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PNG vs JPG: which format should you use?
Use JPG for photos and PNG for screenshots, logos and anything with text or a transparent background. JPG files are much smaller; PNG keeps every pixel exactly as it was.
Updated October 20, 2026
The key difference
JPG is “lossy”: it quietly drops detail your eye is unlikely to notice, which is why a phone photo can be a few megabytes instead of dozens. PNG is “lossless”: it stores the image exactly, which suits sharp edges and solid colors but makes photos heavy.
Side by side
| JPG | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Photos | Screenshots, logos, diagrams |
| File size for a photo | Small | Often several times larger |
| Transparent background | No | Yes |
| Text and fine lines | Can look slightly blotchy | Stays crisp |
| Re-saving after edits | Loses a little each time | No loss |
| Accepted by websites and forms | Almost everywhere | Almost everywhere |
A quick rule for common jobs
- Holiday and family photos: JPG.
- Product photos for a shop listing: JPG, unless the site asks otherwise.
- A logo that sits on colored backgrounds: PNG, for the transparency.
- A screenshot of an error message or a receipt: PNG.
- Scanned documents for an online form: JPG keeps the upload small.
How to switch between them
Got a huge PNG photo you need to email? Turn it into a JPG with PNG to JPG. Need a PNG because a design app or form insists? Use JPG to PNG, though it won’t bring back detail the JPG already lost. For anything else, the image converter handles JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF and HEIC.
What about WebP?
WebP can do both jobs: small photo files and transparent graphics. It’s great for your own website, but some apps and forms still refuse it. Our guide Why is my downloaded image a .webp file? covers that side.