Format comparison
JPG vs ICO
How do JPG and ICOcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.jpg
Full guide →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.
.ico
Full guide →Icon File Format
ICO is the icon file format used by Windows for application icons and website favicons. It can contain multiple image sizes and color depths in a single file.
| Specification | JPG | ICO |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Icon File Format |
| Extension | .jpg | .ico |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | image/x-icon |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Microsoft |
| Year introduced | 1992 | 1985 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
JPG advantages
- Very small file sizes for photographs
- Universally supported everywhere
- Adjustable compression quality
- Ideal for web and email sharing
JPG limitations
- Lossy compression — quality degrades with each save
- No transparency support
- Not suitable for text or sharp-edge graphics
- Artifacts visible at high compression
ICO advantages
- Multiple sizes in one file
- Standard for Windows icons and favicons
- Widely supported by all browsers
- Small file sizes
ICO limitations
- Limited to small image dimensions
- Primarily Windows-focused format
- Being replaced by PNG favicons in modern web
- Complex internal structure for a simple purpose
Which should you use?
Both JPG and ICO have their strengths. JPG excels at photography and photo sharing, while ICO is better for website favicons.
Best uses for JPG
Photography and photo sharing
Website hero images and backgrounds
Email attachments
Social media uploads
Best uses for ICO
Website favicons
Windows application icons
Desktop shortcuts
Taskbar and system tray icons
Convert between JPG and ICO
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.