Google's modern format vs the lossless standard — find out which delivers the best balance of quality and performance.
WebP
Lossy/Lossless
PNG
Lossless
WebP
Small
BetterPNG
Medium to Large
WebP
Excellent
PNG
Excellent
WebP
Yes
PNG
Yes
WebP
Yes
BetterPNG
No
WebP
Modern browsers, Android devices, Limited desktop software
PNG
All modern browsers, All devices, All image editors
WebP
16.7 million + alpha
PNG
16.7 million + alpha
WebP
Modern web development
PNG
Logos and graphics
WebP offers 25-35% smaller files than PNG with comparable quality and also supports transparency. Choose WebP for web performance and modern browsers. Choose PNG when you need universal compatibility, professional print output, or working with legacy systems that don't support WebP.
Common questions about WebP and PNG
For most websites, yes. WebP files are 25-35% smaller than PNGs at equivalent quality, which means faster page loads and better Core Web Vitals scores. WebP also supports transparency, making it a strong PNG replacement for web use.
Yes, WebP supports full alpha channel transparency just like PNG. In fact, WebP with transparency produces significantly smaller files than PNG with transparency, making it ideal for transparent web graphics.
As of 2024, WebP is supported by all major modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. However, very old browser versions may not support it. You can use the HTML <picture> element to provide PNG fallbacks.
WebP supports lossless compression, so converting with lossless settings preserves exact pixel data. With lossy WebP, there is some quality reduction, but it is typically less noticeable than equivalent JPEG compression at similar file sizes.
PNG remains the better choice for print workflows, professional design (most editors support PNG natively), archival purposes, email compatibility, and any context where you cannot control the viewing environment.
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