WebP Format Explained: Benefits, Conversion, and Browser Support

What is WebP?

WebP is a modern image format developed by Google and released in 2010. It was designed specifically for the web — to deliver smaller file sizes than older formats like JPG and PNG while maintaining comparable or better visual quality. The name comes from "Web Picture," and it delivers on its promise: WebP images are typically 25–35% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality, and 25–80% smaller than PNG.

WebP supports both lossy compression (like JPG) and lossless compression (like PNG), plus transparency (like PNG) and animation (like GIF). This versatility makes it a strong candidate to replace all three older formats in web contexts.

WebP vs JPG: Key Differences

JPG (JPEG) has been the dominant format for photographs on the web since the 1990s. It works well, but its compression technology is now 30 years old. WebP uses a newer algorithm based on VP8 video compression that achieves significantly better compression ratios.

• File size: WebP is typically 25–34% smaller than JPG at equivalent perceptual quality.
• Quality: At the same file size, WebP often looks slightly sharper than JPG, with fewer compression artefacts.
• Transparency: JPG has no transparency support. WebP supports alpha transparency, making it useful for logos and UI elements.
• Compatibility: JPG opens everywhere. WebP requires modern software (see browser support section below).

WebP vs PNG: Key Differences

PNG is a lossless format widely used for graphics, screenshots, and images requiring transparency. WebP can do everything PNG does, but smaller.

• File size: WebP lossless is 26% smaller than PNG on average. WebP lossy is typically 75–80% smaller than PNG for photographic content.
• Transparency: Both support full alpha transparency.
• Quality: PNG lossless is pixel-perfect. WebP lossless is also pixel-perfect. WebP lossy introduces minimal artefacts at high quality settings.
• Use case: For icons, logos, and UI assets requiring perfect sharpness, PNG lossless and WebP lossless are equivalent in quality but WebP is smaller.

Browser Support for WebP

As of 2024, WebP is supported by all major browsers:

• Chrome: Full support since version 23 (2012)
• Firefox: Full support since version 65 (2019)
• Safari: Full support since version 14 (2020, macOS Big Sur and iOS 14)
• Edge: Full support since version 18 (Chromium-based)
• Samsung Internet: Full support

Global browser support for WebP is over 96% as of 2024. The only users who won't see WebP images are those on very old browsers — Internet Explorer, Safari 13 and earlier, and older iOS devices. For almost all websites, this is an acceptable trade-off given the significant file size savings.

Why WebP Matters for Page Speed and SEO

Google's PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals metrics measure how quickly a page loads. Images are typically the largest files on any webpage and have the biggest impact on load time. Serving WebP images instead of JPG or PNG reduces the amount of data transferred, which directly speeds up page loads.

Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. Faster pages rank higher in search results. Switching your website images to WebP is one of the most impactful, low-effort improvements you can make to both user experience and SEO. A typical page with several product photos can see 30–50% reduction in image payload just by switching to WebP.

How to Convert Images to WebP

Converting existing JPG and PNG images to WebP is straightforward with Switch & Shrink's WebP converter:

1. Upload your JPG, PNG, GIF, or TIFF images (up to 20 files at once).
2. Select WebP as the output format.
3. Adjust the quality slider (85% is a good default for photographs).
4. Click Convert and download the WebP files.

You can also convert WebP back to JPG or PNG if you need the files in a format that older software can read — use WebP to JPG or WebP to PNG.

When Not to Use WebP

WebP is excellent for websites, but it has some limitations. Not all image editors support WebP natively — older versions of Photoshop, Lightroom, and Windows Photo Viewer can't open WebP files without plugins. Print workflows typically require TIFF or high-quality JPG. And if you're sending images to people who might open them with older software, JPG or PNG remains more reliable.

For email attachments, JPG is still generally safer than WebP because email clients and preview apps don't consistently support WebP. For everything web-facing, though, WebP is the better choice.

WebP for Animations

WebP also supports animation as an alternative to GIF. Animated WebP files are typically 64% smaller than GIF and 19% smaller than animated PNG. If you use animated GIFs on your website, converting them to animated WebP can dramatically reduce page weight. Use the GIF to WebP converter to make the switch.