WebP file

What it is

WebP has two modes. Lossy WebP is based on the key-frame coding of the VP8 video codec; lossless WebP uses a separate coding method developed by the WebP team. Both can carry an alpha channel, and both can be animated.

Property	WebP
Image type	Raster
Compression	Lossy (VP8) or lossless (VP8L)
Colour depth	8 bits per channel; lossy images use 4:2:0 chroma subsampling
Transparency	Yes, in both modes
Animation	Yes, with frame durations, loop count and blending
Dimensions	Up to 16,383 × 16,383 pixels
Colour profile	Optional ICC profile; sRGB is assumed without one
Metadata	Exif and XMP chunks; IPTC is not defined

Google measures lossless WebP at 26% smaller than PNG and lossy WebP at 25 to 34% smaller than JPEG at the same quality index. Lossy WebP with transparency is about a third of the size of the equivalent PNG.

Sources: IETF, RFC 9649, WebP Image Format; Google, WebP, WebP FAQ, Compression techniques; Chromium Blog, WebP, a new image format for the Web. Read 27 October 2026.

Which apps open it

Platform or app	Opens WebP	Notes
Chrome	Yes, from Chrome 17	Lossless and transparency from 23, animation from 32
Firefox	Yes, from Firefox 65 (January 2019)
Safari	Yes, from Safari 14 (September 2020)	With iOS 14, iPadOS 14 and macOS Big Sur 11
Mac	Yes, from macOS Big Sur 11
Android	Decoding from Android 4.0	Lossless and transparency from 4.2.1
Windows 11	Redesigned Photos app edits and saves WebP	Announced 15 October 2026, rolling out to Windows Insiders first
Photoshop	Yes, open and save
Illustrator	Exports WebP through Export for Screens
GIMP	Yes, import and export, from 2.10	Including animation, ICC profiles and metadata
Affinity Photo 2	Yes, open and export
Figma	Yes, as an uploaded image
Canva	Yes, as an uploaded image	Static WebP only; under 50 MB

Sources: Google, WebP FAQ and Chromium Blog, Chrome 32 Beta: animated WebP images; Firefox, 65 release notes; Apple, Safari 14 release notes and WWDC23, Explore media formats for the web; Android, Supported media formats; Microsoft, Meet the new Photos app on Windows 11; GIMP, 2.10 release notes; Affinity Photo 2 file formats; Figma, Add images and videos to designs; Adobe, Supported file formats in Photoshop (updated 9 June 2026); Adobe, Supported file formats in Illustrator (updated 27 October 2025); Canva, Check file upload formats and requirements. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it

Route	How	What the conversion loses
Mac, Preview	Open the file, File > Export, Format: PNG or JPEG	To JPEG: transparency and animation
Google dwebp	dwebp image.webp -o image.png	Still images only; PNG keeps transparency, PPM drops it
Google cwebp	cwebp -q 80 image.png -o image.webp; -lossless for lossless	Exif, XMP and ICC are dropped unless -metadata all is given; animated PNG input is not supported
ImageMagick	magick image.webp image.jpg	To JPEG: transparency and animation
libvips	vips copy image.png image.webp[Q=80]	Lossy with quality 75 by default; lossless keeps every pixel
Freedam	Download the original WebP, a WebP rendition, or use an image URL that delivers AVIF, WebP or JPEG	Renditions are resized and carry no metadata

Sources: Apple, Convert graphics file types in Preview; Google, dwebp and cwebp; ImageMagick, command-line processing and formats; libvips, webpsave. Read 27 October 2026.

How to convert it with AI

An AI assistant that can run commands on your computer, such as a coding agent in a terminal, can install libwebp, Google's open-source WebP tools and run the conversion for you. Paste a prompt like this one, change the folder names, and read each command the assistant proposes before you approve it: it runs with your permissions on your files.

Install Google's libwebp tools on this computer, which include dwebp (Homebrew package webp on macOS, apt package webp on Debian or Ubuntu, or the binaries from developers.google.com/speed/webp on Windows).

Then convert every .webp file in the folder ~/Downloads/webp to PNG, keeping transparency, for example:
dwebp image.webp -o image.png

dwebp does not read animated WebP: list those files instead of converting them. Write the PNG files to a new folder ~/Downloads/webp/png and keep the originals unchanged. When you have finished, list any file that failed, with the error.

WebP in Freedam

Freedam accepts .webp files in the asset library and stores the original unchanged.

• Preview: Freedam decodes the file with libwebp and makes a WebP preview of up to 1,536 pixels on the long side, keeping transparency. An animated WebP gets no preview: Freedam stores it and serves the original file only.
• Renditions: WebP copies 128, 256, 512 and 1,024 pixels wide are made at upload, and larger sizes up to 5,120 pixels are made from the same preview on first request. Freedam image URLs deliver the image as AVIF, WebP or JPEG, depending on what the browser accepts.
• Downloads: people with download rights choose between the original file and a WebP rendition. Because WebP opens in current browsers and most image editors, the download dialog suggests the original.
• Metadata: on upload Freedam reads the width, height and colour space, the Exif fields (camera, capture date, exposure, GPS position) and any Content Credentials. The description, keywords, creator and copyright notice in the file's IPTC or XMP fields fill the asset's own fields; where both hold a value, Freedam uses the IPTC one.

Frequently asked questions

Is WebP better than PNG?

For file size, yes: Google measures lossless WebP at 26% smaller than PNG, and lossy WebP with transparency at about a third of the size. PNG supports 16 bits per channel, which WebP does not, so PNG remains the choice for high bit depth masters.

Is WebP better than JPEG?

Lossy WebP is 25 to 34% smaller than JPEG at the same quality index in Google's tests, and it supports transparency, which JPEG does not. Both store 8 bits per channel.

How do I convert WebP to PNG or JPG?

On a Mac, open the file in Preview and choose File > Export. On any system, dwebp image.webp -o image.png converts a still WebP to PNG, and magick image.webp image.jpg converts it to JPEG.