File Extension Guide📖 What is a WebP File?
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google in 2010 that provides superior compression for images on the web. WebP files are significantly smaller than equivalent JPG or PNG files while maintaining the same visual quality — making websites faster and more efficient.
WebP is unique because it combines the best features of other formats: it supports both lossy compression (like JPG), lossless compression (like PNG), transparency (like PNG), and animation (like GIF) — all in one format!
Key Advantages
- 25-34% smaller than JPG at same quality
- 26% smaller than PNG with transparency
- Up to 64% smaller than GIF for animations
- Both lossy & lossless compression options
Best For
- Website images (faster page loads)
- Progressive web apps (PWAs)
- Any platform where file size matters
- Replacing JPG, PNG, and GIF
⚡ Quick Facts
| File Extension | .webp |
| Full Name | Web Picture (WebP) |
| Category | Raster Image / Animated Image |
| MIME Type | image/webp |
| Developed By | Google (based on VP8 video codec) |
| First Released | September 30, 2010 |
| Compression | Lossy (VP8) and Lossless |
| Color Depth | 24-bit RGB + 8-bit alpha (32-bit RGBA) |
| Max Dimensions | 16,383 × 16,383 pixels |
| Transparency | Yes — full alpha channel support |
| Animation | Yes — with better quality than GIF |
| Metadata | EXIF, XMP, ICC color profiles |
🗜️ The WebP Compression Advantage
WebP's compression is based on the VP8 video codec technology, which Google developed for WebM video. This gives WebP significant advantages over older image formats.
Two Compression Modes
🔹 Lossy WebP
- Based on VP8 video compression
- Uses predictive coding (predicts pixel values)
- 25-34% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality
- Best for: photographs, complex images
🔹 Lossless WebP
- Uses transform coding and entropy coding
- Preserves every pixel exactly
- 26% smaller than PNG
- Best for: graphics, logos, screenshots
File Size Comparison
Same 1200×800 photo at equivalent visual quality:
🚀 Why WebP is Faster
WebP's advanced compression means less data to download. A website with 20 images averaging 450KB each (9MB total) could reduce to just 6MB with WebP — saving 3MB per page load. At scale, this translates to faster sites, lower bandwidth costs, and happier users!
30%
Average Savings
✨ Key Features
WebP combines the best features of JPG, PNG, and GIF into one versatile format:
🖼️
Lossy Compression
Like JPG but 25-34% smaller. Perfect for photographs.
🔒
Lossless Mode
Like PNG but 26% smaller. Preserves every pixel.
👻
Transparency
Full alpha channel support for see-through areas.
🎬
Animation
Like GIF but with full color and up to 64% smaller.
🎨 WebP Transparency
WebP supports 8-bit alpha channel transparency, just like PNG-32. Unlike GIF's binary transparency, WebP allows 256 levels of opacity for smooth, anti-aliased edges.
Bonus: Lossy WebP with alpha is typically 3x smaller than lossless PNG-24 with alpha!
🎬 WebP Animation
Animated WebP supports 24-bit color (vs GIF's 256), full alpha transparency, and much better compression. An animated WebP can be up to 64% smaller than an equivalent GIF.
Note: Creating animated WebP is less common — most tools still output GIF or video.
🌐 Browser Support
WebP now has excellent browser support, covering 97%+ of global users. Here's the current status:
Chrome
✓ Since 2014
Firefox
✓ Since 2019
Edge
✓ Since 2018
Safari
✓ Since 2020
Opera
✓ Since 2014
Android
✓ All versions
iOS Safari
✓ Since iOS 14
IE 11
✗ No support
<picture> element.
