TL;DR: In the PNG vs JPG choice, the big difference is compression. JPG (also written JPEG) uses lossy compression, throwing away detail you usually can’t see to make photos small. PNG uses lossless compression, so every pixel is preserved, and it supports transparency, which JPG does not. Use JPG for photographs and large, colorful images where file size matters. Use PNG for screenshots, logos, text, charts, line art and anything that needs a transparent background. For websites, newer formats like WebP and AVIF can beat both.
Choosing between PNG vs JPG is one of the most common decisions in design and on the web, and picking the wrong one leads to blurry screenshots, fuzzy logos or photos that take forever to load. Both are raster formats, meaning they store images as grids of pixels, but they were built for very different jobs. This guide explains how each works, compares them side by side and gives you simple rules for when to use which.
What is a JPG?
JPG, or JPEG, is named after the Joint Photographic Experts Group, the committee that created the standard. According to MDN’s image format guide, it is “currently the most widely used lossy compression format for still images” and is “particularly useful for photographs.”
JPEG compression is based on the discrete cosine transform. In plain terms, it analyzes small blocks of the image and discards fine detail and subtle color changes that the human eye is less sensitive to. You choose a quality level when saving: higher quality keeps more detail and makes larger files, lower quality makes smaller files with more visible artifacts.
JPG strengths and weaknesses
- Small files for photos: great for images with smooth gradients and millions of colors.
- Universal support: every browser, phone, camera and editing app handles it.
- No transparency: MDN notes that JPEG does not support an alpha channel, so backgrounds are always solid.
- Quality loss on re-saving: each time you edit and re-save a JPG, more detail can be lost.
- Artifacts on sharp edges: text, line art and screenshots can show blocky or smudgy halos.
What is a PNG?
PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics and is pronounced “ping.” It is an open format published by the W3C. MDN describes it as using lossless compression “while supporting higher color depths than GIF,” with “full alpha transparency support.”
Lossless means that when you open a PNG, you get back exactly the pixels that were saved, no matter how many times you re-save it. PNG can also store indexed color (a limited palette like GIF), which keeps simple graphics such as icons and diagrams very small.
PNG strengths and weaknesses
- Pixel-perfect quality: ideal for text, UI screenshots and crisp edges.
- Transparency: supports full alpha channels, so logos can sit on any background.
- Safe for editing: no generation loss when you re-save.
- Large files for photos: a photograph saved as PNG is usually several times larger than a good-quality JPG.
PNG vs JPG: side-by-side comparison
| Feature | JPG / JPEG | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy (DCT-based) | Lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes, full alpha channel |
| Best for | Photos, complex images with gradients | Screenshots, logos, text, charts, line art |
| File size for photos | Small | Large |
| File size for simple graphics | Medium, with artifacts | Small, especially with indexed color |
| Quality after re-saving | Degrades | Unchanged |
| Color depth | 8 bits per channel | Up to 16 bits per channel |
| Animation | No | Via APNG extension |
| File extensions | .jpg, .jpeg | .png |
Color-depth and transparency details are from MDN’s format reference. One quick clarification: JPG and JPEG are the same format. The three-letter .jpg extension dates back to MS-DOS and early Windows, which limited file extensions to three characters.
When to use JPG
- Photographs for websites, blogs and social media
- Hero images and large backgrounds where loading speed matters
- Email attachments of photos, where smaller files send faster
- Product photos on online stores, unless you need a transparent cutout
Tip: for web photos, a quality setting in the 70–85 range in most editors is a common starting point. Compare the result at 100% zoom and lower it until you notice artifacts.
When to use PNG
- Screenshots of apps, websites and documents
- Logos and icons, especially on transparent backgrounds (though SVG is better when a vector version exists)
- Images containing text, such as infographics or social graphics
- Charts, diagrams and line art
- Working files you’ll keep editing before a final export
MDN sums it up well: for screenshots, diagrams, logos and line art, prefer lossless encoding, “as blurring and colored fringes around text and sharp edges are very visible.” Photographs “can usually tolerate lossy compression.”
What about WebP and AVIF?
If you’re publishing on the web, you’re not limited to PNG and JPG. MDN recommends WebP or AVIF for most raster images because they “generally provide better compression than PNG, JPEG, and GIF.” According to MDN, lossy WebP images are on average 25–35% smaller than comparable JPEGs, and lossless WebP files are typically 26% smaller than the same PNGs. Both newer formats also support transparency.
Many sites serve WebP or AVIF and keep a JPG or PNG fallback using the HTML <picture> element. Content management systems and image CDNs often handle the conversion automatically, so you can keep uploading JPG and PNG originals.
How to convert between PNG and JPG
- On Windows: open the image in Paint or Photos, choose Save as and pick JPEG or PNG.
- On Mac: open it in Preview, select File > Export and choose the format from the menu.
- In design apps: Photoshop, Figma, Canva and GIMP all let you export to either format.
Keep in mind that converting a JPG to PNG won’t restore detail that JPEG compression already removed; it only stops further loss. And converting a transparent PNG to JPG fills the transparent areas with a solid color, usually white or black.
For print work, file format is only half the story. Make sure you also understand RGB vs CMYK, and for web graphics, check your color contrast before you export.
Bottom line
The PNG vs JPG decision comes down to content. If it’s a photo, JPG gives you good quality at a fraction of the size. If it has text, sharp edges, flat colors or needs transparency, PNG keeps it crisp. For the web, consider WebP or AVIF with a JPG or PNG fallback to get the best of both.
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