How do WebP and GIFcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
Web Picture Format
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression for images on the web. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and animation — all in one format.
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 | WebP | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Web Picture Format | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Extension | .webp | .gif |
| MIME type | image/webp | image/gif |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | CompuServe | |
| Year introduced | 2010 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
Both WebP and GIF have their strengths. WebP excels at website optimization and performance, while GIF is better for animated images and memes.
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