PNG vs JPG vs WebP vs AVIF: Which Image Format Should You Use in 2026?
Choosing the wrong image format is one of the easiest ways to make a website slow, ship a blurry logo, or send a 30 MB email attachment that should have been 300 KB. Here is the short version, and then the longer version with numbers.
The 30-second answer
- Photographs on the web: AVIF first, WebP fallback, JPG as a last resort.
- Photographs you'll email or print: JPG at quality 85-90.
- Screenshots, UI, charts, logos with transparency: PNG, or WebP lossless for smaller files.
- Vector graphics (logos, icons): SVG. Don't rasterize unless you have to.
- Animation: WebP or AVIF. Avoid GIF — it's bigger and worse in every way.
Why this matters
A single 2 MB hero image on a Next.js page is the difference between a Lighthouse score of 98 and 72. On mobile, it's the difference between a user staying and bouncing. Format choice is a free 30-50% size reduction with zero code change.
The contenders
### JPG
The legacy default. Excellent for photos, terrible for graphics with sharp edges. No transparency support. Universal compatibility — every device, every browser, every printer.
### PNG
Lossless, full alpha transparency, but big files. Use it for screenshots, logos, and anything where every pixel matters.
### WebP
Google's modern replacement for both JPG and PNG. Roughly 25-35% smaller than JPG at the same visual quality, supports transparency, supports animation. Supported in every browser since ~2021.
### AVIF
The newest open format, based on the AV1 video codec. Typically 40-50% smaller than JPG at the same quality. Encode is slow (which is why most online converters don't offer it), but Pixelmint uses a WASM encoder that runs in your browser.
### JPEG XL
JPEG XL (JXL) is a modern royalty-free format that often beats AVIF on quality and encodes way faster. Safari supports it natively. The web is slowly adopting it.
Real numbers
We took a 4032×3024 photograph (12.1 MP, the kind your phone takes) and encoded it at "visually lossless" quality in each format:
- PNG: 18.2 MB
- JPG q90: 2.1 MB
- WebP q90: 1.4 MB
- AVIF q60: 850 KB
- JXL q90: 970 KB
AVIF wins on file size. JXL wins on encode speed. WebP wins on universal browser support today.
Convert without uploads
If you'd rather not upload your photos to a third-party server just to change the format, Pixelmint runs the conversion in your browser. No uploads, no signup, no watermark.