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Head-to-head · Image formats

JPG vs PNG

JPG vs PNG compared: compression, quality, transparency, and the right format for photos, screenshots, and logos. Free converters included.

Updated April 2026 · 7 min read
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JPG (technically JPEG) and PNG have been the two dominant web raster formats for 25 years, and most people pick the wrong one for at least one use case. JPG is built for photographs — it uses 'lossy' compression that throws away information the eye won't notice, trading tiny visual quality loss for massive file size reduction. PNG is built for anything with sharp edges — it preserves every pixel exactly. Use JPG for what PNG is built for, and you get a blurry, artifact-ridden image. Use PNG for a photo, and you get a 3MB file where 300KB would have looked identical.

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Option 1

JPG (JPEG)

Lossy raster format — smaller files by discarding imperceptible detail, ideal for photographs.

Best for

Photographs, continuous-tone images, anywhere file size matters more than pixel-perfect accuracy.

Pros

  • Dramatically smaller files than PNG for photographs — often 70–90% smaller.
  • Adjustable quality slider lets you dial the size/quality tradeoff.
  • Universal support in every browser, app, OS, and camera.
  • Progressive JPEGs load in passes — low-res first, then refined.
  • Ideal for hero images and photo galleries.

Cons

  • Lossy — each save loses more detail; editing a JPG repeatedly is destructive.
  • No transparency support.
  • Visible artifacts around sharp edges (text, logos, UI).
  • Poor for screenshots with text — JPG compression smears text edges.
  • Can't losslessly crop without re-encoding (except in specialized tools).

Option 2

PNG

Lossless raster format — preserves exact pixel data, supports transparency.

Best for

Screenshots, logos, icons, UI assets, and anywhere you need transparency or sharp edges.

Pros

  • Lossless — no quality loss on save, including re-saves.
  • Full alpha-channel transparency.
  • Sharp, crisp edges — perfect for text and UI.
  • Great for screenshots — preserves pixel detail.
  • Wide color palette support (PNG-24 is 16M+ colors).

Cons

  • Much larger files than JPG for photos — often 5–10× larger at the same visual quality.
  • Overkill for most photographic content.
  • PNG-8 (256-color palette) is smaller but can band gradients.
  • Not ideal for very large hero images — PNGs can be multi-megabyte.

The verdict

Photographs: JPG, every time. Screenshots, logos, icons, UI screenshots, anything with text: PNG. In 2026 both formats have a better modern replacement — WebP — but universal support and the fact that every CMS and image host understands JPG/PNG means they're still the safest choice for most workflows. Use quality 80–85 for JPG unless you have a specific reason to go higher, and use PNG-24 (not PNG-8) unless file size is critical.

When quality matters, when size matters

Save a photograph as PNG and it's typically 5–10× larger than the JPG version with zero visible difference on screen. Save a screenshot as JPG and you'll see fuzzy halos around every text edge, and the file might not even be smaller. The rule: anything that started in a camera → JPG. Anything that started in a computer → PNG. Photos of whiteboards? JPG, but run them through a contrast filter first so the JPG compression doesn't smear the writing.

The 2026 alternative: WebP

WebP is 25–35% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality, and also smaller than PNG for transparent images. Browser support is now universal. The only reasons not to use WebP are: email clients (many still don't support it) and legacy CMSes that silently strip unknown formats. For web-native content (blog posts, product photos, UI screenshots), WebP should be the default; JPG/PNG are fallbacks.

Run the numbers yourself

Plug your own inputs into the free tools below — no signup, works in your browser, nothing sent to a server.

Free toolWebP to JPGConvert WebP images to JPG instantly. Batch many files at once, pick quality, download — all done in your browser.Open tool →Free toolJPG to PDFSelect multiple images and combine them into a single PDF. Reorder, rotate, pick paper size. Everything stays local.Open tool →

Frequently asked questions

Can I convert between JPG and PNG without quality loss?

JPG → PNG preserves whatever quality the JPG already has; PNG → JPG loses data (lossy compression). Never convert a JPG to PNG 'for quality' — the original lossy compression can't be undone.

What's the best JPG quality setting?

80–85 is the 2026 consensus sweet spot — nearly indistinguishable from 100 for most images, with 50–70% smaller files. Below 75 you start to see artifacts in detailed areas.

Should I use progressive JPG?

For web use, yes — it loads in passes, showing a low-res version almost immediately, which feels faster. The file is roughly the same size as baseline.

When is PNG-8 acceptable?

For images with 256 or fewer distinct colors (icons, simple UI elements) where file size matters more than color fidelity. Never for photographs or anything with smooth gradients.

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