How do JPG and TIFFcompare? 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.
Tagged Image File Format
TIFF is a flexible, high-quality image format widely used in publishing, photography, and archival. It supports lossless compression, multiple layers, and high bit depths, making it the standard for professional imaging.
| Specification | JPG | TIFF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Tagged Image File Format |
| Extension | .jpg | .tiff |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | image/tiff |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Aldus Corporation (now Adobe) |
| Year introduced | 1992 | 1986 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
Choose JPG for smaller file sizes, especially for photos and web content. Choose TIFF when you need lossless quality, transparency, or pixel-perfect output.
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.