How do JPG and GIFcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Joint Photographic Experts Group
JPG (also known as JPEG) is the most widely used image format for photographs and complex images. It uses lossy compression to significantly reduce file size while maintaining acceptable visual quality.
Graphics Interchange Format
GIF is a widely recognized format best known for animated images and short loops. While limited to 256 colors, GIF's animation support and universal compatibility make it a staple of web culture.
| Specification | JPG | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Extension | .jpg | .gif |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | image/gif |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Joint Photographic Experts Group | CompuServe |
| Year introduced | 1992 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
Both JPG and GIF have their strengths. JPG excels at photography and photo sharing, while GIF is better for animated images and memes.
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