March 23, 20264 min read

What is WebP? Why You Should Use It and How to Convert

WebP is Google's image format that's 30% smaller than JPG. Learn when to use WebP, how to convert to/from it, and browser compatibility.

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What is WebP?

WebP is an image format developed by Google that provides 30-50% smaller file sizes compared to JPG and PNG at the same visual quality. It supports both lossy (like JPG) and lossless (like PNG) compression, plus transparency and animation.

WebP vs JPG vs PNG — Size Comparison

Image Type	JPG	PNG	WebP
Photo (1920x1080)	350 KB	2.5 MB	230 KB
Screenshot (1920x1080)	200 KB	500 KB	140 KB
Logo with transparency	N/A	50 KB	30 KB
Icon (256x256)	15 KB	25 KB	10 KB

WebP saves 25-50% file size in virtually every scenario.

Why Use WebP?

Faster websites — Smaller images = faster page loads = better SEO rankings
Lower bandwidth — Save on hosting costs and improve mobile experience
Google ranking signal — Core Web Vitals (page speed) affects search rankings
Full feature set — Supports transparency (like PNG) AND compression (like JPG) AND animation (like GIF)
Universal browser support — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge all support WebP (97%+ of users)

How to Convert to WebP

From JPG

Use JPG to WebP — upload your JPG and get a 30% smaller WebP.

From PNG

Use PNG to WebP — preserves transparency while reducing size by 40-60%.

From WebP to Other Formats

WebP to JPG — When you need universal compatibility
WebP to PNG — When you need to edit in older software

Browser Support (2026)

Browser	WebP Support
Chrome	Yes (since 2014)
Firefox	Yes (since 2019)
Safari	Yes (since 2020)
Edge	Yes (since 2018)
Opera	Yes (since 2013)
IE 11	No (discontinued)

97%+ of web users can view WebP images. The only holdout is IE 11 which Microsoft has discontinued.

When NOT to Use WebP

Email attachments — Some email clients don't preview WebP. Use JPG
Print materials — Print shops typically want TIFF or high-resolution JPG
Legacy software — Older image editors may not open WebP. Use PNG/JPG
Social media uploads — Most platforms accept WebP, but some convert it anyway

Tips for Website Owners

Convert all images to WebP — Use Convert Image to batch convert your site's images
Use tag for fallback — Serve WebP to modern browsers, JPG to old ones
Don't over-compress — Quality 80 for WebP is visually identical to quality 85 JPG
Compress WebP further — Use Compress Image for additional savings
Check Core Web Vitals — Switching to WebP can improve your LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) score significantly

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WebP better than JPG?

Yes, for file size. WebP produces 25-35% smaller files at the same quality. Visual quality is virtually identical.

Can I use WebP on my website?

Yes. With 97%+ browser support, WebP is safe for production use. Use a tag with JPG fallback for the remaining 3%.

Does WebP support transparency?

Yes — unlike JPG, WebP supports alpha transparency (like PNG) while being much smaller.

Does WebP support animation?

Yes — WebP can replace animated GIFs with much smaller file sizes (up to 90% smaller).

JPG to WebP — Convert photos to WebP
PNG to WebP — Convert graphics to WebP
WebP to JPG — Convert back to JPG
Compress Image — Further optimize images
Resize Image — Resize before converting