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JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF: Which Image Format Should You Use?

Choosing the wrong format can make an image five times larger than it needs to be, or ruin a logo with fuzzy edges. Here is what each format is good at, and when to use it.

Quick answer

Use case Best format
Photos to share or print JPG
Photos on a website WebP or AVIF
Logos, icons, screenshots PNG (or WebP)
Images with transparency PNG, WebP or AVIF
Website favicon ICO

JPG (JPEG)

JPG has been the standard photo format since the 1990s and opens on every device and program.

  • Good for: photos and images with smooth gradients.
  • Bad for: text, sharp lines and flat colors — they get blurry "halos" around edges.
  • No transparency. Transparent areas become a solid color (usually white).

A quality setting of 75–85 is the sweet spot for most photos.

PNG

PNG is lossless: every pixel is stored exactly. It supports full transparency.

  • Good for: logos, icons, screenshots, diagrams and anything with text.
  • Bad for: photos — a photo saved as PNG is often 5–10 times larger than a JPG with no visible benefit.

Graphics with a limited number of colors can be shrunk a lot by reducing the palette to 256 colors, which PixNudge's compressor does automatically.

WebP

Developed by Google, WebP produces files about 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same visual quality, and supports transparency and animation. Every modern browser — Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari — can display it.

  • Good for: almost every image on a website.
  • Watch out: some older desktop software and a few upload forms still do not accept WebP.

AVIF

AVIF is the newest of the four, based on the AV1 video codec. It is typically around 50% smaller than JPG and handles gradients and skies without banding.

  • Good for: websites where every kilobyte matters.
  • Watch out: it is slower to create, and support in non-browser software is still growing.

So which one should you pick?

  • Sharing with friends, email, printing: JPG — it just works everywhere.
  • Your own website or blog: WebP for a safe, smaller choice; AVIF if you want the smallest files.
  • Anything with text or a logo: PNG, or WebP with high quality.
  • Need transparency: PNG for maximum compatibility, WebP or AVIF for smaller files.

Converting between formats

You can switch any image between JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and ICO with the free PixNudge converter. It runs entirely in your browser, so your files are never uploaded. When converting a transparent PNG to JPG, the transparent areas are filled with white automatically.

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