JPG vs PNG: Which Image Format Should You Use?
JPG and PNG are the two most common image formats, but they are built for different jobs. Picking the right one affects file size, quality and where you can use the image.
The short answer
Use JPG for photos. Use PNG for logos, screenshots, graphics with text and anything that needs a transparent background.
JPG
JPG uses lossy compression: it discards some detail the eye barely notices to make files much smaller. That makes it ideal for photographs. It does not support transparency, and quality drops a little each time you re-save it.
PNG
PNG uses lossless compression, so no detail is lost, and it supports transparent backgrounds. The trade-off is size: a photo saved as PNG can be several times larger than the same photo as JPG.
Side-by-side
- File size for photos: JPG is much smaller.
- Sharp edges and text: PNG stays crisp, while JPG can show fuzzy artifacts.
- Transparency: PNG only.
- Repeated editing: PNG keeps quality, JPG loses a little each save.
Need to switch?
Use the JPG to PNG converter or the PNG to JPG converter. When converting PNG to JPG, transparent areas become a solid background, so check the result. For even smaller files on websites, see JPG vs WebP.