PNG or JPG: which should you use?
Both are everywhere, and both open on every device. But picking the wrong one gives files five times too large or blurry text. The rule is simple once you know what each is built for.
The core difference
PNG is lossless. It stores the picture exactly and compresses it the way a ZIP file does, so nothing is thrown away. JPG is lossy. It throws away detail the eye is bad at noticing, such as tiny colour changes, and keeps what matters. That makes it far smaller for natural pictures.
What each is good at
| PNG | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| Photos | Very large files | Small files, great quality |
| Screenshots with text | Sharp, often small | Can blur edges of text |
| Logos and icons | Crisp, supports transparency | Blurry edges, no transparency |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Edit and save repeatedly | No quality loss | Loses a little every time |
Choosing in practice
- Holiday photo to send or upload: JPG.
- Screenshot of an app or a document: PNG if text must stay crisp; JPG if the file must be small and the text is large.
- Logo, diagram or icon: PNG (or SVG), especially if it needs a transparent background.
- A form asking for “JPG”: JPG, even if your file is a PNG.
- Image you will keep editing: PNG while you work, JPG at the end.
Why a PNG photo is so large
A 12-megapixel photo saved as PNG can easily be several times larger than the same photo as JPG, because noise and fine natural texture compress badly without loss. That is why a screenshot of a photo ends up much heavier than the photo itself.
Converting between them
Going from PNG to JPG saves space and is safe for photos. If the PNG has transparent parts you must pick a background colour, because JPG can’t store transparency; see PNG with transparency to JPG. Going from JPG to PNG makes the file larger but doesn’t bring back lost detail, so only do it when a format requires it, using JPG to PNG.
To make a PNG smaller without leaving the format, Compress image can reduce its colours.
Convert PNG to JPG here
Drop your PNG photos here
or
You can also paste an image with Ctrl+V.
Converted on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
Is PNG higher quality than JPG?
PNG is lossless, so it keeps every pixel exactly. JPG is lossy and discards detail the eye barely notices. For photos the difference is rarely visible, for text and sharp edges it can be.
Does converting PNG to JPG lose quality?
A little. JPG is lossy, but at a high quality setting the loss is invisible for photos. Converting back to PNG does not restore it.
Which one supports transparency?
PNG does. JPG does not, so transparent areas must be filled with a colour when converting.
Which is better for the web?
Photos are usually smaller as JPG, WebP or AVIF. Logos, icons and screenshots with sharp edges are usually better as PNG or SVG.
Learn more
- How to reduce an image's file size without ruining itA form says "max 200 KB" and your photo is 4 MB? What makes images big, the right order of steps, and the sizes that work for common uploads.
- Why does the form reject my photo?A form says your photo is too large or the wrong type even though it looks fine. The usual causes, from KB versus KiB to HEIC, pixel limits and file names.
- How to get a photo under 100 KBApplication forms and ID portals often cap photos at 100 KB. What size in pixels works, how quality and dimensions trade off, and how to get there in one step.
- Convert a transparent PNG to JPGJPG cannot store transparency. How to pick the right background colour when converting a PNG, avoid black backgrounds and halos, and keep edges clean.