The short answer
WebP offers smaller files than PNG with both lossy and lossless compression modes. If you're building for the web and targeting modern browsers, WebP is the better choice in most cases.
PNG is the safer pick when you need universal compatibility — older image editors, email clients, print workflows, or any situation where you can't guarantee the recipient's software supports WebP.
File size
This is where WebP has a clear advantage. Google developed the format specifically to reduce image sizes on the web.
WebP lossless vs PNG
WebP lossless files are typically 25-35% smaller than equivalent PNG files, with identical visual quality. No data is lost — just more efficient compression.
WebP lossy with transparency
WebP's lossy mode supports transparency (unlike JPG), and can reduce file sizes by 60-80% compared to PNG. Ideal for web graphics where some quality trade-off is acceptable.
Typical savings
A 500 KB PNG might become ~350 KB as WebP lossless, or ~100 KB as WebP lossy at high quality. The savings add up quickly across an entire website.
Quality modes
PNG — Lossless only
- → Always preserves every pixel
- → No quality settings to worry about
- → Full alpha transparency
- × No option to trade quality for size
WebP — Lossy and lossless
- → Lossless mode matches PNG quality
- → Lossy mode for maximum size reduction
- → Transparency in both modes
- → Adjustable quality (0-100)
Browser support
WebP
Chrome, Firefox, Safari 14+, Edge. Over 97% of global users.
Safe for any modern website. Only a concern if you need to support very old browsers or legacy systems.
PNG
Every browser and image viewer since the 1990s.
100% compatible everywhere — desktop apps, mobile apps, email clients, print software, and every operating system.
When to use PNG
- → Older software — image editors, CMS platforms, or tools that don't support WebP yet
- → Email attachments — email clients don't always render WebP inline
- → Print workflows — print shops and design tools expect PNG (or TIFF)
- → Maximum compatibility — when you can't control what software the recipient uses
When to use WebP
- → Web images — blogs, product pages, galleries, and landing pages
- → Progressive web apps — offline-capable apps where storage and bandwidth matter
- → File size matters — faster page loads, lower bandwidth costs, better Core Web Vitals
- → You control the platform — your own website, app, or service where you know WebP is supported
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