Converting JPG photos to WebP is one of the simplest ways to make a website faster. At similar visual quality a WebP file is typically 25 to 35 percent smaller than a JPG, and on an image-heavy page that difference adds up to a noticeably quicker load, particularly on mobile connections. This page opens with WebP as the output; drop the JPGs and convert. Because the source is already lossy, a little care helps. Start from the highest quality JPG you have rather than one that has already been compressed hard, and keep the quality slider around 80 to 92, then use Compare to check skies, skin and fine textures. Resizing at the same time often saves more than the format change itself: a 4000 pixel wide photo shown in a 1200 pixel column is wasting most of its bytes, so set a maximum width to match the layout. Every current browser displays WebP, Safari included since version 14. If you also need the smallest possible files and can wait a few seconds per image, AVIF in the same converter usually beats WebP again. For graphics with transparency see PNG to WebP Converter, and to turn a WebP back into a JPG use WebP to JPG Converter.
Choosing the right image format for web use has a significant impact on file size and quality. JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) uses lossy compression optimized for photographs: it discards subtle color gradients in ways the human eye does not easily notice, achieving compression ratios of 10:1 to 20:1 at acceptable quality. PNG (Portable Network Graphics) uses lossless compression and supports full transparency (alpha channel), making it ideal for logos, icons, screenshots, and images with sharp edges or text. WebP is Google's modern format that achieves better compression than both JPEG and PNG at equivalent quality: typically 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPEG at the same quality setting, and 26 percent smaller than PNG for lossless images. WebP also supports transparency like PNG. GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is the oldest format still in use, primarily kept alive by its support for animation. For still images, GIF is inferior to PNG in both quality and compression, limited to 256 colors per frame. Converting to WebP for web delivery is the most impactful single optimization for image-heavy sites. Browser support for WebP is now essentially universal (Chrome, Firefox, Safari 14+, Edge). For cases where legacy Safari support is required, serving WebP via a picture element with a JPEG fallback provides the best result across all browsers.