HTML Code for WebP with Fallback:
<picture>
<source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
<source srcset="image.jpg" type="image/jpeg">
<img src="image.jpg" alt="Description">
</picture>⚔️ WebP vs JPG vs PNG vs GIF: Complete Comparison
How does WebP stack up against traditional image formats? Here's a comprehensive comparison:
| Feature | WebP | JPG | PNG | GIF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lossy Compression | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Lossless Mode | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transparency | ✓ Alpha | ✗ | ✓ Alpha | ~ Binary |
| Animation | ✓ | ✗ | ~ APNG | ✓ |
| Color Depth | 24-bit + alpha | 24-bit | Up to 48-bit | 8-bit (256) |
| File Size (Photos) | ✓ Smallest | ~ Medium | ✗ Largest | ✗ N/A |
| Browser Support | ✓ 97%+ | ✓ 100% | ✓ 100% | ✓ 100% |
| Software Support | ~ Growing | ✓ Universal | ✓ Universal | ✓ Universal |
✓ WebP Advantages
- Smaller files — 25-34% smaller than JPG
- One format does it all — photos, graphics, animations
- Better transparency — lossy + alpha (PNG can't do this)
- Better animations — full color, smaller than GIF
- Faster websites — improved Core Web Vitals
✗ WebP Limitations
- Not universal — older software may not support it
- Editing workflow — fewer native tools than JPG/PNG
- Email clients — limited support in email
- Social media — some platforms convert to JPG
- Max 16,383px — smaller than PNG's limit
✨ When to Use WebP
WebP is ideal for these scenarios:
Websites & Web Apps
The #1 use case. Faster load times, better Core Web Vitals, lower bandwidth costs. Use with fallbacks for maximum compatibility.
Mobile Apps
Smaller app size and faster image loading. Android has native support; iOS supports WebP since iOS 14.
E-commerce
Product images load faster = better conversion rates. Many e-commerce platforms auto-convert to WebP.
CDN & Image APIs
Services like Cloudflare, Imgix, and Cloudinary can auto-serve WebP based on browser support.
Logos & Graphics
Lossless WebP with transparency is perfect for logos — smaller than PNG with the same quality.
Animated Content
Better quality than GIF with smaller files. Great for animated stickers and short loops.
✓ Use WebP For:
- Website and web app images
- Mobile app assets
- E-commerce product photos
- Logos and graphics with transparency
- Any web content where size matters
✗ Avoid WebP For:
- Email newsletters (poor support)
- Print/professional photography (use TIFF)
- Archive/master files (use original format)
- Social media uploads (often re-compressed)
- When universal compatibility is essential
📂 How to Open a WebP File
WebP support has improved dramatically. Here's how to open WebP files on different platforms:
Web Browsers (Easiest)
Tip: Drag and drop any WebP file into a browser tab. This is the most reliable method and works on any OS.
Windows
Note: Windows 7/8 don't support WebP natively. Use a browser or install the WebP Codec.
macOS
Note: macOS Big Sur and earlier don't support WebP natively. Use Safari or update your OS.
Mobile Devices
Tip: Both iOS and Android have full WebP support in recent versions.
Image Editing Software
Photoshop
✓ 23.2+
GIMP
✓ 2.10+
Paint.NET
✓ Plugin
Figma
✓ Native
Canva
✓ Native
Pixlr
✓ Online
🔄 How to Convert WebP Files
Need to convert WebP to JPG/PNG or vice versa? Here are your options:
Online Conversion Tools (Free)
Step-by-Step: Convert WebP to JPG/PNG
Upload
Go to Squoosh.app and drop your WebP file
Choose Format
Select JPG or PNG from the output options
Adjust Quality
Set quality level (80-90 recommended)
Download
Click download to save your converted image
💻 Convert on Windows
- Open the WebP file in Paint (Windows 11)
- Click File → Save As
- Choose JPEG or PNG format
- Click Save
🍎 Convert on Mac
- Open the WebP file in Preview
- Click File → Export
- Select JPEG or PNG from Format dropdown
- Click Save
cwebp and dwebp from Google's WebP toolkit.
📜 History of WebP
WebP's journey from Google project to web standard:
2010 - WebP Announced
Google announced WebP on September 30, 2010, as a new image format derived from the VP8 video codec. Initial release only supported lossy compression.
2011 - Lossless & Alpha Added
Google added lossless compression mode and alpha transparency support, making WebP a true alternative to both JPG and PNG.
2014 - Animation Support
Animated WebP support was added, positioning WebP as a GIF replacement with better quality and smaller files.
2018 - Firefox Adds Support
Firefox 65 added WebP support, joining Chrome, Edge, and Opera. This significantly increased WebP's viability for web use.
