Transparency is preserved
This is the main reason to choose WebP over JPEG when converting a PNG. WebP supports a full 8-bit alpha channel, so logos, icons and cut-out images keep their transparent backgrounds.
You also get a choice JPEG does not offer: lossless WebP, which is typically 20–30% smaller than the equivalent PNG with pixel-identical output, or lossy WebP, which is dramatically smaller with some quality cost.
How much smaller
For photographs stored as PNG, expect 80–90% smaller with lossy WebP. For logos and flat graphics, lossless WebP saves a more modest 20–30% — real, but less dramatic, because PNG already compresses that kind of content well.
Screenshots sit in between and depend heavily on content: a screenshot of text compresses well losslessly, while one containing photographs does not.
Frequently asked questions
- Does WebP keep transparency?
- Yes, WebP supports a full alpha channel, both in its lossy and lossless modes.
- Is WebP smaller than PNG?
- Always, in practice. Lossless WebP is typically 20–30% smaller than PNG with identical pixels; lossy WebP is far smaller again.
- Should I use WebP for logos and icons?
- For raster logos, yes. For anything you need to scale freely, SVG is better still — it is a vector format and stays sharp at any size.