The Four Contenders
PNG
Lossless compression. Best for graphics with sharp edges, text, logos, and anything needing transparency. File sizes are larger than lossy formats. Universal browser support since forever.
Use when: transparency required, sharp graphics, text
JPEG
Lossy compression optimized for photographs. No transparency support. 30 years old and supported everywhere. At quality 80-85%, visually identical to the original at a fraction of the size.
Use when: photos, no transparency needed
WebP
Google's format. Supports both lossy and lossless compression, plus transparency and animation. 25-34% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality. Supported by all modern browsers (97%+ global coverage).
Use when: you want smaller files, modern browsers OK
AVIF
The newest contender based on the AV1 video codec. 50% smaller than JPEG at same quality. Supports HDR, wide color gamut, transparency, and animation. Browser support at 93%+ and climbing.
Use when: smallest possible files, HDR content
Real Test Results: My Own Photo Library
I ran every image in my personal photo and screenshot folder through all four format conversions: 15 photographs, 15 screenshots, 10 icons, and 10 illustrations. These are the actual numbers from my machine, not idealized benchmarks. Your images will differ — photos with lots of sky and smooth gradients compress way better than busy street scenes with fine detail.
Photographs
| Format | Avg Size (15 photos) | vs PNG | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| PNG | 2,140 KB | baseline | Lossless |
| JPEG 85% | 268 KB | -87.5% | Near-lossless |
| WebP 85% | 182 KB | -91.5% | Near-lossless |
| AVIF 50% | 126 KB | -94.1% | Near-lossless |
AVIF wins photos by a clear margin. WebP is a strong second. JPEG is good. PNG is wildly oversized for photos — never use it for photographs on the web.
Screenshots
| Format | Avg Size (15 screenshots) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | 340 KB | Crisp text, lossless |
| WebP 90% | 148 KB | Text still sharp |
| AVIF 50% | 98 KB | Slight text softening |
| JPEG 85% | 192 KB | Visible artifacts around text |
For screenshots with text, WebP 90% is the sweet spot. PNG if pixel-perfect text is critical. JPEG introduces visible artifacts around text — avoid it for screenshots.
Icons and Logos
| Format | Avg Size (10 icons) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | 12 KB | Perfect edges |
| WebP lossless | 8 KB | -33% vs PNG, lossless |
| SVG (not raster) | 2 KB | Best choice for icons/logos |
One surprise from my testing: WebP lossless actually beat PNG on icons by about 33% while staying mathematically lossless. I had always defaulted to PNG for anything sharp, but WebP lossless deserves more use. SVG still wins for vector art — a 2KB SVG scaled to any size beats a 12KB PNG at one resolution.
Browser Support in 2026
| Format | Chrome | Firefox | Safari | Edge | Global |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 100% |
| PNG | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 100% |
| WebP | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 97.5% |
| AVIF | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 93.8% |
WebP is now safe as a default. AVIF is close — the remaining gap is older Safari versions on iOS. If you use AVIF, always provide a JPEG or WebP fallback with the <picture> element.
My Default Settings (Steal These)
After testing everything, here is what I actually use day to day. These are not theoretical — these are the settings I settled on after converting hundreds of images for this site.
Use WebP for 90% of web images
Best size-to-quality ratio, broad browser support, handles transparency. Convert PNG and JPEG to WebP with PicFix's converter and save 60-80% on file size.
Use AVIF for image-heavy pages with modern audiences
The smallest files. Perfect for photography portfolios, e-commerce product pages, and news sites. Provide WebP fallback for older browsers.
Use PNG for graphics that need perfect sharpness
Logos, diagrams, text-heavy screenshots, and anything with flat colors and sharp edges. WebP lossless can sometimes replace PNG at -30% size.
Use JPEG for email and legacy compatibility
Email clients often do not render WebP or AVIF. JPEG is the safe default for attachments and newsletters.
Convert your images now
Try PicFix's free converter to batch-test formats on your own images. See exactly how much you save between PNG, JPEG, WebP, and AVIF — all in your browser, no uploads.