WebP is an image format developed by Google and designed to provide faster load times on the web. Introduced in 2010, it plays an important role in optimizing the performance of websites by delivering similar or better visual quality at smaller file sizes compared to traditional formats such as JPEG and PNG.
The WebP format uses both lossless (for transparent images) and lossy (for photos) compression techniques. This makes it possible to significantly reduce file sizes without any noticeable loss in visual quality.
Advantages of WebP
WebP has many advantages, the most important of which are the following:
Smaller File Sizes: WebP can have file sizes 25-30% smaller than JPEG and 40-50% smaller than PNG. This allows websites to load faster and use less bandwidth.
High Visual Quality: Thanks to advanced compression algorithms, WebP reduces file sizes without any noticeable loss in visual quality.
Animation Support: The WebP format supports animated GIFs as an alternative to GIFs.
Open Source: WebP is a free and publicly available format.
Environmentally Friendly: Smaller file sizes mean less data transfer. This results in less energy consumption and less CO2 emissions.
Disadvantages of WebP
WebP also has some disadvantages, the most important of which are the following:
Not Supported by All Browsers: Older browsers do not support WebP. Therefore, not everyone who visits your website may be able to see the image.
Not Supported by Some Image Software: Not all image editing software may recognize WebP.
Not Suitable for Some Image Types: WebP may not work as well as JPEG or PNG for images with text or drawings.
WebP Conversion Tools
There are many free online tools and software you can use to convert to WebP. Here are some of the most popular tools:
- CloudConvert
- Online-Convert
- Convertio
- Photoshop
- GIMP
WebP is an ideal format for optimizing the performance of websites. It provides smaller file sizes, faster loading times and a better user experience. Although WebP has some disadvantages, its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. Therefore, if you want to optimize your website and achieve faster loading times, you should definitely consider using the WebP format.
WebP Supporting Browsers
WebP is growing in popularity and is supported by many browsers. Below you can find a list of the most popular browsers that support WebP and detailed descriptions for each of them:
Google Chrome
Supported Version: Chrome 17 and above
Support Level: Full
Description: Chrome was one of the first browsers to support WebP and is considered the best browser for this format. You don’t need to make any special settings to use WebP in Chrome.
Microsoft Edge
Supported Version: Edge 18 and above
Support Level: Full
Description: Microsoft Edge is a Chromium-based browser, so it fully supports WebP. As with Chrome, you don’t need to make any special settings to use WebP in Edge.
Mozilla Firefox
Supported Version: Firefox 65 and above
Support Level: Full
Description: Firefox fully supports WebP as of version 65. To use WebP, go to Firefox’s “about:config” page and change the “image.webp.enabled” setting to “true”.
Opera
Supported Version: Opera 11.10 and above
Support Level: Full
Description: Opera fully supports WebP as of version 11.10. To use WebP, go to the “Advanced” tab in Opera’s “Settings” menu and enable the “Use WebP” option.
Safari
Supported Version: Safari 14 and above
Support Level: Partial
Description: Safari partially supports WebP as of version 14. To use WebP in Safari, you must have macOS Big Sur or iOS 14 or later.
Android
Supported Version: Android 4.0 (ICS) and above
Support Level: Full
Description: In Android 4.0 (ICS) and above, the WebP format is natively supported. Therefore, you do not need to make any special settings to use WebP on your Android device.
Others:
- Vivaldi
- Brave
- Cốc Cốc
- UC Browser
- Yandex Browser
All of these browsers fully or partially support WebP. You can check the official website of each browser for more information.
Checking WebP Support
If you are using a browser that supports WebP, you can follow the steps below to view an image in WebP format on a web page:
- Right-click on the image and select “Save as”.
- Change the file name extension to “.webp”.
- Click on the “Save” button.
- If the image is saved successfully, it means that your browser supports WebP.