JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs SVG: Which Image Format Should You Use?

Pick the wrong image format and you either bloat your page with huge files or end up with blurry, pixelated graphics. Pick the right one and your site loads faster and looks sharper — for free. Here's the plain-English breakdown of the four formats you'll actually use, and exactly when to reach for each.

JPG (JPEG): photographs

JPG uses "lossy" compression — it discards detail the eye barely notices to achieve small files. That makes it perfect for photographs and complex images with lots of colours and gradients. The trade-off: it doesn't support transparency, and repeated editing/re-saving degrades quality. Avoid it for text, logos, or sharp edges, which it blurs into visible artefacts.

PNG: graphics, logos, and transparency

PNG uses "lossless" compression, so it keeps every pixel exact and supports transparency. It's the right choice for logos, icons, screenshots, and any image with crisp edges or text. The downside is file size — a PNG photo can be several times larger than the JPG equivalent, so don't use it for photographs.

WebP: the modern all-rounder

WebP, developed by Google, offers both lossy and lossless compression and transparency — essentially the best of JPG and PNG in one format, at a smaller size. Google's WebP documentation reports 25–35% savings over comparable JPGs and PNGs. It's supported by every modern browser, so for most websites it should be your default. Convert your existing images with JPG to WebP or PNG to WebP — and if you ever need a fallback, WebP to JPG reverses it.

SVG: logos, icons, and anything that scales

SVG is fundamentally different: instead of pixels, it stores vector instructions (lines, curves, shapes) as code. That means it scales to any size — from a favicon to a billboard — with zero quality loss, and the files are tiny for simple graphics. Use it for logos, icons, and illustrations. It's not suitable for photographs. Trim bloat from exported SVGs with our SVG optimizer. The MDN guide to image file types is the authoritative reference if you want to go deeper.

Quick decision guide

• Photo on a web page? WebP (or JPG as a fallback).
• Logo or icon? SVG if you have the vector; otherwise PNG.
• Needs transparency? WebP, PNG, or SVG — never JPG.
• Print or download where compatibility matters? JPG or PNG.

Don't forget to optimise

Format is only half the battle — size matters just as much. Whatever you choose, resize it to the dimensions it will actually display with the image resizer and compress it with the image compressor. For the full workflow, see our guide to image optimization.

Bottom line

WebP for photos, SVG for logos and icons, PNG when you need lossless transparency, JPG for maximum compatibility. Match the format to the content and you'll get sharper images and faster pages without spending a thing.