Is WebP always smaller than JPEG?

Usually for photos, but not always for flat graphics. WebP often saves 25–35% over JPEG at equal quality, and it supports transparency and lossless modes. For a logo or screenshot with clean edges, an optimized PNG can still win. Measure both on the actual image.

Which browsers support WebP?

All modern browsers: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Android WebView. WebP has been safe to use broadly for years. If you must support very old clients, serve WebP with a JPEG fallback and let the browser pick.

When should I keep JPEG instead of converting to WebP?

When a tool must read the file downstream, when the original has extra metadata you need to preserve, or when you measured the WebP output and got no saving. Otherwise WebP is the default choice for web photos.

WebP vs JPEG: Which Format Wins?

Here is the headline: for web photos, WebP usually beats JPEG — often by 25–35% at the same quality, and it also supports transparency and a lossless mode. For years, browsers have all supported it. So why does JPEG still exist?

Because "usually" is not "always," and a few image types refuse to cooperate. The right answer comes from a small decision tree, not a rule.

The decision tree

Image type	Pick	Why
Web photo (quality ≤ 90)	WebP	Smaller at equal quality, supported everywhere modern
Transparent logo / graphic	WebP (or SVG)	WebP lossless keeps crisp edges and transparency
Downstream tool needs JPEG	JPEG	Some editors, print and EXIF pipelines still expect it
Screenshot with clean text	PNG (or WebP)	Sharp edges; JPEG adds fringing around text

When WebP quietly loses

Flat graphics and screenshots already compress well in PNG. Converting them to WebP often saves little or nothing, and can add encoder cost. Meanwhile, JPEG has a specific niche: very high compressibility with a slightly grainy look that some photos tolerate well. If your audience also runs print or legacy pipelines, keeping JPEG avoids surprises.

How to actually decide

Stop guessing. The compressor re-encodes your image as both JPEG and WebP and shows the exact resulting size. There is no format battle worth having purely in theory — run the number, compare visually, keep the smaller that still looks identical. That measurement also feeds the wider website optimization checklist.