Why three formats exist
JPG is universal. WEBP adds better compression and optional transparency. AVIF pushes efficiency further but support varies on older browsers.
JPG — the fallback
Use JPG for email attachments, legacy CMS uploads, and anywhere you need zero surprises. Quality 80–85 is a sweet spot for photos.
Keep a JPG master
Store an original JPG or PNG, then derive WEBP/AVIF for delivery. That way you can re-export without generational quality loss.
WEBP — the web workhorse
WEBP often shrinks photos 25–35% versus JPG at similar quality. Convert hero photos with JPG to WEBP and UI screenshots with PNG to WEBP when your stack serves WEBP.
Transparency and UI assets
PNG remains handy for crisp UI. When you need WEBP with alpha, convert from PNG rather than JPG so edges stay clean.
AVIF — maximum efficiency
AVIF can be smallest but encode/decode is heavier. Pair AVIF with JPG or WEBP fallbacks in production sites; for one-off exports, test target browsers.
Need to unpack WEBP?
Editors or clients who cannot open WEBP can use WEBP to PNG locally before editing.
Local conversion tip
Convert in the browser before upload so you control quality and avoid sending originals to third-party servers. Start with convert JPG to WEBP online for most photo assets.