Understanding Image Formats: JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF

Choosing the right image format can make or break your website’s performance. Let’s break down the options.

The Classic Formats

JPEG (JPG)

• Best for: Photos, complex images with many colors
• Compression: Lossy
• File size: Medium
• Browser support: 100%

PNG

• Best for: Logos, graphics, images needing transparency
• Compression: Lossless
• File size: Large
• Browser support: 100%

The Modern Formats

WebP

• Best for: Almost everything on the web
• Compression: Both lossy and lossless
• File size: 25-35% smaller than JPEG
• Browser support: 95%+ (all modern browsers)

AVIF

• Best for: Cutting-edge projects
• Compression: Superior to WebP
• File size: 50% smaller than JPEG
• Browser support: 85%+ (growing rapidly)

Decision Framework

Need transparency?
  ├─ Yes → PNG or WebP
  └─ No → Continue

Photo or graphic?
  ├─ Photo → JPEG, WebP, or AVIF
  └─ Graphic → PNG or WebP

Need best compression?
  ├─ Cutting edge → AVIF with fallback
  └─ Safe choice → WebP with JPEG fallback

Real-World Example

A typical product image:

• Original PNG: 2.4 MB
• Optimized PNG: 1.8 MB
• JPEG (quality 85): 245 KB
• WebP: 168 KB
• AVIF: 98 KB

That’s a 96% reduction from PNG to AVIF!

Implementation Tips

Always provide fallbacks:

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif">
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
</picture>

Conclusion

For most websites in 2025, WebP should be your go-to format with JPEG fallback. As browser support improves, AVIF will become the new standard.

Need help converting and optimizing images? Check out Image Optimizer.