A short history
Google introduced WebP in 2010, derived from the VP8 video codec it had acquired from On2 Technologies. The goal was straightforward: make the web faster by shipping smaller images. Lossless and transparency support followed in 2011, and after years of slow uptake, WebP is now supported by essentially every current browser (~97% of users).
How it works
WebP offers both lossy compression (based on VP8 intra-frame coding, typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG at the same quality) and a lossless mode that often beats PNG. Crucially it supports an alpha channel in both modes and can hold short animations — meaning a single format can stand in for JPEG, PNG and animated GIF alike.
When & how to use it
WebP is the pragmatic default for images on a website today: use lossy WebP for photos and lossless WebP for graphics. For the very best compression on large hero images, pair it with AVIF and a JPEG fallback. The main caveats are print workflows and a handful of marketplaces or older tools that still don’t accept it.
- Created by Google in 2010, based on the VP8 video codec.
- Has both lossy and lossless modes, plus transparency and animation.
- Typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG at equivalent quality.
- Supported by roughly 97% of browsers in use today.