What Is WebP? A Complete Guide to Google's Image Format
WebP is an image format developed by Google and released in 2010. It was designed to replace both JPEG and PNG with a single format that produces smaller files. Sixteen years later, it has become one of the most widely used formats on the web.
Why Google created WebP
Images make up roughly half of all data transferred on the web. Google, which serves billions of images daily through Search, YouTube thumbnails, and ads, had a direct financial incentive to reduce image sizes. Smaller images mean faster page loads, less bandwidth, and lower infrastructure costs.
WebP is based on the VP8 video codec, the same technology used in WebM video. Google took the keyframe compression from VP8 and adapted it for still images. The result is a format that compresses 25-35% better than JPEG for lossy images and 26% better than PNG for lossless images.
What makes WebP smaller?
WebP uses more advanced prediction algorithms than JPEG. Where JPEG divides an image into 8x8 pixel blocks, WebP uses variable-size blocks and predicts pixel values based on neighboring blocks. This results in fewer compression artifacts and smaller files.
For lossless compression, WebP uses several techniques: transform coding, spatial prediction, color space conversion, and an advanced entropy coder. The practical result is PNG-like quality in files that are about 26% smaller.
WebP features at a glance
- Lossy compression: 25-35% smaller than JPEG at similar quality.
- Lossless compression: 26% smaller than PNG.
- Transparency: Supports alpha channel, unlike JPEG. Lossy WebP with transparency is 3x smaller than PNG.
- Animation: Supports animated images, like GIF but with much smaller files and better quality.
- Metadata: Supports EXIF and XMP metadata.
Browser support in 2026
WebP is supported by every major browser. Chrome added support in 2014, Firefox in 2019, and Safari in 2020 (version 14). Edge has supported it since its Chromium rebase. Global browser support is above 97%.
The only holdouts are very old browsers and some niche software. If you are building a website in 2026, you can safely use WebP as your primary format. For the tiny percentage of users on unsupported browsers, serve a JPEG fallback using the HTML <picture> element.
When to use WebP vs JPEG vs PNG
Use WebP when: You are publishing images on a website or web app. The size savings add up across every page load, and browser support is universal.
Stick with JPEG when: You are sharing photos via email, messaging apps, or with people who might use older software. JPEG opens everywhere, no exceptions.
Stick with PNG when: You need pixel-perfect lossless images for print, archival, or professional editing workflows. PNG is also better when sharing screenshots that might be opened in non-browser applications.
For a deeper comparison, check our JPEG vs PNG guide.
The drawbacks
Non-web compatibility. While browsers support WebP, many desktop applications still do not handle it well. Some email clients render WebP inconsistently. Printing services often require JPEG or TIFF. If you need to share images outside of web contexts, JPEG is still safer.
Lossy quality ceiling. At very high quality settings (q95+), JPEG can sometimes match or slightly beat WebP. The advantage of WebP is most pronounced in the middle quality range (q50-q85).
AVIF is newer and better. The AVIF format outperforms WebP by another 20-30% on file size. WebP occupies a middle ground between JPEG and AVIF. But AVIF browser support, while growing, is still not as universal as WebP.
How to convert to WebP with MiniPx
Converting your images to WebP is straightforward. Open the JPG to WebP converter on MiniPx. Upload your image, choose your quality level, and download the WebP version.
The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Your images are not sent to any server. You can also adjust the quality slider to find the right balance between file size and visual quality for your specific use case.
Using WebP on your website
The safest way to serve WebP is with the HTML picture element, which lets browsers choose the best format they support:
<picture> <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp" /> <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description" /> </picture>
Browsers that support WebP load the smaller file. Older browsers fall back to JPEG. In 2026, the fallback is mostly for edge cases, but it costs nothing to include.
Many CDNs (Cloudflare, CloudFront, Imgix) can automatically convert and serve WebP to supported browsers. If you use a CDN, check if automatic format negotiation is available — it is the easiest path to WebP adoption.
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