WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression. WebP images are typically 25-35% smaller than equivalent JPG or PNG files.

Are my images uploaded anywhere?

No. All conversion happens in your browser. Your images never leave your device.

Do all browsers support WebP?

All modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge support WebP. Only very old browser versions lack support.

WebP Converter Free Online

Free online WebP converter. Convert PNG/JPG to WebP or WebP to PNG/JPG.

Drop image here or click to upload

Supports JPG, PNG, WebP

WebP is Google's modern image format that delivers significantly smaller file sizes than both JPG and PNG while maintaining equivalent or better visual quality. It is the recommended format for web images and is supported by all modern browsers. This free WebP converter works in both directions - convert JPG and PNG images to WebP for better web performance, or convert WebP images to JPG or PNG for compatibility with software and platforms that do not yet support WebP.

How to Use the WebP Converter

Upload your image

Click the upload area or drag and drop your image file. The converter accepts JPG, PNG, and WebP input files. After upload, the original image dimensions and file size are displayed so you can compare against the converted output.

Select the output format and quality

Choose your output format: WebP (to convert JPG or PNG to WebP), JPG (to convert WebP to JPG), or PNG (to convert WebP to PNG). If converting to WebP or JPG, adjust the quality slider - 80-85 is recommended for the best balance of quality and file size.

Download the converted image

Click Convert and then Download to save the converted image. The file size of the output is shown alongside the original for comparison, so you can see exactly how much space you have saved (or how the size changed).

Why Use WebP Format?

WebP was developed by Google specifically for the web and offers compelling advantages over the older JPG and PNG formats:

Smaller file sizes - WebP achieves 25-35% smaller file sizes than JPG for equivalent visual quality, and 26% smaller than PNG on average. A JPG that is 100KB can be converted to a WebP of roughly 65-75KB with no perceptible quality difference. For websites with many images, this size reduction across all images significantly improves page load speed.

Versatility - WebP supports both lossy compression (like JPG) and lossless compression (like PNG), as well as full transparency (alpha channel, like PNG). This means a single format can replace both JPG and PNG for web use, simplifying your image workflow.

Animation support - WebP supports animation, similar to GIF but with much better quality and smaller file sizes. WebP animations are an alternative to GIFs and video for short, looping animations.

SEO and Core Web Vitals - Google's Core Web Vitals metrics (which influence search rankings) include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures how quickly the main content loads. Using WebP images reduces image load times, improving LCP scores and Core Web Vitals performance. Google Search Console and PageSpeed Insights explicitly recommend "Serve images in next-gen formats" (meaning WebP or AVIF).

When to Convert WebP to JPG or PNG

While WebP is excellent for web delivery, there are situations where you need to convert WebP to a more widely compatible format:

Desktop software compatibility - many desktop applications including older versions of Photoshop, GIMP, and various photo editing and printing tools do not support WebP. Convert to JPG or PNG to open WebP images in these applications.

Print and prepress - printing workflows typically require TIFF, PNG, or JPG. WebP is not supported in most print workflows. Convert to PNG (for lossless print quality) before sending to print.

Email attachments - some email clients may have difficulty displaying WebP images as inline attachments. JPG is universally supported in email and is the safe choice for email image attachments.

Social media platforms - while most social platforms now accept WebP uploads, some older systems or APIs may require JPG or PNG.

Browser Support and Fallback Strategies

WebP is now supported by all modern browsers, but understanding the browser landscape helps you decide whether to use WebP and whether you need fallback images:

Full WebP support (all features including transparency and animation): Chrome 32+ (released 2014), Firefox 65+ (2019), Edge 18+ (2018), Safari 14+ (2020), Opera 19+ (2014), and all mobile versions of these browsers. As of 2025, over 96% of global browser usage supports WebP. Safari 14 (released September 2020) was the last major holdout - with its adoption, WebP is now effectively universal on modern devices.

Browsers without WebP support: Internet Explorer (all versions), Safari versions before 14 (macOS Big Sur and earlier), very old Android devices (pre-4.0). If your site analytics show significant traffic from these browsers, you should implement fallback images using the <picture> element with WebP as the preferred format and JPG/PNG as fallback.

Implementing fallback with the picture element:

For HTML:

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

For CSS:

.element {\n  background-image: url('image.jpg'); /* Fallback */\n}\n.webp .element {\n  background-image: url('image.webp'); /* WebP */\n}

Use a JavaScript feature detection script to add a "webp" class to the html element if WebP is supported, then use CSS to serve WebP backgrounds only when supported.

WebP Performance Comparisons - Real-World File Size Savings

To understand WebP's practical impact, here are file size comparisons for typical web images:

Photographic content (complex image with many colours): Original 5MB PNG photograph → 1.2MB JPG (quality 80) → 850KB WebP (quality 80). WebP saves 29% over JPG and 83% over PNG for the same visual quality. For a website with 20 photos, that is a saving of 7MB, cutting page weight by a third.

