Comparison of image formats: GIF, JPG, PNG, and WebP

				PNG To JPEG /
				2025-08-02 /
				huahuali421 /
313			

GIF

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format, with the file extension .gif.GIF uses an algorithm called LZWalgorithmfor compression, which is horizontal (pixels are compressed from top to bottom horizontally). This means that under the same conditions, a horizontal GIF image is smaller than a vertical one. For example, a 500*10 image is smaller than a 10*500 image.1

Advantages: Lossless compression, supports transparent backgrounds, supports animation, supports progressive rendering.

Disadvantages: Only 256 colors, which is clearly insufficient for photo-quality images.

JPG (JPEG)

JPEG stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, with the file extension .jpg.

Advantages: Supports millions of colors, high compression ratio.

Disadvantages: Lossy compression, does not support progressive rendering, does not support transparent backgrounds, does not support animation.

PNG

Stands for Portable Network Graphic Format. Depending on the storage method, PNG can be divided into: PNG8, PNG24, PNG32.

Advantages: Lossless compression, supports interlaced progressive display (but may result in larger file sizes), PNG24 and PNG32 support a wide range of colors.

Disadvantages: Does not support animation, PNG24 and PNG32 have poor support in IE6.

WebP

An image format developed by Google aimed at speeding up image loading. The compressed size of WebP images is about 2/3 that of JPEG, saving significant server bandwidth and data space. Well-known websites like Facebook and Ebay have started testing and using WebP.

Advantages: Small file size.

Disadvantages: Lossy compression, poor compatibility (supported by high versions of Android and W3C browsers, but not supported by iOS).

Usage Scenarios:

GIF is suitable for small icons and drawings.

For JPG and PNG, the choice depends on the usage scenario. JPG has a higher compression ratio than PNG, but PNG supports more colors and is significantly larger than JPG. However, JPG is lossy compression, so if image quality is not a priority (e.g., for splash screens or wallpapers), JPG can be used.

File Size Comparison:

webp < JPG < PNG