What's the difference between JPG and PNG?
JPG (JPEG) is a lossy format built for photographs: it discards fine detail you're unlikely to notice to keep files small. PNG is lossless: it stores every pixel exactly, supports transparency, and is ideal for graphics, screenshots, logos, diagrams and anything with sharp edges or text.
Converting JPG to PNG stores the image losslessly from that point on. It doesn't remove JPEG artefacts already in the picture, but it guarantees no further loss, however many times you edit and save.
When should I convert JPG to PNG?
Converting is worth it when:
- An app, website or print service accepts only PNG.
- You're going to edit the image several times: saving repeatedly as JPEG degrades it a little each time, while PNG doesn't.
- You plan to cut out the background or add transparent areas in an editor; JPG can't hold transparency, PNG can.
- It's a screenshot, chart or graphic that was saved as JPG by mistake, and you want to stop further compression damage.
Expect a bigger file
Lossless storage costs space. A photo saved as PNG is usually 2 to 5 times the size of the JPG, because PNG keeps every pixel of noise and texture the JPG had smoothed away. For photos you just want to share, keep the JPG. For graphics and screenshots the PNG may be similar in size or even smaller.
If the PNG is too big for where it's going, the Image Compressor can turn it into a much smaller WebP that still supports transparency.
Will the PNG have a transparent background?
A JPG has no transparent areas, so the PNG won't either: a white background stays white. Converting just makes the file able to hold transparency. To actually remove a background you need an editor or a background-removal tool after converting.
Full resolution, in your browser
The PNG has exactly the same width and height as the JPG. Conversion happens in your browser, so photos aren't uploaded anywhere. You can convert many at once and download them individually or as a ZIP. Phone photos are turned upright, and camera metadata such as GPS location is not copied into the PNG.
Can I just rename .jpg to .png?
Changing a file's extension from .jpg to .png doesn't convert it: the data inside is still JPEG. Many apps detect the real format and work anyway, but strict upload forms, design tools and some printers check the actual contents and reject the file, or behave unpredictably. Converting rewrites the image as a genuine PNG, so it passes any check.
Colour on wide-gamut photos
Recent iPhones and many Android phones capture photos in the wider Display P3 colour space. Browser-based conversion works in standard sRGB, the colour space of the web and most screens, so on a wide-gamut display very saturated reds and greens in the PNG can look slightly less vivid than in the original. On standard screens, and for screenshots and graphics, there's no visible difference.
PNG in documents and design tools
PowerPoint, Keynote, Word, Canva, Figma and Photoshop all accept PNG and JPG equally, so you rarely need to convert for them. Converting earns its keep when you'll edit an image repeatedly, when a tool or template requires PNG, or when you'll later add transparency in an editor that can only do so on a PNG.
Designs for stickers, shirts and print-on-demand
Sticker shops, t-shirt printers and print-on-demand sites usually ask for designs as PNG, because PNG can carry the transparency needed for any design that isn't a plain rectangle. If your artwork is a JPG, convert it here, then remove the background in an editor or background-removal tool, and upload the PNG at the highest resolution you have. Check the site's minimum pixel size too: print designs often need 3000 pixels or more on the long side. Converting doesn't add pixels, so a small JPG stays small as a PNG; if the design is under the minimum, start again from a larger original rather than enlarging, which only blurs the edges.