Why websites use WebP
WebP files are typically around a quarter to a third smaller than JPGs of similar quality, and it supports transparency like PNG. Smaller images mean faster pages, which visitors notice and search engines reward.
Every modern browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari — displays WebP, so it's safe to use on the web today.
We tested it: phone photos and screenshots
We converted three phone photos and two Retina screenshots to WebP at the same resolution:
| Image | Original | WebP | Saved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pixel 2 photo (JPG) | 4.16 MB | 2.63 MB | 37% |
| iPhone 6 Plus photo (JPG) | 3.51 MB | 1.89 MB | 46% |
| Galaxy S7 Edge photo (JPG) | 3.97 MB | 2.01 MB | 49% |
| Colourful screenshot (PNG) | 488 KB | 90.6 KB | 81% |
| Text screenshot (PNG) | 332 KB | 206 KB | 38% |
WebP cut every file by more than a third with no change in resolution, and each photo took about 1.5–2.5 seconds. For a website, resize to the display width first, then convert, and the savings stack up.
When to stay with JPG
- The file is going to someone by email or for printing — JPG is more universally supported outside browsers.
- An upload form lists only JPG and PNG.
- Your website platform doesn't accept WebP uploads yet.
Tips for web images
Resize images to the width they'll actually be shown at before converting — a 4,000-pixel photo displayed at 800 pixels wastes bandwidth no matter what format it's in. Then convert to WebP for the final saving.
Frequently asked questions
Does WebP keep PNG transparency?
Yes. Transparent PNGs stay transparent as WebP.
Does it work on iPhone?
Yes. If your browser can't create WebP itself, the tool uses its own built-in encoder automatically.
How much smaller will my images be?
It depends on the image. In our test, WebP versions of three phone photos were 37–49% smaller than the original camera JPGs at the same resolution.