What Are Image Formats?A Complete Guide to Common Image Formats
A clear breakdown of the most common image formats — JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, HEIC and more — covering their strengths, weaknesses and ideal use cases, with individual deep-dives and side-by-side comparisons.
How to choose an image format: use JPG for photos; PNG for transparency or crisp graphics; WebP for smaller file sizes, AVIF for maximum compression; convert iPhone HEIC to JPG before sharing across devices; and SVG for icons and logos. Read on for per-format details and popular comparisons.
Overview of Major Image Formats
Click to explore each format. Additional format pages are being added.
Lossy compression with small file sizes — the de facto standard for digital photos and web images. No transparency support.
View guideLossless compression with full alpha transparency. Ideal for UI elements, screenshots and graphics with sharp edges.
View guideSmaller file sizes than JPG/PNG at equivalent quality. Supports lossy, lossless, transparency and animation. Widely supported by modern browsers.
View guideSuperior compression with HDR and wide-color-gamut support. Browser compatibility is still catching up.
View guideiPhone's default photo format — roughly half the size of JPG, but limited cross-device compatibility.
View guide256-color indexed format that supports animation. Large file sizes and limited quality — increasingly replaced by WebP or video.
View guideCode-based vector format that scales to any size without quality loss. Perfect for icons and logos.
View guideLossless, high bit-depth format used in print and archival workflows. Large file sizes make it unsuitable for the web.
View guidePick a Format by Use Case
Don't want to read everything? Use this quick-reference guide.
Photography / Web photos
Use JPG. For smaller files, consider WebP or AVIF.
Transparency / UI graphics
Use PNG. For modern projects, lossless WebP is a great alternative.
Icons / Logos
Use SVG — vector graphics scale perfectly at any size.
Sharing iPhone photos
Convert HEIC to JPG to ensure compatibility across all devices.
Popular Format Comparisons
Torn between two formats? Jump straight to the comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on your use case. JPG for photos (or the more modern WebP/AVIF); PNG for transparency or sharp graphics; SVG for icons and logos; convert iPhone HEIC to JPG before sharing. For web performance, prioritize WebP or AVIF.
They outperform JPG/PNG in compression and quality, but browser and software compatibility isn't universal yet. Use them for web-facing content and keep JPG/PNG as fallbacks for broader sharing.
The format is likely unsupported by your current OS or app — HEIC on Windows and AVIF in older browsers are classic examples. Converting to JPG or PNG will let it open anywhere. Widantoo can handle the conversion locally in your browser.
Browser and device support figures change with software updates. All statistics on this site are cited with their source and date, and are reviewed regularly.