What is WebP?
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that delivers smaller file sizes than JPEG and PNG without sacrificing visual quality. Here's everything you need to know.
Published January 15, 2024
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google in 2010 and released publicly in 2011. It was designed to be a superior replacement for JPEG, PNG, and GIF on the web — delivering smaller file sizes at comparable or better visual quality.
Why Google created WebP
Every byte a browser downloads costs time. Images typically make up 50–75% of a web page’s total transfer size, so a more efficient image format directly improves page load speed. Google built WebP to tackle this at the format level, rather than relying on better compression of existing formats.
WebP uses a compression technique based on the VP8 video codec, which was developed by On2 Technologies (acquired by Google in 2010). The core insight from video compression — that adjacent pixels tend to look similar — translates well to still images.
Lossy and lossless in one format
Most image formats make you choose a lane. JPEG is lossy: it throws away some image data to achieve compression. PNG is lossless: it preserves every pixel exactly, which is why it’s larger.
WebP does both:
- Lossy WebP compresses by discarding fine detail in a way the human eye barely notices. Typical result: 25–35% smaller than an equivalent JPEG.
- Lossless WebP preserves every pixel exactly. Typical result: 26% smaller than an equivalent PNG.
You pick the mode based on your use case. Photographs generally benefit from lossy compression. Screenshots, logos, and images with transparency are better candidates for lossless.
Transparency (alpha channel) support
JPEG does not support transparency. PNG does. WebP supports transparency in both lossy and lossless modes, which is something PNG can’t offer in the lossy direction. A semi-transparent icon compressed with lossy WebP will be smaller than its PNG equivalent while still preserving the alpha channel.
Animation support
WebP also supports animation, making it a potential replacement for animated GIFs. Animated WebP files are significantly smaller than equivalent GIFs. However, animated WebP has more limited tooling support and is primarily useful when targeting modern browsers.
Browser support
WebP is supported in every major modern browser:
| Browser | Supported since |
|---|---|
| Chrome | Version 23 (2012) |
| Firefox | Version 65 (2019) |
| Safari | Version 14 (2020) |
| Edge | Version 18 (2018) |
| Opera | Version 12.1 (2012) |
As of 2024, global WebP support sits above 97%. For most sites, you can serve WebP as the primary format without a fallback — though using <picture> with a JPEG/PNG fallback is still good practice for the rare older browser.
When to use WebP
WebP is a good default for nearly all web images:
- Photographs and hero images — use lossy WebP at quality 75–85. You’ll likely cut file size by 30% or more.
- UI elements, icons, logos — use lossless WebP if you need pixel-perfect output, or lossy if some compression is acceptable.
- Transparent images — WebP handles these better than JPEG (which has no alpha) and usually smaller than PNG.
- Thumbnails and previews — aggressive lossy compression (quality 50–70) works well at small display sizes.
When not to use WebP
- Photography archiving — use TIFF or lossless formats. WebP lossy discards data permanently.
- Print production — CMYK workflows expect TIFF or high-quality JPEG. WebP is RGB-only.
- Raw uploads to editing tools — some design tools don’t read WebP. Stick with PNG for round-trip editing.
Convert images to WebP
Ready to try it? Use our free in-browser tools — no upload required:
And if you need to convert back: