Images
WebP vs JPG: Size, Quality and Compatibility in 2026
WebP is usually better than JPG for the web: at the same measured quality it was about 62% smaller in our test. JPG is still better when the file leaves your control, because every app, printer and form accepts it. Use WebP for your own website, JPG for everything you send.
Below: the numbers, what WebP does that JPG cannot, where each one breaks, and how to switch on a Mac.
Is WebP smaller than JPG at the same quality?
Yes, in our test. We took one 2000 × 2000 px image, saved it as JPG and as WebP at setting 80, and scored both against the original with SSIM (1.0 means identical). The scores matched to the third decimal. The sizes did not.
| File | Size | SSIM vs original |
|---|---|---|
| PNG original | 4,502,735 bytes | 1.0000 |
| JPG, quality 80 | 181,765 bytes | 0.9915 |
| WebP lossy, quality 80 | 69,700 bytes | 0.9917 |
| JPG, quality 85 | 213,184 bytes | 0.9923 |
| WebP lossy, quality 85 | 84,270 bytes | 0.9925 |
| WebP lossless | 2,997,634 bytes | 1.0000 |
The test image is a smooth macOS wallpaper, which flatters WebP. A busy photo narrows the gap. Google publishes its own comparison on the WebP site, and the direction agrees: lossy WebP beats JPG on size. Treat our percentage as an upper range, not a promise for your files. Also note that the “80” on each encoder is not the same scale, which is why we matched on SSIM rather than on the number.
Does WebP look worse than JPG?
Not at matched settings. Both are lossy and both can show artifacts if you push them too far. JPG breaks into blocky squares and ringing around edges. Lossy WebP smooths fine texture and skin detail first. At the sizes in the table above, we could not tell them apart by eye.
Every re-save loses a little more in both formats. If you plan to edit a picture again, keep a PNG or the camera original and export JPG or WebP last.
What can WebP do that JPG cannot?
JPG is a single lossy photo format. WebP covers more ground:
- Transparency, which JPG has no way to store, even in lossy mode.
- A lossless mode, which is where the “WebP vs PNG” question comes from.
- Animation, so it can replace GIF.
On WebP vs PNG: our lossless WebP came out at 2,997,634 bytes against 4,502,735 for the PNG, about a third smaller with identical pixels. For flat graphics and screenshots that is a real saving. For photos, lossy WebP is far smaller than either.
Does WebP work everywhere in 2026?
Every current browser displays WebP, including Safari since version 14, per the compatibility table on Can I use. The trouble is outside the browser. Older print workflows, some upload forms, some email clients, marketplaces and image editors still reject it or turn it into something else.
On a Mac, Preview and Quick Look open WebP files. The built-in
sipssipsShould I use WebP or JPG?
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Images on your own website | WebP (or AVIF if you can serve it) |
| Photo you will email, print or upload to a form | JPG |
| Logo or screenshot with transparency | WebP lossless or PNG |
| Sending to a client who may open it in old software | JPG |
| Archive you may edit again | Original or PNG, not either lossy one |
If you are choosing for a website, also look at AVIF. Our image optimization and Core Web Vitals guide covers how format choice affects load time, and the published benchmark compares AVIF with JPEG.
How do I convert between WebP and JPG on a Mac?
WebP to JPG is easy because macOS can read WebP:
sips -s format jpeg photo.webp --out photo.jpgThe other direction needs a tool that can write WebP. With cwebp installed (it comes with Homebrew’s
webpcwebp -q 80 photo.png -o photo.webpStep-by-step guides: convert WebP to JPG on Mac, convert JPG to WebP and convert PNG to WebP.
When is Smol the wrong tool for this?
For one WebP you need as a JPG, the
sipsSmol earns its $29 (once, one Mac) when you have a folder of mixed files. It compresses and converts images to JPG, PNG, WebP or AVIF with a quality setting, from the app or a Finder right-click, and nothing is uploaded. Two limits: Smol has no lossless image mode, and by default it resizes images to fit inside 2000 × 2000 px, so change that if you need full size. See pricing, or the best image converter for Mac roundup.
How we checked this
Encoded one 2000 x 2000 px macOS wallpaper PNG as JPG and WebP at 80 and 85, scored with ffmpeg SSIM, and ran sips on a WebP file to confirm it reads but cannot write WebP. Facts last checked . We make Smol, so treat our claims about it with the same care as any vendor’s, and see our editorial policy.
WebP vs JPG: common questions
Is WebP better than JPG?
For websites, yes. At matching SSIM scores our lossy WebP was about 62% smaller than the JPG, and WebP adds transparency and animation. For anything you send to other people or print, JPG is still the safer choice because every program opens it.
Is WebP lossy or lossless?
Both. A WebP file can be lossy, which suits photos, or lossless, which suits graphics and screenshots. In our test the lossless file was about a third smaller than the same image as PNG. JPG is lossy only.
Does Safari support WebP?
Yes. Safari has displayed WebP since version 14, which shipped with macOS Big Sur, according to Can I use. Preview and Quick Look on a current Mac also open WebP files. Apps and websites that cannot accept it are the remaining problem, not Safari.
Why do some sites reject my WebP image?
Their upload code only lists JPG and PNG, or their image pipeline cannot decode WebP. Convert the file to JPG and it will pass. On a Mac, the sips command can do that in one line with no extra software.
Should I convert all my JPGs to WebP?
Only the ones on your own website. Converting a lossy JPG to lossy WebP re-compresses it, which costs a little quality, so keep the originals. Do not convert files you send to clients, printers or forms.
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