There are dozens of image formats, but for everyday work only four matter. Get the choice right and you win on file size, sharpness and compatibility at once. Here is the fast version, then the detail.
The 10-second decision
- Photograph for the web? AVIF if you can, WebP if you want zero worries.
- Logo, icon, screenshot, or flat graphic? PNG (or WebP lossless).
- Need transparency? WebP, AVIF or PNG — not JPEG.
- Uploading somewhere that only accepts old formats? JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics.
Side by side
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Animation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Lossy | No | No | Universal compatibility |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes | No | Logos, screenshots, sharp edges |
| WebP | Lossy + lossless | Yes | Yes | The modern default for almost everything |
| AVIF | Lossy + lossless | Yes | Yes | Smallest files, best quality for photos |
JPEG — the old reliable
Thirty years old and still everywhere. JPEG uses lossy compression tuned for photographs and is accepted by literally every device, app and platform. Its weaknesses: no transparency, visible artifacts around sharp edges and text, and it is simply larger than WebP/AVIF at the same quality. Keep it when a system refuses anything newer — otherwise, you can usually do better.
PNG — lossless and crisp
PNG never throws away a pixel, so edges stay razor sharp and it supports full transparency. That is perfect for logos, UI screenshots, diagrams and icons — and wrong for photos, where “keep every pixel” means big files. If you have a screenshot of text, PNG (or WebP lossless) keeps it readable in a way JPEG never will.
WebP — the modern default
WebP does everything: lossy and lossless modes, transparency, and animation, at 25–35% smaller than JPEG/PNG for equivalent quality. It is supported by every current browser. For most people, “just use WebP” is the correct answer — it is the best balance of size, quality and compatibility available today.
AVIF — the smallest files
AVIF (based on the AV1 video codec) is the current size champion — typically 20–40% smaller than WebP again, with better handling of gradients and fewer artifacts at low bitrates. The trade-offs: encoding is slower, and very old devices may not decode it. It is now supported across Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. The best-of-both approach is to serve AVIF with a WebP fallback.
So, which should you pick?
If you want one rule: convert photos to WebP at quality ~80, and keep graphics as PNG. If you are chasing the fastest possible page and can handle fallbacks, add AVIF on top. Our compressor can export to WebP and AVIF directly, so you can compare the exact byte counts on your own images. And if you are unsure how far to push quality, read how to compress without losing quality.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best image format for websites in 2026? +
For photos, AVIF gives the smallest files and is now supported by all major browsers; WebP is the safe, universally-supported default that still beats JPEG by 25–35%. Use PNG (or WebP lossless) for logos, screenshots and anything needing crisp edges or transparency.
Is WebP better than JPEG? +
Almost always. WebP produces 25–35% smaller files than JPEG at the same visual quality, supports transparency and animation, and is supported by every current browser. The only reason to keep JPEG is compatibility with very old software or platforms that reject WebP uploads.
Should I switch everything to AVIF? +
AVIF is the smallest and highest-quality option for photos, but it encodes more slowly and older devices may struggle. A common pattern is to serve AVIF with a WebP (and JPEG) fallback. If you must pick one format, WebP is the pragmatic choice; if smallest-possible size matters most, AVIF.
Does PNG lose quality? +
No — PNG is lossless, so it never degrades. That also makes it larger than lossy formats for photos. Use PNG for graphics with flat colour and sharp edges (logos, icons, screenshots), not for photographs.