Image Formats

What Is WebP Image Format and Should You Use It in 2026?

📅 June 2026⏱ 5 min read✍️ FlipFiles.io

If you have browsed the web recently, you have almost certainly downloaded WebP images without realising it — most major websites now serve images in this format by default. But what exactly is WebP, and should you be using it for your own images? Here is everything you need to know.

What Is WebP?

WebP is an image format developed by Google, first released in 2010 and now widely supported. It is designed specifically for the web, offering both lossy and lossless compression modes, along with support for transparency and animation — essentially combining the strengths of JPG, PNG and GIF into one format.

WebP Advantages

  • Smaller file sizes: 25–35% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality, 25–50% smaller than PNG for images that support transparency
  • Transparency support: Unlike JPG, WebP supports transparent backgrounds (like PNG)
  • Animation support: WebP can replace animated GIFs with much smaller file sizes
  • Both lossy and lossless modes: Choose the right trade-off for each image
  • Faster page loads: Smaller images mean faster websites, which improves SEO rankings

WebP Disadvantages

  • Compatibility: Some older software, apps and printing services do not support WebP
  • Editing software: Not all image editors support opening or saving WebP natively
  • Email attachments: Some email clients may not preview WebP images inline
  • Familiarity: Many users do not recognise the .webp extension and may be confused

WebP vs JPG vs PNG — When to Use Each

  • Use WebP for: Website images where you control both the upload and how they are displayed — product photos, blog images, hero banners
  • Use JPG for: Photos you are sharing with others, email attachments, anything that needs maximum compatibility
  • Use PNG for: Logos, icons and graphics where transparency is needed and maximum compatibility matters

Why WebP Adoption Happened So Quickly After Years of Slow Progress

WebP was first released in 2010 but remained a niche format for many years, largely because Safari — which powers all iOS browsers — didn't support it until 2020. Since iOS represents a substantial portion of web traffic, web developers couldn't safely switch to WebP without either providing separate JPG fallbacks for Safari users (adding complexity) or simply excluding iOS visitors from the benefits. Once Safari added support, the calculus changed entirely: all major browsers now support WebP, meaning a web developer can serve WebP to virtually all visitors without needing fallbacks. This change in browser support landscape, more than any technical improvement to WebP itself, is what drove the rapid adoption that has made WebP the default image format on most major websites today.

The Animated GIF Replacement Case

One underappreciated use of WebP is as a replacement for animated GIFs. WebP supports animation, and an animated WebP file is typically 64% smaller than the equivalent animated GIF at the same quality — a dramatic difference for what is already one of the most file-size-inefficient formats still in common use. For any web context where animated GIFs are currently used and the platform supports WebP, converting to animated WebP is one of the highest-impact single changes for page load performance. The main reason animated GIF persists despite this is the same compatibility conservatism that slowed WebP adoption generally — older platforms, email clients, and some social media platforms accept GIFs but not WebP animations, so the format with the widest compatibility often wins by default even when a technically superior alternative exists.

Does Google Rank WebP Higher?

Not directly — but indirectly, yes. Google's Core Web Vitals ranking factors include page load speed. Since WebP images are smaller and load faster, websites using WebP tend to score better on these metrics, which can positively influence search rankings. Google's PageSpeed Insights tool specifically recommends WebP for image optimisation.

Should You Convert Your Website Images to WebP?

If you run a website, yes — the SEO and performance benefits are real and well-documented. Most modern website platforms (WordPress, Shopify etc.) can serve WebP automatically with fallbacks for older browsers, giving you the best of both worlds.

Converting Between WebP and Other Formats

Our Image Format Converter handles conversion in both directions:

  • JPG/PNG to WebP: For optimising images before uploading to your website
  • WebP to JPG/PNG: For when you need maximum compatibility — sharing, printing, editing in older software

The Bottom Line

WebP is a genuine improvement for web use — smaller, faster, more versatile. The compatibility concerns that existed in 2018 have largely disappeared as browsers and software have updated. For your own website, use WebP. For sharing files with others or anything requiring maximum compatibility, JPG remains the safe universal choice.

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