Image comparison

JPG vs PNG

JPG vs PNG for photos and graphics: compression, transparency, file size, and when to convert between JPEG and PNG.

Quick comparison

Aspect	JPG	PNG
Compression	Lossy; smaller photos	Lossless; larger files
Transparency	Not supported	Full alpha channel
Best for	Photos and gradients	Graphics, logos, screenshots
Typical workflow	Shoot/export JPEG for sharing	Export PNG from design tools; compress if needed

JPG

Lossy photo format optimized for continuous-tone images.

Pros

Much smaller files for photographs and camera shots.
Universal support across web, email, print, and mobile.
Adjustable quality slider for size vs detail tradeoffs.
Default choice for social uploads and CMS hero images.

Cons

No transparency—edges on logos look boxed on colored backgrounds.
Lossy compression softens text and sharp UI edges.
Repeated editing and re-saving degrades quality.
Poor choice for screenshots with small type.

When to use JPG

Phone photos, portraits, and product shots for the web.
Email attachments when size limits apply.
Backgrounds and banners without transparency needs.

PNG

Lossless raster format with alpha transparency.

Pros

Crisp edges for logos, icons, and UI screenshots.
Full alpha transparency without halos.
Lossless—no generation loss when re-exporting.
Ideal for diagrams and graphics with flat color.

Cons

Much larger than JPEG for photographic content.
Slows page load when used for big photo assets.
No quality slider—size reduction needs compression tools.
Overkill for casual photo sharing.

When to use PNG

Logos, icons, and illustrations with transparency.
Screenshots and wireframes that must stay sharp.
When exact pixel fidelity matters more than file size.

Overview

JPEG and PNG are the two most common raster formats—and they are not interchangeable. JPEG excels at shrinking camera photos because it discards detail the eye barely notices. PNG preserves every pixel, which is essential for logos and UI assets but wasteful for a 12 MP vacation photo.

Choose JPEG when the image is photographic, has no transparency requirement, and upload size or page speed matters. Choose PNG when you need clean transparency, sharp text, or lossless editing rounds in design workflows.

When a JPEG logo was saved on a white box, convert to PNG only if you can recover transparency (for example after background removal). For web photos, converting PNG to JPEG with a quality setting around 85% often cuts file size dramatically with no visible change.