JPEG vs. WebP: Which One Is Better for Your Website?

				Image Compression /
				2025-05-09 / 
144			

When you're building a website or trying to improve page speed, you might ask yourself a very practical question: Should I use JPEG or WebP?

It’s not just about choosing a “modern” format over an “old-school” one. This decision touches on core aspects like loading time, compatibility, image quality, and user experience.

Let’s break it down with clarity, avoiding the usual tech jargon.

1. What is JPEG?

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a lossy compression format that’s been around since 1992. It’s the most widely used image format on the internet, and for good reason:

Solid compression:

smaller file sizes without destroying quality

Universal browser support

Ideal for photos and rich-color images

However: JPEG doesn’t support transparency and repeated saves can lead to quality degradation.

2. What is WebP?

WebP is a modern image format developed by Google. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and even animation.

Key advantages:

File size is 25%-35% smaller than JPEG

Supports alpha transparency (previously only PNG could do this)

Better compression efficiency = faster loading

Natively supported in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari

Downside: Older browsers (and older iOS versions) might not support it. If your audience includes users on outdated devices, WebP-only images may not render.

3. Do Image Formats Affect SEO?

Absolutely. Google has confirmed that page speed is a ranking factor, and images are often the largest load contributors.

WebP helps shave off kilobytes without sacrificing visual quality — which means faster load time and potentially higher rankings.

Still, JPEG isn’t obsolete. Search engines won’t penalize you for using it. But if your pages load slowly due to heavy images, that could hurt your SEO.

4. Conclusion: It’s Not JPEG vs. WebP — It’s JPEG and WebP

If you’re aiming for maximum performance without alienating users on older browsers, the smartest solution is dual-format support.

Use WebP where possible. Keep JPEGs as a fallback. And use conditional rendering via HTML’s element or server-side content negotiation.

For image-heavy sites — whether it’s a blog, portfolio, or e-commerce store — implementing WebP is a strategic win. But don’t rush to replace everything overnight. Let data guide you.