JPG / JPEG
The universal photo format.
- Compression
- Lossy
- Transparency
- No
- Best for
- Photographs
Pros
- Tiny files for photos
- Supported literally everywhere
- Fast to decode
Cons
- No transparency
- Re-saves degrade quality
- Poor for sharp text or logos
Pillar guide · ~12 min read
Image format guide: choose the right one
A plain-English comparison of every common image format — JPG, PNG, WEBP, AVIF, HEIC, GIF, SVG, BMP, TIFF and PDF. No jargon, just what each format is good (and bad) at, and which to pick for your situation.
Side-by-side comparison
Skim this table when you need a quick reminder. Scroll down for full per-format detail.
| Format | Compression | Transparency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPG / JPEG | Lossy | No | Photographs, email, web galleries, social uploads. |
| PNG | Lossless | Yes (8-bit alpha) | Screenshots, logos, UI mockups, design exports. |
| WEBP | Lossy or lossless | Yes | Modern websites, blogs, product galleries. |
| AVIF | Lossy or lossless | Yes | Cutting-edge web delivery, hero images, large image grids. |
| HEIC / HEIF | Lossy (HEVC) | Limited | iPhone storage and AirDrop between Apple devices. |
| GIF | Lossless (LZW) | 1-bit on/off | Tiny looping animations and very simple graphics. |
| SVG | Text-based (XML) | Yes | Logos, icons, illustrations, charts. |
| BMP | Usually none | Limited | Old Windows tooling, printer drivers, certain scientific pipelines. |
| TIFF | Lossless or lossy | Yes | Scanning, professional print, photo archiving. |
| Per-embedded-image | N/A (page background is white) | Receipts, scans, multi-page documents, anything you'd print or sign. |
Best format for every job
Best for photos
JPG · second choice: WEBP for the web
Quality 85 JPG is the workhorse. Switch to WEBP when you control the destination.
Best for websites
WEBP · second choice: AVIF if your CMS supports it
Both modern, small and widely supported by browsers.
Best for transparent images
PNG · second choice: WEBP (lossy + alpha)
PNG is the safe default; WEBP gets you much smaller files at the same transparency.
Best for logos
SVG · second choice: PNG
SVG scales to any size without blurring. Use PNG only when the destination doesn't accept SVG.
Best for screenshots
PNG · second choice: WEBP lossless
JPG blurs the sharp text and lines that screenshots are full of.
Best for email attachments
JPG · second choice: PDF for multi-photo
Maximum compatibility, smallest size. Combine multiple photos into one PDF if needed.
Best for online forms
JPG · second choice: PNG
Many forms reject HEIC, WEBP and AVIF. JPG is the safest bet.
Best for social media
JPG · second choice: PNG for transparency
Platforms re-compress everything — start with a high-quality JPG sized to platform specs.
Best for printing
TIFF · second choice: high-quality JPG
Print shops want lossless, high-resolution masters. TIFF or print-grade JPG are the standards.
Best for archiving
TIFF or PNG · second choice: DNG for raw photos
Lossless formats preserve every pixel for future re-use.
Every format explained
PNG
Lossless quality with transparency.
- Compression
- Lossless
- Transparency
- Yes (8-bit alpha)
- Best for
- Screenshots
Pros
- Pixel-perfect quality
- Full transparency
- Re-saving is safe
Cons
- Large file sizes for photos
- Slower decode than JPG
- Not ideal for web hero photos
WEBP
Modern web standard — small and flexible.
- Compression
- Lossy or lossless
- Transparency
- Yes
- Best for
- Modern websites
Pros
- 25–35% smaller than JPG/PNG
- Transparency + animation
- Supported by every modern browser
Cons
- Some legacy apps reject it
- Older email clients can't display it inline
AVIF
The smallest practical format today.
- Compression
- Lossy or lossless
- Transparency
- Yes
- Best for
- Cutting-edge web delivery
Pros
- Often 50% smaller than WEBP
- Excellent quality at low bitrates
- HDR support
Cons
- Slower to encode
- Spotty support outside browsers
- Some CMSes don't accept uploads yet
HEIC / HEIF
Apple's compact photo format.
- Compression
- Lossy (HEVC)
- Transparency
- Limited
- Best for
- iPhone storage and AirDrop between Apple devices.
Pros
- Roughly half the size of JPG at the same quality
- Stores Live Photo metadata
- Default on iPhone since iOS 11
Cons
- Often won't open on Windows or older Android
- Many upload forms reject it
- Editing software support varies
GIF
Simple animation and indexed colour.
