What Is WebP? Why Google's Image Format Is Better for the Web

WebP is an image format developed by Google and released in 2010. It was designed to replace JPG and PNG on the web by offering better compression without sacrificing visual quality. In 2026, it's now supported by all major browsers and is the recommended format for web images.

How WebP Compares to JPG and PNG

Feature	JPG	PNG	WebP
Lossy compression	✅	❌	✅
Lossless compression	❌	✅	✅
Transparency (alpha)	❌	✅	✅
Animation	❌	❌	✅
File size vs JPG	baseline	larger	25–35% smaller
Browser support	Universal	Universal	All modern browsers

How Much Smaller Are WebP Files?

Google's own tests show WebP is:

• 25–34% smaller than JPG at equivalent visual quality
• 26% smaller than PNG for lossless images

In practice, converting your website's image library from JPG to WebP typically reduces total image weight by 30–40%.

WebP Browser Support in 2026

WebP is supported by:

• Chrome (since 2011)
• Firefox (since 2019)
• Edge (since 2018)
• Safari (since 2020 on iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur)
• Samsung Internet, Opera, and all Chromium-based browsers

Global browser support is over 97% — there's no practical reason to avoid WebP for web use.

When Should You Use WebP?

• Website images — Always. WebP is the best choice for any image displayed in a browser.
• Blog post images — Smaller files mean faster page loads and better Core Web Vitals.
• E-commerce product photos — Faster image loading directly impacts conversion rates.
• App assets — Android has supported WebP since Android 4.0.

When WebP Isn't the Right Choice

• Email clients — Most email clients (Outlook, Apple Mail) don't support WebP. Use JPG for email images.
• Print — Use TIFF or PNG for print-quality assets.
• Social media upload — Some platforms (Instagram, WhatsApp) don't accept WebP uploads. Convert to JPG for these.
• Older software — If your workflow uses software that doesn't support WebP, stick with PNG or JPG and convert for web delivery.

How to Start Using WebP Today

Convert your existing PNG and JPG images using our free converters:

• PNG to WebP
• JPG to WebP

If you use Next.js, the built-in <Image> component automatically serves WebP when the browser supports it — no manual conversion needed.