In 2010, Google introduced an image format that promised to change the web: WebP. Fifteen years later, that format has delivered on its promise and is now the recommended standard for web images. If you're still using only JPG and PNG, you're leaving speed and search rankings on the table.
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that uses both lossy and lossless compression, while also supporting transparency (like PNG) and animations (like GIF). It is based on the VP8/VP9 video codec, which allows it to compress images far more efficiently than traditional formats.
Unlike JPG, which only supports lossy compression, or PNG, which only supports lossless, WebP can do both. This makes it a highly versatile format that can replace both JPG and PNG in most use cases.
Key fact: WebP produces files 25–34% smaller than JPG for lossy images, and 26% smaller than PNG for lossless images, while maintaining equivalent visual quality.
| Feature | JPG | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lossy compression | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Lossless compression | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Transparency (alpha) | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Animations | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Relative file size | Baseline | +30% vs JPG | -30% vs JPG |
| Browser support | 100% | 100% | 97%+ |
If a JPG image weighs 200 KB, the equivalent WebP version will weigh 130–150 KB at the same visual quality. On a page with 10 images, that can mean 500–700 KB less data to download, which directly translates to a better LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) and a better PageSpeed score.
Historically, if you needed transparency (transparent backgrounds, logos, icons) you had to use PNG, which is usually much heavier than JPG. WebP supports an alpha channel for transparency, with files up to 26% smaller than the equivalent PNG.
In 2025, WebP has support in over 97% of browsers globally, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. Safari support arrived in 2020 (version 14), which was the last major browser to adopt it.
| Browser | WebP Support | Since version |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | ✅ Full | v23 (2012) |
| Firefox | ✅ Full | v65 (2019) |
| Safari | ✅ Full | v14 (2020) |
| Edge | ✅ Full | v18 (2018) |
| Opera | ✅ Full | v12 (2012) |
| IE 11 | ❌ Not supported | — |
Internet Explorer 11 does not support WebP, but its market share in 2025 is below 0.5%, so it is no longer a practical concern for most websites.
ComprimirPro lets you convert JPG and PNG to WebP directly in your browser, without uploading anything to any server.
⚡ Convert to WebP for freeThere are several ways to convert images to WebP depending on your workflow:
Plugins like Imagify, ShortPixel, or WebP Express automatically convert your images to WebP when uploading. WordPress also has native WebP support since version 5.8.
With Google's cwebp tool: cwebp -q 80 image.jpg -o image.webp
With ffmpeg: ffmpeg -i image.jpg -c:v libwebp image.webp
If you need to support older browsers, use the <picture> element with a JPG fallback:
<picture>
<source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Image description">
</picture>AVIF is an even more modern format based on the AV1 codec, with compression superior to WebP (20–50% smaller in some cases). In 2025 it has support in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, but has not yet reached WebP's level of universality.
The recommended strategy today:
<picture> for modern browsersConclusion: There is no reason not to use WebP today. Support is near-universal, the size reduction is real and measurable, and conversion is free. If your site still uses only JPG and PNG, migrating to WebP is one of the easiest performance improvements you can make.
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⚡ Use ComprimirPro now