What is WebP and why use it?
WebP is an image format designed by Google for the web. For the same visual quality, a WebP image is generally noticeably lighter than a JPG, and often much lighter than a PNG. It also supports transparency, like PNG.
Every current browser displays WebP: Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge, on computers and phones. That makes it a safe choice for websites, blogs and online shops in most situations.
Lighter images mean pages that load faster, especially on mobile networks. Speed matters for your visitors, and page speed is also one of the signals search engines look at.
Convert JPG to WebP for a faster website
Images are often the heaviest part of a web page. Converting them to WebP is one of the simplest improvements you can make:
- Product photos in an online shop load faster, even on a phone.
- Blog illustrations stop slowing down your articles.
- Background and banner images can be large and still light.
For the best result, combine conversion with sensible dimensions. An image displayed 1200 pixels wide does not need to be 4000 pixels wide in the file. Set a maximum width in Plume, or use the resize tool.
Most website builders and content systems, such as WordPress, accept WebP uploads. Check yours if you are unsure.
PNG to WebP: lighter images that keep transparency
This page also accepts PNG files. That is often where the biggest gains are. Logos, illustrations and product cut-outs with a transparent background are usually stored as PNG, which can be heavy. WebP keeps the transparency while making the file much smaller.
If you need a format that works in every program, not just in browsers, JPG remains the most compatible. In that case, see PNG to JPG.
When not to use WebP
WebP is ideal for the web, less so for everything else. Keep a JPG or PNG when:
- you send the image to someone who will open it in older software;
- a form or portal only accepts JPG or PNG;
- you want to print the image through a photo service.
Want to go even lighter? AVIF often beats WebP on size, with a little less compatibility. Try image to AVIF. Received a WebP you cannot open? WebP to JPG solves that.
Batch convert to WebP, privately
Drop all the images of your website at once. Plume converts them with the same settings and gives you a ZIP to upload. No account, no watermark, no daily limit.
Unlike most online tools that upload your files, Plume converts images inside your browser. Nothing leaves your device, and conversion works offline once the page is loaded. Metadata is removed by default, which also makes files a little lighter.
Which quality should you choose for WebP?
WebP keeps a good look at lower settings than JPG, so you can often go a step lower than you would with a JPG:
- High quality: for photography portfolios and large hero images where detail is the point.
- Balanced: the right setting for most websites, shops and blogs. Sharp on screen and much lighter.
- Smallest: for thumbnails, background images and anything shown small.
Plume shows the original size and the WebP size side by side, so you can try a setting on a few images before converting the whole batch. A good habit is to check one image at full size on a phone and on a computer: if it looks right on both, the setting is right for the rest.
Keep your original JPG or PNG files somewhere safe. If you ever need a different size or format, it is always better to start again from the original than from the WebP.