A practical guide on svg vs webp — when, why, and how.
WebP and SVG are both modern web image formats, but they solve different problems. WebP is a raster format for photographs; SVG is a vector format for graphics.
When to Use WebP
WebP excels at photographs and complex images with many colors. It offers 25-35% smaller files than JPEG at equivalent quality, and supports both lossy and lossless compression plus transparency. Use WebP for hero images, product photos, and background images.
When to Use SVG
SVG excels at graphics with defined shapes — logos, icons, illustrations, charts. It scales perfectly, can be styled with CSS, and is often much smaller than any raster format for simple graphics.
The Simple Rule
If it came from a camera → WebP. If it's a designed graphic with shapes and solid colors → SVG. If you have a PNG graphic that should be SVG, convert it free with Shape to Vector.