Free Convert to WebP

When to convert images to WebP

Images are often the heaviest part of a web page. WebP usually stores a photo in fewer bytes than JPG at a similar look, and it keeps transparency like PNG while often being much smaller. Converting site images to WebP can make pages load faster, especially on mobile connections.

It suits blog photos, product images, banners and transparent logos on modern websites. Keep JPG or PNG copies for places that may not read WebP, such as some email programs, office documents and older software.

Converting is a one-image-at-a-time job on this page, which makes it best for a handful of key images such as a hero banner, a logo and the main product photos. Those are usually the files that matter most for how quickly a page appears.

Worked example: a product photo for a store page

Suppose product.jpg is 2400 by 1600 pixels and 1,200,000 bytes, but the page shows it no wider than 1200 pixels. Enter 1200 in Max width and the output becomes 1200 by 800 pixels, a quarter of the pixels. At Balanced, say the WebP is 95,000 bytes. The badge shows (1,200,000 - 95,000) / 1,200,000 x 100 = 92.1% smaller, and the readout shows 92.77 KB.

For a transparent logo.png, the WebP keeps the clear background. If the logo has very few colors, the PNG may already be small, so compare the sizes; WebP is not always the winner for simple flat graphics.

Any browser-readable image works as a source. An animated GIF converts to a single still WebP image, and an AVIF file can be converted for wider compatibility, since WebP is supported by more software than AVIF.

How the conversion works

Your browser decodes the source image and draws it onto a canvas, scaled down if you set a Max width. The pixels are encoded twice at your chosen quality: by the browser and by the dedicated libwebp encoder, which uses its slowest, most thorough method and sharper color conversion. The smaller valid WebP is kept.

Transparency is encoded at full alpha quality, so edges stay clean. Metadata such as camera details is not copied. Quality changes how much detail is discarded, and lower values trade sharpness for size. All encoding happens on your device.

The preview updates a moment after each change, and any encode still running for older settings is cancelled, so the size you see always matches the settings on screen. The number is the real encoded size, not an estimate, and it is exactly what you download.

Common mistakes to avoid

Converting an image that is far larger than its display size wastes most of the benefit. Set Max width first, then adjust quality. Another mistake is converting an already heavily compressed JPG at a high quality setting, which can produce a WebP that is barely smaller or even larger; check the badge and try Balanced.

Finally, do not delete your originals. The WebP is normally lossy, so the original JPG or PNG remains the best source for future edits, prints or a different format later.