WebP is an image format developed by Google and released in 2010. It uses more advanced compression algorithms than JPEG and PNG to produce smaller file sizes at comparable or better visual quality. The name comes from "Web Picture" — it was designed specifically for web delivery. As of 2026, WebP is supported by all major browsers and most image editing applications.

How WebP Compresses Images

WebP uses two compression modes:

Lossy WebP: Based on the VP8 video codec. It divides the image into 16×16 pixel blocks and uses predictive coding — predicting what each pixel should look like based on neighboring pixels, then encoding only the difference. This is more efficient than JPEG's discrete cosine transform (DCT). Result: 25–35% smaller than an equivalent-quality JPEG.
Lossless WebP: Uses a combination of spatial prediction, color transforms, and an entropy encoding method called LZMA2. It stores every pixel exactly. Result: 26% smaller than PNG on average.

WebP also supports an alpha channel (transparency) in both lossy and lossless modes, which JPEG cannot do. Animated WebP competes with GIF — producing much smaller files.

WebP vs JPEG vs PNG — File Size Comparison

Photo at equivalent quality: WebP ≈ 400 KB | JPEG ≈ 550 KB | PNG ≈ 2 MB
Logo with transparency: WebP (lossless) ≈ 30 KB | PNG ≈ 45 KB
Short animation (3 seconds): Animated WebP ≈ 300 KB | GIF ≈ 2 MB

These are approximates — actual savings depend on image content. Photos with complex textures see bigger WebP gains than flat-color graphics.

Is WebP Supported Everywhere?

Browser support is excellent. All major browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Safari (since 2020), Edge, and Opera — support WebP. Mobile browsers on Android and iOS also support it.

App support has improved but is not universal. As of 2026:

Fully supports WebP: Chrome, Firefox, Safari 14+, Edge, Canva, Figma, Photoshop (since 23.2), GIMP 2.10+, Windows 11 Photos app
Does not support WebP: Microsoft Office 2019 and earlier, some older PDF tools, Windows Photo Viewer (legacy), WhatsApp (converts on send)
Partial support: Some email clients don't display WebP in message bodies

When to Use WebP

Website images: WebP is the best format for web delivery. Smaller file size means faster page loads, better Core Web Vitals scores, and lower bandwidth costs.
Next.js and React apps: The next/image component automatically serves WebP when the browser supports it.
Animated images: Replace large GIFs with animated WebP for significant file size reduction.
Images with transparency: Use lossy WebP instead of PNG when you need transparency but can accept some quality trade-off.

When NOT to Use WebP

Email attachments: Many email clients don't render WebP in message bodies. Use JPG or PNG for photos in emails.
Microsoft Office documents: Office 2019 and earlier can't insert WebP images. Use PNG or JPG.
Social media uploads: Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X all convert WebP to JPEG on upload. Upload as JPG directly to avoid double compression.
Print: WebP is a screen format. For print, use TIFF or high-quality JPG or PDF.
Image editing workflows: Don't use WebP as your working file format. Keep originals as TIFF or PSD and export to WebP for final web delivery.

How to Convert to WebP

You can convert any image to WebP free in your browser:

All conversions run in your browser — no upload to a server, no file size limit per session.

How to Convert FROM WebP

If you've received a WebP file and need a more compatible format:

WebP to JPG — for photos, email, social media
WebP to PNG — for logos, screenshots, documents

WebP vs AVIF — What's the Difference?

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a newer format that's even more efficient than WebP: typically 20–30% smaller than WebP at equivalent quality. However, AVIF encoding is slower and browser support, while good, is slightly less universal. For most projects in 2026, WebP is still the safer choice due to broader compatibility. Use AVIF if you're optimizing for maximum compression on a modern web stack.

What File Extension Does WebP Use?

WebP files use the .webp extension and the MIME type image/webp. They cannot be renamed to .jpg or .png — the file format is different and renaming would just corrupt it. You need to actually convert it.