Free PNG to WebP Converter
nothing stored

Why convert PNG to WebP

PNG is lossless, which is why PNG files are often large. That is fine on your own computer and costly on a website, where every image has to download before a visitor sees it. Large PNG photos and banners are among the most common reasons a page feels slow, and page-speed tools often recommend serving images in a modern format such as WebP.

WebP was designed for the web. It can compress images lossily, like JPG, while still supporting a transparent background, like PNG. That combination is the point: a transparent logo or product cutout that has to be a PNG to keep its clear background can become a much smaller WebP and still keep it.

For PNG photos and screenshots, the savings are usually large. For tiny flat icons that PNG already compresses well, the difference can be small. Compare the downloaded WebP with the PNG in your file manager and keep whichever works better.

How to convert PNG to WebP, step by step

1. Open the converter in Chrome, Edge or Firefox. Nothing needs to be installed.

2. Add your PNG. Drop it onto the page or tap to choose it. The file stays on your device. JPG, WebP, HEIC and AVIF images are accepted too.

3. Set the quality. The slider runs from 50 to 100%. The default of 92% keeps the image looking the same. For large photos on a website, 80–85% often gives a much smaller file with no visible change.

4. Press Convert to WebP. The image is decoded and re-saved as WebP in your browser, at the same width and height.

5. Download the WebP and compare its file size with the PNG.

If you have a paid plan or credits, you can select many PNGs at once, which is useful for converting a whole folder of site images. Processing is unlimited. Your first few downloads need no account; after that, a free sign-in keeps them going.

Keeping transparency in a smaller file

The usual reason a web image is still a PNG is transparency. A logo that has to sit on a colored header, a product cutout on a patterned page, or an interface element with rounded corners all need a clear background, and JPG cannot provide one.

WebP can. This converter keeps the PNG’s alpha channel, so fully transparent areas stay fully transparent and soft edges, glows and shadows keep their partial transparency. Place the WebP over any background and it blends exactly as the PNG did.

The difference is in how the colored pixels are stored. At quality settings below 100%, WebP compresses the visible image lossily, which is where most of the size saving comes from. For photographic cutouts, that loss is very hard to see at 85–92%.

If you want a transparent PNG from a photo that still has its background, remove the background first with the free Background Remover, then convert the result here.

Choosing a WebP quality setting

The quality slider controls how much the WebP compresses the image.

92% (default): keeps logos, cutouts and photos visually identical to the PNG. A good choice when you are unsure.

80–88%: a practical range for website photos and banners. Files are noticeably smaller and the change is hard to spot at normal viewing size.

60–75%: for large background images or thumbnails where small size matters most. Check fine detail and edges before you publish.

Text and sharp graphics are the exception. Screenshots, diagrams and images with small type show compression sooner, so keep them at 90% or above, or keep them as PNG.

Even at 100%, this converter’s WebP output uses lossy compression. For pixel-exact graphics, such as pixel art or images used for precise comparisons, keep the PNG. Always compare the result at the size it will appear on the page.

Where WebP works, and where to keep PNG

Web browsers. Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on desktop and mobile all display WebP, so it is safe for ordinary website images.

Website builders and content systems. Most current platforms accept WebP uploads. WordPress, for example, has accepted WebP since version 5.8. If your platform rejects the file, it may be an older version or a plugin setting.

Email. Support in email apps is less consistent than in browsers. For images inside newsletters, PNG or JPG is the safer choice.

Downloads and print. If people will download the image and open it in other apps, or send it to a print service, PNG or JPG avoids compatibility problems.

A sensible approach is to keep your original PNGs as masters and publish WebP copies on the site. If you ever need a different size or format, go back to the PNG rather than converting the WebP again.

Private PNG to WebP, and When to Create New Images

Many online converters upload your image to a server, convert it and send it back. This one does the whole job in your browser. The PNG is decoded and re-saved as WebP on your own device, and it is never uploaded or saved on our servers. That is useful for unreleased product shots, client assets and interface designs.

Converting creates a fresh file from the image’s pixels, so text notes and other metadata stored in the PNG are not carried into the WebP.

The WebP keeps the PNG’s pixel dimensions. If an image is far wider than it will ever appear on screen, resizing it first saves even more; the free Image Compressor can resize as well as compress.

If what your site really needs is new imagery, such as product scenes, banners or illustrations, Imagera’s paid AI Image Generator creates images from a text prompt. It runs in the cloud and is paid with credits.