What WebP is
WebP, released by Google in 2010, does both jobs: a lossy mode that beats JPG by roughly 25–35 % at the same quality, and a lossless mode with transparency that beats PNG. Every current browser, Android and iOS version opens it.
Where it still bites is older software: some photo editors, email clients and office suites either refuse WebP or treat it as unknown. That is the main reason people convert WebP back to JPG or PNG.
Use WebP when
- Website images, app assets and anything delivered over the web.
- Transparent graphics that must be small.
- Storing a large photo library compactly on a phone.
Avoid WebP when
- Sending to people or tools that may not open it (older Windows image viewers, some printers and CMSs).
- Archival masters, where TIFF or PNG are the safer long-term bet.
How ConvertX handles WebP
- Reads and writes WebP on every platform; the app's default target because of its size/quality balance.
- The compressor's lossless mode recompresses WebP exactly; the lossy mode uses the preset's quality.
- Animated GIFs converted to WebP stay animated.
- "Keep photo details" writes EXIF into WebP.
Extensions: .webp. Metadata: can carry EXIF when "Keep photo details" is on.
Convert WebP to…
Convert to WebP from…
WebP compared
Need the file smaller rather than in another format? See compress WebP.
Frequently asked questions
Is WebP better than JPG?
For the web, usually: smaller at the same visible quality, plus transparency. For compatibility with old software, JPG still wins.
Why can't I open a WebP file?
The program is older than the format or has no WebP decoder. Convert it to JPG or PNG with ConvertX, offline, and open that instead.
Does WebP support animation?
Yes. ConvertX keeps animation when converting a GIF to WebP.