WebP is considered better than JPEG in several ways, depending on the use case. WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides both lossless and lossy compression, while JPEG only supports lossy compression. This gives WebP a significant advantage in terms of flexibility and efficiency.
- Compression: WebP files are typically 30-50% smaller than JPEGs at the same level of visual quality, which makes WebP a better option for web performance and faster load times.
- Transparency: WebP supports transparency (alpha channel), much like PNG, whereas JPEG does not. This makes WebP more versatile when handling images that require transparency.
- Lossless and Lossy Options: WebP can be used in both lossless and lossy modes, whereas JPEG always applies lossy compression, leading to a reduction in image quality after compression.
However, JPEG is still widely supported across all platforms and devices, making it the preferred format in situations where compatibility is crucial.
Read more about image formats in our guide: Choosing the Right Image Formats: JPG, PNG, WEBP, TIFF.