🖼️
Format Guide
WebP explained — The modern web format
1 min read
·
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression for web images.
Key features
- 25-34% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality (Google’s claim, widely confirmed)
- Supports transparency (like PNG) with lossy or lossless compression
- Supports animation (like GIF) with much smaller file sizes
- Both lossy and lossless modes available
- Developed by Google in 2010, based on VP8 video codec
Browser support
WebP has near-universal browser support as of 2024:
- Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (14.1+), Opera — all supported
- Only very old browsers (IE, Safari < 14) lack support
When to use WebP
- Website images — Faster page loads due to smaller files
- Web apps — Reduce bandwidth for image-heavy applications
- Social media — Many platforms accept WebP natively
- Replacing both JPG and PNG — One format handles photos and graphics with transparency
When NOT to use WebP
- Print production — Use TIFF or PNG for print workflows
- Maximum compatibility — JPG is still safer for email attachments and older systems
- Professional photography — RAW or TIFF preserves more editing headroom
Converting to WebP
Use the JPG to WebP or PNG to WebP converters for quick conversion.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!