What is JPG?
JPG (also written JPEG) is the most widely supported photo format. It uses lossy compression tuned for photographs, which keeps files small, but it has no transparency. JPG is best for photos, e-mail attachments, social media and any upload form. JPG cannot store transparency, and repeated saving or strong compression adds blocky artefacts around edges and text.
What is WebP?
WebP is an image format created by Google for the web. It supports lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation, and usually makes files 25–35 % smaller than JPG or PNG at the same visual quality. WebP is best for fast-loading websites, online shops and blogs.
When should you convert JPG to WebP?
- You want to improve Core Web Vitals and the Largest Contentful Paint of your pages.
- Your WordPress, Shopify or Etsy images are heavy and slow on mobile data.
- You store many photos online and want to reduce bandwidth and storage costs.
Tips for the best result
Start at 80 % quality: for most photos it is indistinguishable from the JPG and 25–35 % smaller. Resize large camera photos (for example to 1920 px wide) for even lighter web images.
JPG vs WebP at a glance
| JPG | WebP | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Raster | Raster |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes |
| Animation | No | Yes |
| Compatibility | Universal | All current browsers; limited in older apps |
| Best for | Photos, e-mail attachments, social media and any upload form | Fast-loading websites, online shops and blogs |