FormatDrop
Image Format

WebP

Web Picture Format

WebP is Google's open-source image format, designed to replace JPEG and PNG on the web. It produces files 25–35% smaller than equivalent JPEG or PNG images, supports transparency, and is supported by all modern browsers. The gap is everywhere else: image editors, messaging apps, and desktop software lag behind.

What is WebP?

WebP was developed by Google and released in 2010, originally based on the intra-frame encoding from the VP8 video codec. It uses a combination of predictive coding, entropy coding, and colour transformation to achieve better compression than JPEG for photographs and better than PNG for images with transparency. WebP comes in two varieties: lossy (like JPEG, discards some image data for smaller files) and lossless (like PNG, mathematically exact reconstruction). Both variants also support an alpha channel for transparency — something JPEG can't do at all. WebP also supports animation as an alternative to GIF, with far better quality and smaller file sizes. All major browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari (since version 14 in 2020) — now support WebP natively. The widespread use of WebP on the web is why right-clicking to save an image in Chrome often gives you a .webp file instead of a .jpg or .png.

WebP pros and cons

Advantages

  • 25–35% smaller than JPEG at comparable quality
  • 26% smaller than PNG for lossless images
  • Supports transparency (alpha channel) in both lossy and lossless modes
  • Supports animation as a GIF replacement
  • Royalty-free and open-source
  • Supported by all modern browsers

Limitations

  • Older software (Photoshop before 2022, MS Paint) can't open WebP
  • Many messaging apps and email clients don't support WebP uploads
  • Wider compatibility requires conversion to JPG or PNG
  • Slightly slower to encode than JPEG

When should you convert WebP files?

Convert WebP to JPG when you need to use an image in older software, send via email or messaging apps, or upload to platforms that don't accept WebP. Convert WebP to PNG if you need lossless quality or transparency without the WebP format limitation. Convert JPG or PNG to WebP when optimising images for a website — the smaller file sizes improve page load speed. Convert WebP to GIF if you need an animated WebP as a GIF for platforms that don't support WebP animation.

Convert WebP files

WEBP→JPG
WEBP→PNG
WEBP→GIF
PNG→WEBP
JPG→WEBP

All FormatDrop conversions run entirely in your browser — no file upload, no server processing. Your files stay on your device.

WebP FAQ

Does WebP support transparency?
Yes — WebP supports an alpha channel for transparency in both its lossy and lossless modes. This makes it suitable as a replacement for PNG in web use cases where transparency is needed. The advantage over PNG is smaller file size; the disadvantage is that software which doesn't support WebP also won't render the transparency correctly.
Is WebP better than PNG?
For web delivery, yes — WebP lossless is about 26% smaller than an equivalent PNG. For universal compatibility, PNG is better — every piece of software supports PNG, while WebP still has gaps in desktop applications. If you're delivering images through a website and control the server, WebP is strictly better. If you need to share an image with someone who might open it in any software, PNG is safer.
Why are images being saved as WebP?
When you right-click and save an image in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge, the browser saves it in the format the website delivered it — which is increasingly WebP, since webmasters use it for performance. The file is correct; it's just that the software you're trying to open it in may not support WebP. Convert it to JPG or PNG using FormatDrop to make it universally usable.

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