WEBP file format (.webp)
Modern web format. Smaller than JPG and PNG, keeps transparency.
Last updated
What is a WEBP file?
In short: A WEBP file (.webp) is an image file in the WEBP format. WEBP does both jobs in one format: a lossy mode that beats JPG at the same visual quality, and a lossless mode that beats PNG. It can be converted to JPG or PNG for free in a web browser with iHateFiles, without uploading it.
Released by Google in 2010, built from the still-frame compression inside the VP8 video codec.
WEBP does both jobs in one format: a lossy mode that beats JPG at the same visual quality, and a lossless mode that beats PNG. Unlike JPG it keeps an alpha channel, so a lossy image can still have a transparent background, which is the combination the web wanted for twenty years.
What WEBP is good at
- Roughly 25 to 35 per cent smaller than JPG at matching quality
- Transparency in both the lossy and lossless modes
- Supports animation, as a lighter alternative to GIF
Where WEBP falls short
- Older software and some print workflows still refuse it
- Some social platforms re-encode or reject it on upload
- Not a good archival choice: it is a delivery format
When to use WEBP
Use WEBP for images on your own website, where you control what reads them and the bandwidth saving is the point.
How to open a WEBP file
Every current browser, Windows, macOS and Android. Older desktop software and some CMS uploaders still do not.
| Windows | Photos and Paint have supported WEBP since Windows 10 1809. Older machines show a blank thumbnail. |
|---|---|
| macOS | Preview has supported WEBP since macOS Big Sur. |
| Linux | GIMP, Eye of GNOME and most viewers read it. |
| Phone | Native on both platforms. |
| In a browser | Every modern browser displays WEBP. |
The thing that usually goes wrong
A WEBP renamed to .jpg still fails validation, because uploaders read the first bytes of the file rather than the name. Convert it properly.
Questions
What is a WEBP file?
Modern web format. Smaller than JPG and PNG, keeps transparency. Files use the .webp extension.
How do I open a WEBP file?
Most image software opens WEBP directly. If yours does not, convert it here to something more common. It takes a few seconds and nothing is uploaded.
Can I convert WEBP for free?
Yes. Every conversion here is free and unlimited, because your own device does the work rather than a server we have to pay for.
Is WEBP lossless?
No. WEBP is a lossy format, so saving discards some detail to save space.