2020 - Safari Finally Joins
Apple added WebP support to Safari 14 and iOS 14, bringing WebP to near-universal browser support for the first time.
Today - Web Standard
WebP is now supported by 97%+ of browsers and is the recommended image format for web performance. Major platforms like WordPress auto-convert to WebP.
2010
Year Created
By Google
97%
Browser Support
Global coverage
30%
Avg. Size Reduction
vs JPG/PNG
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression for images on the web. It was announced on September 30, 2010.
WebP uses compression technology derived from the VP8 video codec. It supports:
- Lossy compression — 25-34% smaller than JPG
- Lossless compression — 26% smaller than PNG
- Transparency — full alpha channel support
- Animation — like GIF but better quality
WebP files use the .webp extension and MIME type image/webp.
WebP files can be opened with:
- Web browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari (easiest method: drag and drop)
- Windows 10/11 — Photos app, Paint (Win 11)
- macOS Monterey+ — Preview, Quick Look
- Mobile — iOS 14+, Android (native support)
- Image editors — Photoshop (23.2+), GIMP (2.10+), Figma, Canva
If you can't open WebP: Use a web browser (always works) or convert to JPG/PNG using online tools like Squoosh or Convertio.
Key differences between WebP and JPG:
| Feature | WebP | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| File Size | 25-34% smaller | Larger (baseline) |
| Transparency | ✓ Yes (alpha channel) | ✗ No |
| Animation | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Lossless Mode | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Browser Support | 97%+ | 100% |
| Software Support | Growing | Universal |
Bottom line: WebP is better for web performance; JPG is better for maximum compatibility.
Yes, WebP fully supports transparency with an 8-bit alpha channel, just like PNG.
WebP transparency advantages:
- Lossy WebP with alpha — Something PNG can't do! Get JPG-like compression with transparency.
- 26% smaller than equivalent PNG files with transparency
- 256 opacity levels — smooth anti-aliased edges
This makes WebP ideal for logos, icons, and graphics that need transparent backgrounds while keeping file sizes small.
Yes, WebP supports animation, similar to GIF but with significant advantages:
- 24-bit color — vs GIF's 256 colors
- Alpha transparency — vs GIF's binary transparency
- Up to 64% smaller — vs equivalent GIF files
- Better quality — no color banding or dithering
Note: Creating animated WebP is less common than GIF. Most online tools still output GIF, though Squoosh and some converters support animated WebP creation.
WebP files may not open if you're using older software:
- Windows 7/8 — No native support. Use a browser or install WebP codec.
- macOS pre-Monterey — No native support. Use Safari or update your OS.
- Old Photoshop — Need version 23.2 (2022) or later.
- iOS pre-14 — Update to iOS 14 or later.
Solutions:
- Open in any web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)
- Convert to JPG/PNG using Squoosh.app or Convertio
- Update your operating system or software
Online tools (free):
- Squoosh.app — Google's free tool, excellent quality
- Convertio.co — Batch conversion support
- CloudConvert.com — Many format options
On your computer:
- Windows 11: Open in Paint → Save As → Choose JPG or PNG
- macOS: Open in Preview → File → Export → Choose format
- Any OS: Open in GIMP → Export As → Choose format
Batch conversion: Use XnConvert (free desktop app) or Google's command-line tools (cwebp/dwebp).
Yes, WebP is highly recommended for websites. Benefits include:
- Faster page loads — 30% smaller images = faster loading
- Better Core Web Vitals — Improved LCP and overall performance
- Lower bandwidth costs — Less data transfer
- 97%+ browser support — Works for almost all visitors
Implementation tips:
- Use the
<picture>element with JPG/PNG fallbacks - Many CDNs (Cloudflare, Fastly) auto-convert to WebP
- WordPress 5.8+ supports WebP uploads natively
- Use tools like Squoosh or ImageOptim to convert existing images
📝 Summary
- WebP is a modern image format by Google (2010)
- Uses .webp file extension
- 25-34% smaller than JPG at same quality
- 26% smaller than PNG for lossless
- Supports transparency (alpha channel)
- Supports animation (better than GIF)
- Both lossy and lossless compression modes
- 97%+ browser support globally
- Ideal for websites and web apps
- Can be converted to/from JPG, PNG, GIF
