What Is WebP Format? Everything You Need to Know
A plain-English guide to WebP — why Google created it, how it compares to JPG and PNG, browser support, and when to use it.
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that delivers superior compression for web images. It is now supported by every major browser and is increasingly the format of choice for web developers and SEO-conscious site owners. Here is everything you need to know.
The Origin of WebP
Google introduced WebP in 2010 as an open alternative to JPG and PNG. The format is based on VP8 video codec technology and was designed specifically to make web pages load faster by reducing image file sizes without sacrificing visual quality. In 2022, Apple added WebP support to Safari — at which point WebP achieved virtually universal browser support.
How WebP Achieves Smaller File Sizes
- WebP uses a more sophisticated compression algorithm than JPG:
- Predictive coding: Each block of pixels is predicted from surrounding blocks, encoding only the difference
- Entropy coding: More efficient than JPG's Huffman encoding
- Intra-frame compression: Borrowed from video technology
- The result: WebP files are 25–34% smaller than JPG and 26% smaller than PNG at equivalent visual quality.
WebP Features: What It Can Do That JPG Cannot
- Transparency (alpha channel): Like PNG, WebP supports transparent backgrounds — unlike JPG
- Animation: Like GIF, WebP supports animation — with far smaller file sizes
- Both lossy and lossless: One format for both use cases
- Metadata: Supports EXIF, XMP, and ICC colour profiles
Browser Support in 2026
All modern browsers support WebP: Chrome (since 2014), Firefox (since 2019), Safari (since 2020), Edge (since 2020), Opera. The only significant holdout — Outlook on Windows — does not render WebP in email. For web pages, WebP is safe to use for all visitors.
When to Use WebP
- Website images: Always — 25–35% smaller than JPG, better PageSpeed score
- Web app screenshots: Yes — smaller than PNG with transparency
- Email images: No — Outlook on Windows does not display WebP
- Image for printing: No — use JPG or TIFF for print workflows
- Sending to others: Only if recipient uses a modern app
- Convert JPG to WebP or PNG to WebP using our free online converter.
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