PNG to WEBP
Compress PNG images as WebP – smaller, same quality
Why PNG → WebP?
WebP offers better compression than PNG at the same quality – ideal for websites and web applications where every kilobyte counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is WebP?
WebP is a modern image format from Google that supports both lossy and lossless compression. It produces significantly smaller files than PNG at comparable quality.
How much space do I save with WebP?
PNG images as WebP are typically 25–35% smaller at comparable visual quality. Savings are lower with lossless compression.
Does WebP support transparency like PNG?
Yes, WebP supports transparency (alpha channel) just like PNG, at significantly smaller file size.
Which browsers support WebP?
All modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) support WebP. Only very old browser versions cannot display WebP.
About WebP
WebP was developed by Google in 2010 and is the only mainstream image format that offers both lossy and lossless compression in a single container. The lossy variant uses VP8 intra coding and typically achieves 25–35% smaller files than JPEG at the same subjective quality. The lossless variant is based on prediction and LZ77 compression and is about 26% smaller than PNG at identical pixel fidelity. WebP supports transparency with an alpha channel, animations, EXIF and XMP metadata, and color depths of up to 8 bits per channel. Safari did not support WebP until version 14 (2020), which slowed adoption for years; since 2021, however, the format is supported by all modern browsers. For web developers, WebP is the best choice when loading time and bandwidth are priorities, since a single image type covers both compression strategies. Google has recommended WebP as the standard web image format since 2019 and offers WebP 2 as an experimental further development, though it has not yet entered any standardization process.
About PNG
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) was released in 1996 as an open standard and developed as a patent-free alternative to GIF after Unisys demanded licensing fees for the LZW algorithm used in GIF in 1994. PNG uses lossless compression based on the Deflate algorithm and supports up to 16 bits per channel as well as full-color transparency through a dedicated alpha channel. The format is particularly suited for graphics with sharp edges, text, logos, and screenshots – anywhere JPEG would produce artifacts through its lossy compression. PNG does not support animation; this gap is filled by the unofficial APNG format, which is supported by most browsers. The interlaced variant (Adam7) enables progressive loading where a coarse preview becomes visible even with minimal data transferred. PNG is the de facto standard for lossless web graphics and is supported by all browsers, operating systems, and image editing programs. For photography, however, PNG is inefficient since file sizes are significantly larger compared to JPEG or WebP, which is why PNG is primarily used for graphics and screenshots.
Why convert PNG → WEBP?
PNG is a lossless raster format with full alpha transparency support, a web standard since 1996. It's excellent for screenshots, diagrams, and graphics with text elements. The downside: PNG files are significantly larger than modern compressed formats — often 3-5x larger than WebP at equivalent visual quality. Converting to WEBP makes sense when you need to reduce file size for web or mobile use, require a format with lossy compression for photos, or want to use images in a system with limited PNG support. Switching to WEBP noticeably reduces load times for web use.