility headaches. Converting is easy enough to do later with a format converter once you're confident WebP will be accepted.