Choosing the right image format is crucial for web performance, visual quality and compatibility. JPEG or WebP for photos, PNG for images with transparency, SVG for vector icons, AVIF for modern web. An online converter lets you switch between formats in seconds.
Each image format has its strengths and weaknesses. JPEG is universal but doesn't support transparency. PNG supports transparency but is heavier. WebP is the modern web format supported by all recent browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari since 2020): it combines transparency, quality and compression. AVIF is the next-generation format with the best compression, but requires recent browsers (2022+). GIF is obsolete for static images but remains relevant for simple animations.
📊 Reference table
| Format | Transparency | Animation | Browser support | Typical size | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | No | No | Universal | Light | Photos, backgrounds |
| PNG | Yes (alpha) | No | Universal | Medium-heavy | Logos, text, UI |
| GIF | Yes (1-bit) | Yes | Universal | Heavy | Simple animations |
| WebP | Yes | Yes | 98%+ browsers | Very light | All web use |
| AVIF | Yes | Yes | 90%+ browsers | Ultra-light | High-perf web |
| SVG | Yes | Yes (CSS/JS) | Universal | Very light | Icons, logos |
💡 Practical examples
Example 1: PNG → WebP for an e-commerce site
Your product images are 800KB PNG → convert to lossy WebP at 85% quality → 120KB. No visible difference. Serve WebP to compatible browsers, keep JPEG as fallback.
Example 2: HEIC (iPhone) → JPEG for compatibility
iPhone HEIC photos don't open everywhere. Convert to JPEG for emails, WordPress and all tools that don't accept HEIC.
Example 3: choosing between PNG and JPEG for a screenshot
Screenshot with text and UI: PNG (sharp text preservation). Screenshot of a photo or landscape: JPEG at 90% quality (2–5× lighter than PNG for the same visual result).