PNG vs WebP: Which Format Is Better?

Both PNG and WebP can store an image losslessly with full transparency, which puts them in direct competition for logos, icons, screenshots and cutouts. On file size, WebP wins almost every time.

Size comparison

Lossless WebP typically produces files 20 to 25 percent smaller than an equivalent PNG. Where WebP pulls far ahead is lossy mode with transparency, which PNG cannot do at all. A cutout product photo that is 1.8 MB as PNG can easily be 140 KB as lossy WebP with the alpha channel intact.

Quality considerations

In lossless mode both formats reproduce the original exactly, so the only difference is bytes. In lossy WebP mode, flat colour and hard edges need a higher quality setting than photographs; below roughly 85 you can see softening around crisp graphic edges and text.

Where PNG still makes sense

• Assets that will be opened in desktop software or handed to a client.
• Files destined for print or archival storage.
• Email templates, where client support is unreliable.
• Any pipeline where a downstream tool refuses WebP input.

A sensible policy

Keep PNG or the original layered file as your master, and publish WebP. That way you get the bandwidth saving on your site without losing the ability to hand over a universally readable file when someone asks for one.