Adding visually appealing and fast loading images to your WordPress site is one of the most effective ways to improve its appeal, user experience and search engine rankings. With so many image format options to choose from like JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG, BMP and the newer WebP, it can be confusing to know which WordPress Image formats is the best fit for your site.
As site speed and performance are vital for providing visitors with a positive experience and for ranking well in search engines, picking the right image format is key. In this post, we’ll compare the most popular image formats for WordPress and tell you which one is the best choice to optimize your site.
An Overview of Popular WordPress Image Formats
JPEG
With a 10:1 compression ratio, JPEG is the most widely used image format online today. JPEGs have a small file size that allows users to store thousands of images without needing huge storage space. This makes them the top choice for sharing photos online.
However, the high compression causes some loss of image quality and detail. JPEGs are best for photos and images with complex color schemes where small loss of detail isn’t as noticeable.
PNG
PNG is considered the second most popular image format. Unlike JPEGs, PNGs use lossless data compression so no image detail or quality is lost when saving the files. This makes them a great choice for high resolution images, graphics and images with solid blocks of color.
Another key benefit of PNGs is their ability to have transparent backgrounds, which is useful for various design tasks. PNGs also allow for 24-bit RGB color and grayscale images. The lossless compression does result in larger file sizes than JPEGs however.
GIF
You’re likely familiar with GIFs from the short looping video clips commonly shared online. About 22% of images online use the GIF format, mainly for simple animations showing a process or concept.
On WordPress sites, GIFs work well to demonstrate ordering processes, interactions and more. They are limited to only 256 colors though and have larger file sizes than JPEGs, so they aren’t the best for photos.
SVG
SVGs or Scalable Vector Graphics are vector image files rather than the standard raster pixel formats like JPEGs and PNGs. Instead of pixels, SVGs use mathematical formulas to display lines, curves, colors and shapes.
This allows SVGs to scale infinitely without any loss in image quality. They work great for logos, icons, illustrations and other graphics with solid colors. The downside is that SVGs don’t work well for detailed photographs.
BMP
BMP files use lossless image compression just like PNGs. However, they also create very large file sizes due to having no actual compression. This made them popular decades ago but today BMPs are outdated for web use where small file sizes are key.
WebP
WebP is a newer image format that is gaining popularity. It was designed by Google to provide both lossy and lossless image compression that outperforms JPEG and PNG file sizes. Images can load faster without sacrificing detail.
As a newer format, WebP isn’t supported by all web browsers yet. But with Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Edge on board, it works for the vast majority of users. Expect WebP to continue growing as more WordPress site owners learn about its speed and quality advantages.
The Best WordPress Image Format for Your Website
Now that you know the pros and cons of the most common image formats, which one is the best to use on your WordPress site?
Here are our top recommendations based on different use cases:
Standard Images
For ordinary images like digital photographs to share news, blog posts, products, headshots and more, JPEG is still the best fit. All browsers support it and the compression works well for complex photographic images without overly degrading quality.
Graphics & Logos
If you need to display graphics like charts, illustrations, logos and icons, PNG and SVG are better options. Their lossless compression preserves quality even when enlarged or resized. This works perfectly for graphics that utilize solid colors, lines and shapes rather than photographic complexity.
Animations & GIFs
For simple short animations to capture users’ attention, showcase interactions or demonstrate processes, GIFs can be highly effective. Just be mindful of the limited 256 color palette and larger file sizes compared to JPEGs as too many GIFs can slow page loading.
Future-Proofing Quality & Speed
If you want to maximize both image quality AND site speed/performance, WebP is the best future-proof option. With improved lossy and lossless compression capabilities, no image detail is lost yet files remain smaller than JPEG and PNG equivalents. As browser support expands, expect WebP to become the gold standard.
The Key is Optimizing Images for Faster Load Times
Ultimately the most important factor is ensuring your images don’t bloat page sizes and slow site speed. No matter what WordPress image formats you select, always run images through optimization tools like WP Smush or ShortPixel to compress sizes without losing quality.
Prioritizing faster load times improves visitor experience and your vital site performance metrics. Combine properly formatted quality images with compression and your WordPress site will shine.
To learn more about WordPress images formats, I do cover this topic in my WordPress training courses, we had practical sessions and hand on experience to install a FREE WordPress image optimization plugin and compared the differences with and without optimization.