Product photography (e-commerce): Original 300KB JPG product photo (quality 85) → 210KB WebP (quality 85). WebP saves 30% for each product image. An e-commerce category page with 30 products saves 2.7MB, improving load times measurably.

UI graphics and screenshots: Original 450KB PNG screenshot → 320KB WebP (lossless). WebP saves 29% even in lossless mode. For SaaS documentation or tutorial sites with many screenshots, this adds up significantly.

Logos and icons with transparency: Original 50KB PNG logo → 15KB WebP (lossless). WebP saves 70% while preserving perfect quality and transparency. For sites with many brand elements, icons, and UI graphics, the savings reduce bandwidth costs and improve perceived performance.

WebP Technical Deep Dive - How It Achieves Better Compression

WebP's superior compression comes from advanced algorithms that build on lessons learned from both JPEG and PNG:

Lossy WebP uses predictive coding from the VP8 video codec (the same technology behind WebM video format). Instead of independently encoding each 8×8 block like JPEG, WebP uses block prediction - each block is predicted from neighbouring already-encoded blocks, and only the difference (residual) is encoded. This is much more efficient for images with gradients and patterns that extend across multiple blocks. The residual is then transformed using DCT (like JPEG) and quantized based on the quality setting. The result is 25-35% smaller files than JPEG for equivalent perceptual quality.

Lossless WebP uses a combination of techniques: transforming the image to make it more compressible (subtracting predicted pixel values, colour transformation to concentrate information in fewer channels), dictionary-based LZ77 compression to find repeated patterns, Huffman coding for entropy coding, and colour indexing for images with few unique colours. The result is 26% smaller lossless files than PNG on average, with better compression for photographs (where PNG struggles) and comparable compression for graphics.

Transparency support - WebP stores the alpha channel (transparency) separately from the colour channels, compressing it independently. The alpha channel can be compressed losslessly (perfect transparency) or lossy (slight transparency degradation for smaller files). This allows WebP to achieve much smaller file sizes than PNG for images with transparency - a PNG with a large transparent area must still store that area, while WebP compresses it efficiently.

When to Use Lossy vs Lossless WebP

WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression modes. Choosing the right mode depends on your image content and quality requirements:

Use lossy WebP (quality 75-90) for: Photographs and images with millions of colours and smooth gradients. Hero images and featured photography on websites. Product photos for e-commerce. Banners and marketing images. Any image where minor quality loss is acceptable in exchange for maximum file size savings. Lossy WebP at quality 80 produces files 25-35% smaller than equivalent-quality JPG.

Use lossless WebP for: Screenshots, diagrams, and technical documentation where pixel-perfect accuracy matters. UI elements, icons, and graphics that will be reused or edited. Logos and brand assets that must be reproduced exactly. Charts, graphs, and data visualizations where precision is important. Images that serve as master files for future editing (keep lossless masters, export lossy copies for web delivery).

Hybrid approach: For images with both photographic elements and sharp graphics (for example, a product photo with overlaid text and logos), use lossy WebP for the base image at quality 80-85, which preserves photographic detail while compressing efficiently, and the text/graphics will be acceptably sharp for web display.

Converting Existing JPG/PNG Libraries to WebP - Workflow Strategies

If you have an existing website or image library with thousands of JPG and PNG images and want to convert to WebP for performance gains, here are proven workflows:

Manual selective conversion: Start by converting your largest images first - hero images, product photos, featured images. Use this converter or a batch tool to convert images over 100KB. Measure the impact on page speed with PageSpeed Insights before and after. This delivers 80% of the benefit with 20% of the work.

Automated build-time conversion: For static site generators (Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby, Next.js) and build tools (Webpack, Vite), use plugins to automatically generate WebP versions of all images at build time. Keep your source JPG/PNG files as masters in your repository, and the build process creates WebP derivatives. Implement <picture> element fallbacks automatically. Example tools: next/image (Next.js), gatsby-plugin-image (Gatsby), imagemin-webp (Webpack plugin).

Server-side dynamic conversion: For WordPress, Shopify, and other CMS platforms, use plugins or apps that convert images to WebP automatically when serving pages. The original uploads remain JPG/PNG, but the HTML delivered to browsers uses WebP URLs. Example plugins: ShortPixel, Smush, EWWW Image Optimizer (WordPress), WebP Express, Image Optimizer apps (Shopify).

CDN-based conversion: Modern CDNs (Cloudflare, Cloudinary, Imgix, ImageKit) can convert JPG/PNG to WebP on-the-fly and serve the optimal format based on browser support automatically. Simply upload your images as JPG/PNG and configure the CDN to auto-convert and auto-serve WebP when supported. The CDN handles caching and fallback logic.

