Image Format Advisor

The short version of image formats

There is no single "best" image format — only the best one for a specific job. The right choice depends on three things: whether the image is a photo or a graphic, whether it needs transparency, and where it will be used. Get those right and the format almost picks itself. The advisor above walks you through them; here's the reasoning behind each format.

JPEG — photos, when size matters

JPEG uses lossy compression tuned for continuous-tone images like photographs. It throws away detail your eye barely notices to get small files, which is perfect for photos and terrible for anything with sharp edges or text — those get fuzzy halos and blocky artifacts. JPEG also can't store transparency. Use it for photos where universal compatibility matters, but prefer WebP/AVIF for the web.

PNG — sharp graphics and transparency

PNG is lossless: it keeps every pixel exactly. That makes it ideal for screenshots, logos, icons, UI elements, and anything with crisp text or flat colors — and it supports full alpha transparency. The trade-off is size: photos saved as PNG are huge. Reach for PNG when you need transparency or pixel-perfect edges and the image isn't a photograph.

WebP — the modern web default

WebP does both lossy and lossless, supports transparency and animation, and is typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG or PNG for equivalent quality. Every current browser supports it. For most website images it's the best default — smaller pages, same quality. Keep a JPEG or PNG fallback only for very old clients or platforms that reject WebP uploads.

AVIF — smallest files, newer support

AVIF compresses even better than WebP — often another 20% smaller — with excellent quality and transparency. The catch is that the oldest devices (iOS 15 and earlier) can't decode it, so it's best served with a WebP/JPEG fallback via the HTML <picture> element. If your audience is on modern browsers, AVIF wins on size.

SVG — logos and icons that never blur

SVG isn't pixels at all — it's math describing shapes, so it scales to any size with zero quality loss and tiny files. It's the right choice for logos, icons, and flat illustrations on the web. It can't represent photographs, and some platforms (social uploads, older Office) won't accept it, so export PNG fallbacks when needed.

GIF — only for tiny legacy animations

GIF is limited to 256 colors and produces large files, but it animates and runs everywhere. Use it only for short, simple loops where maximum compatibility matters. For anything detailed or longer than a few seconds, an animated WebP — or better, an MP4/WebM video — is dramatically smaller and looks far better.

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