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GIF vs WebP

Comparing Graphics Interchange Format and Web Picture Format - which format should you use?

	GIF	WebP
Full Name	Graphics Interchange Format	Web Picture Format
Extension	.gif	.webp
MIME Type	image/gif	image/webp
Category	image	image

GIF Pros

+Universal animation support
+Widely supported everywhere
+Simple transparency (on/off)
+Small files for simple graphics

GIF Cons

-Limited to 256 colors
-Large file sizes for animations vs modern formats
-No partial transparency
-Poor quality for photographs

WebP Pros

+25-35% smaller than JPEG at same quality
+Supports transparency (like PNG)
+Supports animation (like GIF)
+Supported by all modern browsers

WebP Cons

-Not universally supported in older software
-Lossy mode can produce different artifacts than JPEG
-Limited support in print workflows
-Some social media platforms don't accept WebP

Use GIF when...

-Short animations and loops
-Reaction images and memes
-Simple web graphics
-Email-compatible animations

Use WebP when...

-Website images (best format for web)
-Progressive web apps
-Replacing both PNG and JPEG on websites
-Animated images (better than GIF)

Learn more about GIF Learn more about WebP