Learn More About WebP

For more information about the WebP image format and browser support:

Google WebP Documentation - Official WebP documentation from Google including technical specifications, best practices, and performance benchmarks
Can I Use WebP? - Current browser support statistics and compatibility information for WebP format across all browsers and versions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is WebP format and why should I use it?

WebP is a modern image format developed by Google specifically for web use. It achieves 25-35% smaller file sizes than JPG and 26% smaller than PNG for equivalent visual quality. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency (alpha channel), and animation. All modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari 14+, Edge) support WebP. Using WebP for web images reduces page load times, improves Core Web Vitals scores, and is explicitly recommended by Google's PageSpeed Insights tool.

Should I convert to WebP, JPG, or PNG?

Convert to WebP for images that will be displayed on websites - it delivers the best balance of quality and file size and is supported by all modern browsers. Choose JPG when you need a format universally compatible with older software and systems, for email attachments, or for print workflows where WebP is not accepted. Choose PNG when you need lossless quality with transparency, for logos and UI elements, or when the receiving system requires PNG specifically.

Does WebP support transparency?

Yes. WebP supports full alpha channel transparency, just like PNG. You can have WebP images with transparent areas that are supported in all modern browsers. This makes WebP a genuine replacement for PNG in web contexts - you get PNG's transparency support plus much better compression. When converting a PNG with transparency to WebP, the transparent areas are preserved in the WebP output.

Is quality lost when converting WebP to JPG?

Yes, some quality is lost when converting to JPG because JPG uses lossy compression. The degree of quality loss depends on the quality setting - at 85-90%, the loss is barely perceptible. Converting WebP to PNG is lossless if the source WebP was also lossless, or preserves the existing quality level without adding further loss. Converting to PNG is the better choice when you need to preserve maximum quality for further editing.

Are my images uploaded to a server?

No. All conversion happens entirely in your browser using the Canvas API and browser-native encoding. Your image files never leave your device and are never transmitted to any server. This makes the converter safe for sensitive or confidential images including screenshots of private data, proprietary designs, personal photos, and any other content you would not want to upload to a third-party service.

How much smaller are WebP files compared to JPG and PNG?

WebP files are typically 25-35% smaller than equivalent-quality JPG files and 26% smaller than PNG files on average. For example, a 300KB JPG photo becomes roughly 200-220KB as WebP at the same visual quality. A 1MB PNG screenshot may become 740KB as lossless WebP. The exact savings depend on image complexity, but for most web images the compression improvement is significant - converting a site's image library to WebP typically reduces total image bandwidth by 25-30%.

Will my website visitors be able to see WebP images?

Yes. All modern browsers support WebP - Chrome (since 2014), Firefox (since 2019), Edge (since 2018), Safari (since 2020), and all mobile versions. As of 2025, over 96% of browsers in use support WebP. Only users on very old systems (Internet Explorer, pre-2020 Safari) cannot view WebP. To support these legacy browsers, use the HTML <picture> element with WebP as the preferred source and JPG/PNG as a fallback, ensuring all users see the image in the best format their browser supports.

Can I edit WebP images in Photoshop or other software?

Adobe Photoshop 23.2+ (released March 2022) and GIMP 2.10+ support WebP natively. Older versions of Photoshop and many other desktop applications do not. If your software cannot open WebP files, convert the WebP to PNG (for lossless quality) or JPG (for smaller file size) using this converter, then open the converted file in your editing software. Always work in PNG or PSD for editing and export to WebP only for final web delivery.

Should I use WebP or AVIF?

WebP is currently the best choice for web images in 2025. While AVIF (released 2020) achieves even better compression than WebP (10-20% smaller files), browser support is incomplete - Chrome and Firefox support it, but Safari only added support in version 16 (September 2022). WebP has universal support and excellent compression. Use WebP as your primary next-gen format, and consider adding AVIF as an additional layer in the <picture> element stack (AVIF → WebP → JPG fallback) for maximum optimization with full compatibility.

Does converting to WebP improve my website's SEO?

Yes, indirectly. Google's Core Web Vitals (which influence search rankings) include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which measures how quickly the main content loads. Smaller image file sizes improve LCP. Google PageSpeed Insights explicitly recommends "Serve images in next-gen formats" and highlights WebP. Converting images to WebP improves your PageSpeed score and Core Web Vitals metrics, both of which are ranking factors. Sites with faster LCP tend to rank better and have higher user engagement.

Can I convert animated GIFs to WebP?

WebP supports animation and can replace GIFs with much better quality and smaller file sizes - a 2MB GIF may become a 400KB WebP animation. However, this browser-based converter does not handle animated images. To convert animated GIFs to WebP, use command-line tools (like gif2webp from the libwebp package), desktop software (GIMP, ImageMagick), or online services that specifically support animated image conversion. Static images (JPG, PNG) convert perfectly with this tool.