JPG or PNG? How to choose, and convert between them
Quick answer
JPG compresses the image for a smaller file, at a small cost to quality, and has no transparency - use it for photographs. PNG stores the image losslessly and supports transparency, at a larger file size - use it for screenshots, diagrams, logos and anything with sharp lines, text or a transparent background.
Free, no sign-up, and your file is read on your own device rather than uploaded.
The two formats solve different problems, not the same problem better or worse. JPG compresses the image itself - smaller file, at a small and usually invisible cost to quality on a photograph, but with no support for transparency at all. PNG stores the image exactly, pixel for pixel, which keeps text, lines and diagrams perfectly crisp and supports a transparent background, at the cost of a larger file.
Which one is right depends entirely on what the image actually is: a photo, where JPG's compression is barely noticeable and the size saving is large, or a screenshot, logo or diagram, where PNG's sharpness and transparency support matter more than the extra file size.
Tips
- A photograph almost always belongs in JPG - the compression is built around exactly the kind of detail a photo has, and the file size difference versus PNG is substantial.
- A screenshot, a logo, or anything with flat colours and sharp edges belongs in PNG - JPG compression visibly softens fine lines and text that PNG keeps perfectly crisp.
- If the image needs a transparent background - a logo placed over different coloured sections of a page - PNG is the only one of the two that supports it at all.
Common problems
A screenshot or diagram saved as JPG looks slightly blurry around text and lines.
That is JPG's compression - it is tuned for photographs and softens fine detail. Convert it to PNG instead, or re-export the original as PNG if you still have it.
A photo saved as PNG is far larger than expected.
PNG's lossless storage is not built for photographic detail the way JPG's compression is. Convert it to JPG for a much smaller file with very little visible quality difference.
Frequently asked questions
- Which is better, JPG or PNG?
- Neither is universally better - JPG suits photographs (smaller file, minimal visible loss), and PNG suits screenshots, diagrams, logos and anything needing transparency (larger file, perfectly sharp, lossless).
- Does PNG support transparency and JPG does not?
- Yes, exactly - PNG can have a fully or partially transparent background; JPG has no transparency support at all, so a transparent area becomes a solid colour if converted.
- Is PNG always higher quality than JPG?
- PNG is lossless, so in that specific sense yes - but 'higher quality' does not mean 'always the better choice'. A photograph saved as PNG is much larger for a difference in quality that is barely visible against a well-compressed JPG.
- Can I convert between the two?
- Yes - PNG to JPG and JPG to PNG are both supported, so you are not locked into whichever format an image happens to already be in.
Related image tools
- PNG to JPGConvert a PNG to a smaller JPG, with transparency handled properly.
- JPG to PNGConvert a JPG into a lossless PNG, entirely in your browser.
- Image CompressorShrink an image by quality or to an exact target size in KB.
Related articles
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How to convert a PNG to JPG
Upload your PNG, choose the output quality, and download it as a JPG. Transparency is not supported in JPG, so any transparent area is filled with a solid background first.
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Need a smaller image for email? Compress it in your browser
Upload your image, choose a quality level or a target file size in KB, and download the smaller result. A photo usually shrinks the most; a screenshot or graphic responds less.