PNG is a versatile lossless format with transparency support. PNG opens in most environments, but another format such as WebP may suit some uses better.
WebP is a web format that is smaller than JPG and supports transparency and animation. When you convert PNG to WebP, the file gets smaller. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is PNG, then converts it to WebP right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
PNG vs WebP: what's the difference?
| Item | PNG | WebP |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparent background | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | Yes |
| Introduced | 1996 | 2010 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | nearly everywhere | moderate |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 3× | about 0.7× |
What is PNG?
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is a lossless format created in 1996 to avoid the patent problems around GIF. Because not a single pixel changes when you save and reopen it, it suits original artwork that goes through many edits.
What is WebP?
WebP is a web image format Google released in 2010. At the same quality it can be roughly 25-35% smaller than JPG, and it handles lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation in a single format.
What changes when you convert PNG to WebP
Lossy compression is applied
PNG loses no quality, but WebP drops information the eye barely notices to shrink the file. Even next to the PNG original, the default quality of 90 is hard to tell apart, and the slider lets you tune size against quality.
You can adjust quality, size and background color
When converting PNG to WebP, you can use the quality slider (default 90), exact width-and-height sizing with margin fill, and percentage resizing. PNG is lossless, so lowering quality to around 80 usually still looks natural. Lower it when size matters, and raise it to 95 or more for archiving.
How the file size changes
WebP is far smaller than PNG (roughly 1/4 the size). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
WebP has narrower support than PNG
PNG support is nearly everywhere and WebP support is moderate. Check that the recipient can open WebP first, and if you're not sure, JPG or PNG is safer.
When to convert
- You need to shrink a PNG file for an email attachment or an upload size limit
- You want to make PNG images lighter so pages load faster
- You're preparing an image for typical WebP uses (optimizing website images, transparent web graphics)
PNG → WebP: practical tips
If a site-speed tool such as Lighthouse recommends improving image formats or sizes, converting PNG photos to WebP is the easiest fix. Transparency is preserved too.
For simple images such as logos, a low quality can blur the edges, so keep it at 85 or above and check the size change in the result screen.