JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs HEIC vs AVIF
A plain-English comparison of JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC and AVIF: file size, quality, transparency and compatibility, and which image format to use when.
Choosing the right image format can make a file five times smaller or keep text razor sharp. Here is the short version, then the details.
| Use case | Best format |
|---|---|
| Photos to share, email or print | JPG |
| Screenshots, logos, text, transparency | PNG |
| Images on your website | WebP (or AVIF) |
| Storing photos on an iPhone | HEIC |
| Icons and illustrations that scale | SVG |
JPG: the universal photo format
JPG uses lossy compression tuned for photographs. It is supported by literally everything, which is why it remains the safest choice for sharing. It cannot store transparency and loses a little quality every time it is re-saved, so keep an original. Convert other formats with PNG to JPG or HEIC to JPG.
PNG: lossless and transparent
PNG never discards detail, so it is perfect for screenshots, UI, diagrams and logos with transparent backgrounds. For photos it produces very large files. Shrink graphics with PNG compression, which reduces colours while keeping transparency.
WebP: smaller files for the web
WebP is 25-35% smaller than JPG at the same quality and supports transparency and animation. Every modern browser supports it, so it is ideal for websites: smaller images mean faster pages and better Core Web Vitals scores. Some desktop software and upload forms still reject it; convert with WebP to JPG when that happens.
HEIC: great storage, poor compatibility
iPhones save photos as HEIC to use about half the storage of JPG. Outside Apple's ecosystem many apps and websites cannot open them. FileStripe's HEIC to JPG converter fixes that and removes location data in the process.
AVIF: the newest and smallest
AVIF typically beats WebP by another 20% and supports HDR. Browser support is good, but editing and upload support is not yet universal.
Bottom line
Keep originals in their native format, publish WebP on the web, send JPG to people and use PNG for anything with text or transparency.