What Is WebP? The Complete Guide to Google's Image Format

What Is WebP?

WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression for images on the web. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, plus transparency and animation — making it a single format that can replace JPEG, PNG, and GIF.

How Does WebP Work?

WebP uses two compression methods:

Lossy compression uses predictive coding (similar to VP8 video compression) to encode the image. It predicts pixel values based on surrounding pixels and only stores the difference, achieving much better compression than JPEG.

Lossless compression uses advanced techniques including spatial prediction, color indexing, and entropy coding to achieve files 26% smaller than PNG.

WebP vs Other Formats

Feature	WebP	JPEG	PNG	GIF	AVIF
Lossy compression	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Lossless compression	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Transparency	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Animation	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Browser support	97%+	100%	100%	100%	~93%
Typical savings	25-80%	Baseline	—	—	30-50% better

Browser Support

As of 2025, WebP is supported by virtually all browsers that matter:

• Chrome — Full support since version 32 (2014)
• Firefox — Full support since version 65 (2019)
• Safari — Full support since version 14 (2020)
• Edge — Full support since version 18 (2018)

Global browser support is above 97%, making WebP safe to use as your primary image format.

Advantages of WebP

1. Smaller file sizes — 25-35% smaller than JPEG, 26% smaller than PNG (lossless)
2. Better quality per byte — At the same file size, WebP images look better than JPEG
3. Transparency support — Unlike JPEG, WebP supports alpha channels
4. Animation support — WebP animations are smaller than GIFs
5. Single format — Replace JPEG, PNG, and GIF with one format
6. SEO benefits — Faster pages rank higher in Google

Disadvantages of WebP

1. Not universal for editing — Many design tools still default to PSD/PNG workflows
2. Slightly slower encoding — Converting to WebP takes more CPU than JPEG encoding
3. Not ideal for print — Print workflows still require TIFF/PNG

How to Start Using WebP

The easiest way to start is to convert your existing images:

1. Use an online converter — PixelPress converts PNG, JPEG, AVIF, and SVG to WebP instantly in your browser
2. Batch convert — Upload up to 50 images and download them all as a ZIP
3. Replace images on your site — Swap out old JPEG/PNG files for the new WebP versions

For new images, many tools now export WebP directly:

• Figma, Photoshop, and GIMP support WebP export
• WordPress automatically converts uploaded images to WebP
• Cloudflare and CDNs can auto-convert on the fly

Conclusion

WebP is the best general-purpose image format for the web in 2025. It combines the best features of JPEG, PNG, and GIF into a single format with better compression. With 97%+ browser support, there's no reason not to use it.

Ready to convert? Try PixelPress — free, instant, and your files never leave your browser.