JPG vs PNG

JPG compresses photographs lossily and cannot store transparency. PNG is lossless and supports alpha, which makes it better for screenshots, UI, and logos — at larger file sizes for photos.

Quick takeaways

• Choose JPG for everyday photos when download size matters
• Choose PNG when you need transparency or pixel-perfect graphics
• Converting JPG to PNG does not remove existing JPEG artifacts
• Converting PNG to JPG flattens transparency and applies lossy compression

JPG

JPG (JPEG) is a lossy raster format built for photographs. It shrinks file size by discarding detail the eye is less likely to notice, which makes it a default for cameras, email, and the open web.

JPG converter and format notes

PNG

PNG is a lossless raster format with optional transparency. Pixels are preserved exactly, so it is the usual choice for screenshots, UI, logos, and any image that needs a clean alpha channel.

PNG converter and format notes

Convert between them

Formatly runs the conversion in your browser. Files stay on this device.

• JPG to PNG converter
• PNG to JPG converter