PNG vs JPEG: Which Should You Use (and When)?

PNG vs JPEG: The Essentials

Choosing the right format has a huge impact on image quality, file size, and performance. PNG and JPEG are the most common—but they’re built for different jobs. Understanding their strengths will help you avoid blurry photos, heavy pages, or broken transparency.

What Is JPEG Good For?

• Photographs and gradients with many colors
• Excellent lossy compression (tiny file sizes)
• Adjustable quality for web performance
• Not suitable for transparency or sharp UI assets

What Is PNG Good For?

• Logos, UI, screenshots, and text with sharp edges
• True transparency (alpha channel)
• Lossless compression preserves every pixel
• Larger files than JPEG for photos

A visual comparison showing a photo where JPEG excels and a logo where PNG's transparency is superior.

How to Choose Quickly

• Photos for blogs and galleries → JPEG (quality 70–85)
• Logos, icons, UI assets → PNG (keep transparency)
• Need small and modern → try WebP or AVIF

Converting Between PNG and JPEG in Seconds

RenameIT runs entirely in your browser—no uploads, no waiting, complete privacy.

1. Drop your image into RenameIT.
2. Pick PNG or JPEG as output.
3. Use the quality slider for JPEG or keep PNG lossless.
4. Optional: type “resize to 1200px wide” to optimize for web.
5. Convert and download instantly.

RenameIT's interface showing a PNG being converted to a high-quality JPEG.

Pro Tips

• For screenshots, PNG beats JPEG (crisper text, no artifacts).
• For hero photos and banners, JPEG at 75–85 is a great balance.
• If you need transparency on the web, avoid JPEG—use PNG or WebP (lossless).