Why WebP beats PNG for the web
PNG was designed in the 1990s as a replacement for GIF, optimised for small illustrations and logos. It compresses losslessly, which means the file is a perfect copy of the pixels — great for screenshots, bad for photographs. For everything that lives on the web in 2026, WebP does the same job in a fraction of the bytes.
WebP is Google's format. It's now built into every major browser, operating system, and CDN. For images under ~2000 pixels wide — which covers almost everything you'll ship on a website — WebP produces a file 25–35% smaller than PNG at a quality difference no human can spot.
When to keep PNG instead
- Print — some print workflows still reject WebP.
- Archival source files — keep the lossless original, ship a WebP copy.
- Legacy systems — very old CMSs or intranet apps may not render it.
About the quality setting
WebP has two modes: lossy and lossless. At 100, this tool writes lossless WebP, which is still usually smaller than the PNG you started with. Below 100, it uses lossy WebP — smaller again, but with visual trade-offs that kick in below ~75. The default (85) is the quality sweet spot for web graphics.
Frequently asked
Is my PNG uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion uses your browser's built-in WebP encoder via a canvas. Nothing leaves your device. Turn off the internet after the page loads and it still works.
Does it preserve transparency?
Yes. WebP supports an alpha channel just like PNG. Transparent pixels remain transparent.
Why does one of my WebPs look blurry?
Lossy WebP can soften very fine text or pixel-art. If that matters, push quality to 100 (lossless) or keep the file as PNG.
What about animated PNGs (APNG)?
This tool extracts the first frame only. For animated graphics, a different pipeline is needed — usually converting to animated WebP or GIF with a dedicated tool.
Can I convert JPGs here too?
No, for that use the main compressor and pick WebP as the output format. This page is focused specifically on PNG input.