JPG vs PDF: what's the difference?
Short answer: JPG is an image; PDF is a document that can hold images, text and many pages. Put photos in a PDF when a form asks for a document or you need to send several images as one file.
| JPG | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) | Portable Document Format |
| File extensions | .jpg, .jpeg, .jpe | |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | application/pdf |
| Introduced | 1992 | 1993 |
| Compression | Lossy | Depends on content |
| Transparency | No | n/a |
| Animation | No | No |
| Typical file size | Small | Varies |
| Best for | photographs, social media uploads and email attachments | sharing, printing and submitting documents that must look the same everywhere |
| Compatibility | Universal: every browser, phone, camera and image editor | Universal |
File size
A PDF containing a JPG is about the same size as the JPG. PDFs of scans can be compressed further.
Image quality
Putting a JPG into a PDF doesn't change its quality.
Transparency and animation
JPG: transparency no, animation no. PDF: transparency n/a, animation no.
Compatibility
JPG: Universal: every browser, phone, camera and image editor.
PDF: Universal.
When to use JPG
- Sharing and viewing single photos
- Social media
When to use PDF
- Job, visa and government applications
- Multi-page scans
- Printing documents
Convert between JPG and PDF
Frequently asked questions
Is JPG better than PDF?
JPG is an image; PDF is a document that can hold images, text and many pages. Put photos in a PDF when a form asks for a document or you need to send several images as one file.
Which is smaller, JPG or PDF?
A PDF containing a JPG is about the same size as the JPG. PDFs of scans can be compressed further.
Which has better quality, JPG or PDF?
Putting a JPG into a PDF doesn't change its quality.
How do I convert JPG to PDF?
Open the free JPG to PDF converter, add your files and download the results. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.