Why WebP helps web pages
Images are usually the heaviest part of a web page, and page weight affects how quickly a page appears, especially on phones. WebP was created to cut that weight. For photographs, WebP files are typically 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPG files of similar visual quality, according to Google's published comparisons.
Every current browser supports WebP, including Safari since version 14. That makes it a safe default for website images today, while JPG remains the better choice for email, printing and older desktop software.
JPG vs WebP at a glance
| Feature | JPG | WebP |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) | WebP |
| Type | Raster image | Raster image |
| Introduced | 1992 | 2010 |
| Created by | Joint Photographic Experts Group (ISO/IEC 10918) | |
| Compression | Lossy (DCT based) | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes, including in lossy mode |
| Animation | No | Yes |
| Color depth | 24-bit, about 16.7 million colors | 24-bit color plus 8-bit alpha |
| Best for | Photos and other realistic images | Web images that need small files |
| Support | Universal: every browser, operating system and editor | All current browsers; some older desktop apps cannot open it |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | image/webp |
How to convert JPG to WebP
Step 1: Select a JPG
Drop the photo onto the converter above. It is read locally, not uploaded.
Step 2: Keep WebP selected
WebP is preselected as the output format on this page.
Step 3: Convert
Your browser's built-in WebP encoder compresses the image at quality 92, keeping the original dimensions.
Step 4: Download and publish
Save the .webp file and upload it to your site, CMS or app.
What to know about this JPG to WebP converter
Browser-native encoding
Uses the WebP encoder built into Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
Upright images
EXIF rotation from phone cameras is applied, so the WebP displays correctly everywhere.
Metadata removed
Camera details and GPS coordinates are not carried over, which also saves a few kilobytes.
One file at a time
For a whole folder, the bulk image converter produces WebP files in one pass.
Where WebP pays off
Blog and product photos. Smaller images help pages load faster and use less mobile data.
Page speed audits. Tools such as Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights recommend serving images in modern formats like WebP.
Web apps and PWAs. Lighter assets mean faster first loads and smaller caches.
Email newsletters? Not yet. Some email clients still do not render WebP reliably, so keep JPG for newsletters.
Quality and file size
WebP at quality 92 is a conservative setting: it prioritizes looking identical to the source. The saving compared with the original JPG depends on how the JPG was saved. A camera JPG at maximum quality shrinks a lot, while a JPG that was already heavily compressed may shrink only slightly, and in rare cases the WebP can even come out a little larger.
Converting between two lossy formats always stacks some compression. Starting from the best original you have gives the cleanest WebP. If you need finer control over the size, the image format converter in Image Studio has a quality slider and shows the before and after size.
Browser support and fallbacks
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Safari 14 or later all display WebP. If your audience includes very old browsers, serve WebP with a JPG fallback using the HTML picture element, so each visitor gets a format they can show.
Safari can display WebP but cannot always create it from a web page. If the conversion fails in Safari, open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
- Use <picture> with a WebP <source> and a JPG <img> for maximum reach.
- Keep the original JPGs so you can regenerate images later.
Tips for web-ready WebP images
- Resize to the largest size your layout actually displays before converting; oversized images waste more bytes than any format change saves.
- Give files descriptive names before uploading, since the name carries over to the WebP.
- Always add meaningful alt text on your site; the format does not help accessibility on its own.
- For photos with transparency, convert PNG to WebP instead; JPG has no alpha channel to keep.
JPG to WebP questions
Is WebP better than JPG?
For websites, usually yes: WebP delivers similar quality at a smaller size. For email, printing and older software, JPG is still more widely accepted.
Will my WebP look different from the JPG?
At the quality used here, differences are very hard to see. Both formats are lossy, so an extreme zoom may reveal small changes in fine texture.
Why did the conversion fail in Safari?
Some versions of Safari cannot encode WebP from a web page, even though they display WebP. Use Chrome, Edge or Firefox for this conversion.
Do all browsers support WebP?
All current major browsers display WebP, including Safari 14 and later. Only very old browsers need a JPG fallback.
Is my image uploaded?
No. The conversion uses the encoder built into your browser, on your device.
Does WebP support transparency?
Yes, but a JPG never has transparency to begin with. To create transparent WebP files, start from a PNG.