WebP is a web format that is smaller than JPG and supports transparency and animation. Current browsers open WebP, but support in programs and services is uneven.
PNG is a versatile lossless format with transparency support. When you convert WebP to PNG, you can open it in more places and the file grows. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is WebP, then converts it to PNG right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
WebP vs PNG: what's the difference?
| Item | WebP | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparent background | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Introduced | 2010 | 1996 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | moderate | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 0.7× | about 3× |
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 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 changes when you convert WebP to PNG
Quality doesn't improve, but it doesn't get worse either
Information lost when WebP was saved can't be recovered. PNG is lossless, so it keeps the image exactly as it is now and later edits and saves add no further degradation. File size will grow, though.
Moving images keep only their first frame
PNG can't hold animation. If your WebP file is animated, only the first frame is converted.
PNG has no quality setting
PNG is lossless, so the quality slider doesn't apply. Instead, when converting from WebP you can manage file size by resizing (exact width and height, or a percentage).
How the file size changes
For the same photo, PNG is much larger than WebP (roughly 4× or so). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
PNG opens in more places
Support for WebP in programs, document tools and upload forms is moderate, while PNG is nearly everywhere. If you need to upload somewhere WebP wouldn't open, try again after converting.
When to convert
- You need to upload to a program, messenger or upload form that can't open WebP
- You'll edit it several times and want an intermediate file that no longer degrades
- You're preparing an image for typical PNG uses (logos and icons, screenshots)
WebP → PNG: practical tips
If you need the WebP's transparent background, convert to PNG rather than JPG. The alpha channel is preserved.
Converting a lossy WebP to PNG doesn't bring back information that was already lost. What you get is a safe intermediate file that adds no further degradation when you edit and save later.