The WEBP format

WEBP is a web image format that can be lossy or lossless, with transparency and animation. Google released WebP in 2010 to make web pages load faster; it took until Safari 14 in 2020 for every major browser to show it.

When to use WEBP

Use WEBP for pictures on your own website or app, where every kilobyte affects load time.

It is best for images on websites, where smaller files load faster, and it opens on every current browser, but plenty of desktop apps, print shops and upload forms still refuse it.

How to open it: Drag it into any browser tab to view it. Windows Photos and macOS Preview open it too; older editors may not.

WEBP at a glance
Full name	WebP
Extensions	.webp
MIME type	image/webp
Introduced	2010
Compression	Lossy or lossless
Transparency	Yes
Animation	Yes
Support	Current browsers and apps
Typical size	Typically 25–35% smaller than the same JPG

Good at

Usually a quarter to a third smaller than JPG at similar quality
Transparency and animation in one format
A lossless mode that often beats PNG

Not so good at

Many forms, print services and older apps reject it
“Save image as” on a website leaves you with a WEBP you can’t use elsewhere

The common mistake

Images saved from websites arrive as WEBP even when the page looked like it showed a JPG, and then a document editor or upload form refuses them.

Convert WEBP to another image format

Convert to WEBP from

Compare WEBP with

Questions

What is a WEBP file?

WEBP (WebP) is a web image format that can be lossy or lossless, with transparency and animation. Google released WebP in 2010 to make web pages load faster; it took until Safari 14 in 2020 for every major browser to show it.

How do I open a WEBP file?

Drag it into any browser tab to view it. Windows Photos and macOS Preview open it too; older editors may not.

How do I convert WEBP to another format?

Pick the target on this page, or open the Image Converter, drop the WEBP file and choose a format. It converts in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.