What Is WebP? Pros, Cons, and Browser Support Explained

Have you ever downloaded an image from a website only to find that the file extension is ".webp" and it won't open? This article explains what WebP is, how it differs from JPEG and PNG, its pros and cons, and browser support — all in beginner-friendly terms.

What Is WebP?

WebP (pronounced "weppy") is an image format developed by Google in 2010. The name combines "Web" and "Picture," and as the name suggests, it is optimized for displaying images on the web.

The file extension is .webp and the MIME type is image/webp. It was designed to improve website loading speed, achieving equivalent or better quality than JPEG and PNG at smaller file sizes.

Google recommends serving images in "next-gen formats (WebP)" through PageSpeed Insights (its page speed diagnostic tool), and WebP adoption is growing widely as a means of speeding up websites and improving SEO.

WebP Files — What Is the .webp Extension?

You may be wondering what a .webp file actually is. A WebP file is simply an image file with the .webp extension — just another image format like .jpg for JPEG or .png for PNG.

What Are jpg.webp and hqdefault.webp?

Here's an explanation of some confusing filenames you may encounter on the web:

• jpg.webp: An image that was originally JPEG but has been automatically converted to WebP. This happens when web servers or CDNs detect browser support and convert JPEG images to WebP for delivery
• hqdefault.webp: A YouTube thumbnail image. YouTube automatically serves thumbnails in WebP format. "hqdefault" stands for "High Quality Default" and indicates the thumbnail size
• image/webp: Not a filename, but the MIME type (an internet identifier for file formats) for WebP. You may see it in browser developer tools or HTTP headers

All of these are standard WebP image files and can be opened in any WebP-compatible app or browser.

WebP vs. JPEG vs. PNG

The key difference is that WebP supports both lossy and lossless compression. This means photo-like images can be compressed efficiently (like JPEG), while logos and illustrations can be preserved perfectly (like PNG).

Pros of WebP

1. Significantly Smaller File Sizes

WebP's biggest advantage is its superior compression efficiency. According to Google's official data:

• Lossy compression: About 25–35% smaller than JPEG at the same quality
• Lossless compression: About 26% smaller than PNG at the same quality

If a website has 100 images, converting them all to WebP can reduce total image volume by roughly 30%, dramatically improving page load speed.

2. Supports Transparency and Animation

WebP covers the roles of JPEG, PNG, and GIF in a single format:

• Transparency: Supports alpha channels like PNG — and even allows transparency with lossy compression, so transparent images can be as lightweight as JPEG
• Animation: Can replace GIF animations with smaller file sizes and richer color support

3. Google-Recommended SEO Best Practice

Google emphasizes page speed in Core Web Vitals and clearly recommends WebP adoption. Using WebP to reduce image sizes is an effective SEO strategy.

Cons of WebP

1. Limited Support in Some Image Editors

Adobe Photoshop has natively supported WebP since version 23.2 (2022), but older versions cannot open WebP files. Some lightweight image viewers and office applications also lack WebP support.

2. Incomplete Support on Social Media

Uploading WebP images to Twitter or Instagram may result in automatic conversion to JPEG on the server side. Some services still don't accept WebP uploads, so you may need to save as JPEG or PNG depending on the platform.

3. Lossy Compression Is Not Ideal for Editing

Like JPEG, lossy WebP degrades quality with each save. If you need to edit images repeatedly, keep the original in a lossless format like PNG and convert to WebP only for final output.

4. WebP Is Not a Video Format

A common question is whether WebP is a video format. WebP is a still image (and animated image) format, not a video format. Animated WebP is designed for short looping animations like GIF — for longer videos, use MP4 or WebM.

WebP Browser Support

Current Support (2026)

As of 2026, WebP is supported by all major browsers.

Fallback for Unsupported Browsers

As of 2024–2025, WebP display issues were almost exclusively limited to Internet Explorer. In 2026, IE has been fully retired by Microsoft with virtually zero usage share.

If you still need a fallback for non-WebP browsers, use the HTML <picture> tag:

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Alt text">
</picture>

This serves WebP to supported browsers and JPEG to unsupported ones automatically.

WebP vs. AVIF Browser Support

Here's how WebP compares with AVIF, the next-generation format gaining attention:

WebP has had browser support 3–9 years longer than AVIF, giving it a wider compatibility advantage. While AVIF offers better compression efficiency, WebP remains the safer choice for practical use.

How to Convert to WebP

Here's how to convert images to WebP using just your browser.

Convert with sakutto's WebP Conversion Tool

The easiest method is to use sakutto's WebP conversion tool:

1. Go to the WebP conversion tool
2. Drag and drop your images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP)
3. Adjust quality and convert to WebP
4. Download the converted images

No software installation required — everything is processed in your browser. Your files are never sent to a server.

Convert WebP to Other Formats

You can also convert WebP images to JPEG or PNG. If a downloaded image is in WebP format and won't open, use sakutto's WebP conversion tool to convert it to JPG or PNG.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is WebP?

WebP is an image format developed by Google in 2010. It achieves file sizes about 25–35% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality, and supports both transparency and animation. As of 2026, all major browsers support WebP.

What are the pros and cons of WebP?

Pros include smaller file sizes, transparency and animation support, and being a Google-recommended format. Cons include limited support in some image editors and social media platforms, and the fact that lossy WebP is not ideal for repeated editing.

Are there browsers that don't support WebP?

As of 2026, all major browsers — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge — support WebP. Internet Explorer is the only exception, but it was officially retired in 2022 and has virtually zero usage share.

What are jpg.webp and hqdefault.webp?

jpg.webp is a JPEG image that has been automatically converted to WebP format. hqdefault.webp is a YouTube thumbnail filename — YouTube automatically serves thumbnails in WebP format. Both are standard WebP images that can be opened in any WebP-compatible application.

Are my files sent to a server when converting WebP?

No. sakutto's WebP conversion tool processes everything in your browser. Your image files are never sent to any server, so you can safely convert even private images.

Summary

WebP is a web-optimized image format by Google, featuring file sizes about 25–35% smaller than JPEG, transparency and animation support, and full compatibility with all major browsers. It has become an essential image format for faster websites and better SEO. When you need to convert WebP images, sakutto's WebP conversion tool lets you do it right in your browser.