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WebP vs. Traditional Image Formats: A Comparison

March 28, 2025•7 min read

In the ever-evolving landscape of web development, image optimization remains a critical factor in website performance. Among the various image formats available today, WebP has emerged as a powerful contender against traditional formats like JPEG, PNG, and GIF. This article explores how WebP compares to these established formats and when you might want to convert between them.

What is WebP?

WebP is an image format developed by Google in 2010 as part of their effort to make the web faster. It was designed specifically to provide superior compression for web images while maintaining visual quality. The format supports both lossy and lossless compression, as well as transparency and animation.

Key Features of WebP

  • Superior Compression: WebP typically produces files 25-34% smaller than comparable JPEG files and 26% smaller than comparable PNG files.
  • Lossless and Lossy Compression: WebP can use either compression method depending on your needs.
  • Alpha Channel Transparency: Like PNG, WebP supports variable transparency.
  • Animation Support: Similar to GIF, WebP can contain animated frames but at a much smaller file size.

WebP vs. JPEG


Compression and Quality

JPEG has been the standard format for photographs on the web for decades. It uses lossy compression, which means some image data is permanently discarded during compression. WebP's lossy compression typically achieves 25-34% smaller file sizes than JPEG at equivalent visual quality.

Use Cases

JPEG is better for:

  • Maximum compatibility with older browsers and software
  • Photographs where some quality loss is acceptable
  • When editing workflow requires widespread software support

WebP is better for:

  • Web delivery where file size is critical
  • When you need better quality at the same file size
  • Modern websites targeting browsers with WebP support

WebP vs. PNG

Transparency and Lossless Compression

PNG is known for its lossless compression and transparency support. It's ideal for images with text, line art, or areas of solid color. WebP's lossless compression typically produces files about 26% smaller than comparable PNG files while maintaining the same quality and transparency capabilities.

Use Cases

PNG is better for:

  • Images requiring perfect quality preservation
  • Screenshots with text that must remain crisp
  • Graphics with few colors and sharp edges
  • When universal compatibility is required

WebP is better for:

  • Web graphics where file size matters
  • Images needing transparency at smaller file sizes
  • When targeting modern browsers

WebP vs. GIF


Animation and File Size

GIF has long been the standard for simple animations on the web, despite its significant limitations (limited to 256 colors, no partial transparency). WebP supports animation like GIF but with vastly smaller file sizes—often 64-73% smaller—while supporting full color and alpha transparency.

Use Cases

GIF is better for:

  • Maximum compatibility across all platforms
  • Simple animations where quality isn't critical
  • When the animation needs to be widely shared on various platforms

WebP is better for:

  • High-quality animations at reasonable file sizes
  • Animations requiring transparency
  • When targeting modern web browsers

WebP vs. ICO


Favicon Usage

ICO is a specialized format primarily used for favicons in web browsers. While WebP offers better compression, ICO has the unique ability to store multiple image sizes in a single file and has universal browser support for favicon usage.

Use Cases

ICO is better for:

  • Website favicons
  • Windows application icons
  • When multiple icon sizes need to be in one file

WebP is better for:

  • General web graphics
  • When the icon will be used at a single size

If you need to convert between these formats, our WebP to ICO converter makes it easy to transform your WebP images into favicon-ready ICO files. For other conversion needs, check out ourWebP to Anything converter for comprehensive format options.

Browser Support for WebP

One of the historical challenges with WebP has been browser support. However, this has improved dramatically in recent years:

  • Chrome: Full support since version 17 (2012)
  • Firefox: Full support since version 65 (2019)
  • Edge: Full support since version 18 (2018)
  • Safari: Support added in version 14 (2020)
  • Opera: Full support since version 11.10 (2011)

As of 2025, WebP is supported in browsers used by over 95% of internet users worldwide. For the remaining users, it's common to implement fallback mechanisms.

When to Convert WebP to Other Formats

Despite WebP's advantages, there are several scenarios where converting from WebP to traditional formats makes sense:

  1. Creating favicons: Convert WebP to ICO for website favicons using our WebP to ICO converter.
  2. Software compatibility: Many desktop applications still don't support WebP editing.
  3. Sharing on social media: Some platforms may not accept or may recompress WebP images.
  4. Printing: Print services often require JPEG or TIFF formats.
  5. Archiving: For long-term storage, more established formats may be preferable.

Best Practices for Web Images in 2025

For optimal web performance while maintaining compatibility:

  1. Use WebP as your primary format for most web images.
  2. Implement fallbacks for the small percentage of browsers without WebP support.
  3. Consider AVIF for even better compression where supported.
  4. Use SVG for icons, logos, and simple illustrations.
  5. Convert to ICO specifically for favicons.
  6. Implement responsive images using the picture element and srcset attribute.

Conclusion

WebP represents a significant advancement in image compression technology for the web. It offers the best features of traditional formats—the quality of JPEG, the transparency of PNG, and the animation capabilities of GIF—all with substantially smaller file sizes.

While WebP is an excellent choice for most web images, traditional formats still have their place in specific use cases. For favicon creation specifically, converting from WebP to ICO remains necessary, which is why tools like our WebP to ICO converter continue to be valuable resources for web developers and designers.

As web technology continues to evolve, staying informed about image format capabilities and conversion options will help you make optimal choices for your specific use cases, balancing quality, compatibility, and performance.