- Compression
- Lossless (LZW)
- Transparency
- 1-bit on/off
- Best for
- Tiny looping animations and very simple graphics.
Pros
- Animation in a single file
- Universal support
- Tiny for low-colour graphics
Cons
- Limited to 256 colours
- Huge files for photos
- Animated WEBP/MP4 is usually a better choice today
SVG
Vector graphics that scale forever.
- Compression
- Text-based (XML)
- Transparency
- Yes
- Best for
- Logos
Pros
- Resolution-independent — sharp at any size
- Tiny file size for simple shapes
- Editable as code
Cons
- Not suitable for photos
- Complex SVGs can be slow to render
- Security considerations when accepting user-supplied SVG
BMP
Uncompressed pixels — legacy Windows.
- Compression
- Usually none
- Transparency
- Limited
- Best for
- Old Windows tooling
Pros
- Trivial to parse
- No quality loss
- Maximum compatibility with old Windows software
Cons
- Enormous file sizes
- Not for the web
- Largely obsolete for everyday use
TIFF
High-fidelity archival and print.
- Compression
- Lossless or lossy
- Transparency
- Yes
- Best for
- Scanning
Pros
- Preserves layers and metadata
- Excellent for print workflows
- Multi-page support
Cons
- Very large files
- Limited browser support
- Overkill for everyday photos
A document, often used to package images.
- Compression
- Per-embedded-image
- Transparency
- N/A (page background is white)
- Best for
- Receipts
Pros
- One file for many images
- Universal viewers on every device
- Preserves layout and page size
Cons
- Not searchable unless OCR is applied
- Often larger than a single JPG
- Some platforms want raw images, not PDF
Which one should I choose?
If you're sharing a photo with someone: JPG. It opens everywhere with no surprises.
If you're putting images on a website: WEBP. It's 25–35% smaller than JPG and supports transparency.
If you need transparency: PNG (safe default) or WEBP (smaller files, same alpha).
If the image is a logo or icon: SVG when possible, PNG when not.
If you took it on an iPhone and need to share it: Convert HEIC to JPG.
If you need it under a strict file size: Resize first, then compress — usually as JPG.
If you're packaging multiple images for one recipient: Combine them into a PDF.
Common mistakes
- Saving photos as PNG — files balloon for no quality benefit. Use JPG or WEBP.
- Sending HEIC to non-Apple users — convert to JPG first.
- Using JPG for screenshots with small text — switch to PNG.
- Re-saving the same JPG over and over — each save loses quality. Edit the original.
- Uploading a 5000 px photo to a 800 px slot — resize first, then compress.
- Choosing AVIF without checking the destination — some apps still reject it.
- Treating PDF as an image — it's a document. Embed JPG/PNG inside it, don't compress it like a photo.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best image format for a website?+
WEBP for almost everything. It's 25–35% smaller than JPG at the same quality, supports transparency like PNG, and is supported by every modern browser. Use JPG as a fallback only if you serve users on very old systems.
What's the best format for photos?+
JPG for sharing and email (universal compatibility, small files), WEBP for websites (smaller still), and AVIF when you can verify the destination supports it (smallest of all).
Which format has transparency?+
PNG, WEBP and AVIF support full alpha transparency. GIF supports 1-bit on/off transparency. JPG, BMP and TIFF (in most uses) do not.
Why won't my iPhone's HEIC photo open on Windows?+
HEIC needs a codec Windows doesn't ship with by default. The simplest fix is to convert HEIC to JPG — it works on every device and app, with no extra software installs.
Should I use PNG or JPG for screenshots?+
PNG. Screenshots have sharp text and large flat colour areas that JPG compresses badly (blurry text edges). PNG keeps every pixel exactly.
What's the difference between WEBP and AVIF?+
AVIF compresses even better than WEBP — often half the size at the same visual quality — but is supported by fewer apps. Use AVIF for cutting-edge web delivery; use WEBP when you need broader compatibility.
Is SVG an image format?+
Yes — it's a vector format, meaning it's described by shapes rather than pixels. SVGs scale to any size without losing quality and are ideal for logos and icons. They cannot store photographs.
Is PDF an image format?+
PDF is a document format, but it's often used to ship one or more images as a single file (receipts, scans, certificates). PDFs can embed JPG or PNG images inside them.