What you should know
PNG to WebP slims down the images of a website. PNG keeps every pixel, which makes it heavy for photos; WebP, designed by Google for the web, gives a very similar result in a noticeably smaller file, so pages display faster.
FileXvert encodes WebP lossily at a quality of 90 out of 100 by default: a setting measured to stay visually identical to the source, on photos as well as on document captures.
Strengths
- Noticeably lighter file, especially for photos
- Read by every current browser
- Very close to the PNG at the default quality
- Three reduction levels: quality 90, 75 or 50
Limitations to know
- Lossy compression: no longer an exact copy of the pixels
- Less well supported by office and printing software
- Little or no gain on a small icon with flat colours
- Very thin text can soften at the stronger reduction levels
When to use it
Convert images meant for a website, an online shop or a blog: pages load faster and search rankings benefit. Keep PNG for archiving, editing and files that must be reproduced pixel for pixel.
Quality, size and compatibility
At the default quality (90) the difference from the PNG is invisible to the naked eye. The balanced level (75) suits most website photos; the smallest size level (50) brings visible artefacts on gradients and text.
Frequently asked questions
- Is WebP worse than PNG?
- It is less exact, not necessarily less good-looking: at quality 90 the gap is not noticeable. PNG remains preferable when every pixel must be kept as is.
- Do all browsers display WebP?
- Yes, Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge have read it for years. Mostly older desktop applications still ignore it.