When to Convert WebP to PNG
Converting WebP to PNG gives you universal compatibility with older software and platforms. Your PNG file will open everywhere—from legacy versions of Photoshop (CS6 and earlier) to Windows Paint to email clients that block WebP images. Transparency is fully preserved.
The main reason to convert WebP to PNG is compatibility with older software that doesn't recognize Google's newer format. Adobe Photoshop added native WebP support in version 23.2 (2022)—if you're using CS6, CC 2019, or earlier, you need PNG. Email clients, Windows Photo Viewer on older systems, and some CMS platforms also require PNG instead of WebP.
PNG files are 30-50% larger than equivalent WebP images because PNG's compression algorithm (DEFLATE) is less efficient than WebP's VP8/VP9 encoding. However, PNG opens everywhere without plugins or updates—every operating system since Windows 95 displays PNG natively.
WebP vs PNG: Key Differences
If you need transparency and your software doesn't support WebP, PNG is your only practical option. JPG discards transparency entirely, replacing it with a solid background. GIF supports transparency but only binary (fully opaque or fully transparent), creating harsh edges. PNG supports 256 levels of transparency for smooth, anti-aliased edges.
Some platforms explicitly block WebP uploads. WordPress allowed WebP starting in version 5.8 (2021), but many hosting providers disable it for security reasons. Print-on-demand services like Printful and Printify require PNG or JPG—WebP isn't accepted. Converting to PNG ensures your files work on these platforms.
Consider alternatives before converting. If you don't need transparency, use <a href="/convert/webp/to-jpg" class="link link-primary">WebP to JPG</a> instead—it produces smaller files than PNG. If your WebP contains photos without transparent areas, JPG is the better choice for compatibility and file size.
Why People Convert WebP to PNG
Legacy Photoshop versions: Adobe added WebP support in Photoshop 23.2 (March 2022). If you're using CS6, CC 2017-2021, or any perpetual license version, you need PNG to open web-downloaded images. Converting WebP to PNG lets you edit images in older Photoshop without upgrading your software.
Print services and professional printing: Commercial printers accept PNG, JPG, or TIFF—not WebP. If you're sending graphics to a print shop for business cards, posters, or merchandise, convert to PNG first. For photos without transparency, convert to JPG instead—printers prefer JPG for photographs.
Older Windows systems: Windows 10 version 1809 and earlier don't display WebP thumbnails in File Explorer. The Photos app on these systems shows an error instead of the image. Converting to PNG ensures your images display correctly in Windows Photo Viewer and File Explorer thumbnails on older systems.
Older email clients: Outlook 2016 and earlier versions don't display WebP attachments. Gmail's web interface supports WebP, but some mobile email apps show blank placeholders instead. Converting to PNG ensures recipients see your images without requiring them to download external software.
What You'll Get
- Full transparency support — alpha channel and transparent backgrounds carry over perfectly
- Lossless pixel data — every pixel from the WebP appears identically in PNG output
- Immediate conversion — standard images convert in seconds, large files under a minute
- Color profile preservation — embedded ICC profiles transfer to PNG for accurate colors
- High-resolution support — handles images up to 50 megapixels without quality loss
- Clean output — no watermarks, logos, or added metadata
- Cross-platform processing — works in any browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, or mobile
When to Use WebP vs PNG
WebP delivers 25-35% smaller file sizes than PNG at equivalent visual quality. This compression advantage makes WebP ideal for modern websites. However, not every application or platform supports WebP yet:
| Converting WebP to PNG gives you universal compatibility with older software and platforms. Your PNG file will open everywhere—from legacy versions of Photoshop (CS6 and earlier) to Windows Paint to email clients that block WebP images. Transparency is fully preserved. | The main reason to convert WebP to PNG is compatibility with older software that doesn't recognize Google's newer format. Adobe Photoshop added native WebP support in version 23.2 (2022)—if you're using CS6, CC 2019, or earlier, you need PNG. Email clients, Windows Photo Viewer on older systems, and some CMS platforms also require PNG instead of WebP. | PNG files are 30-50% larger than equivalent WebP images because PNG's compression algorithm (DEFLATE) is less efficient than WebP's VP8/VP9 encoding. However, PNG opens everywhere without plugins or updates—every operating system since Windows 95 displays PNG natively. |
|---|---|---|
| If you need transparency and your software doesn't support WebP, PNG is your only practical option. JPG discards transparency entirely, replacing it with a solid background. GIF supports transparency but only binary (fully opaque or fully transparent), creating harsh edges. PNG supports 256 levels of transparency for smooth, anti-aliased edges. | Some platforms explicitly block WebP uploads. WordPress allowed WebP starting in version 5.8 (2021), but many hosting providers disable it for security reasons. Print-on-demand services like Printful and Printify require PNG or JPG—WebP isn't accepted. Converting to PNG ensures your files work on these platforms. | Consider alternatives before converting. If you don't need transparency, use <a href="/convert/webp/to-jpg" class="link link-primary">WebP to JPG</a> instead—it produces smaller files than PNG. If your WebP contains photos without transparent areas, JPG is the better choice for compatibility and file size. |
| Legacy Photoshop versions: Adobe added WebP support in Photoshop 23.2 (March 2022). If you're using CS6, CC 2017-2021, or any perpetual license version, you need PNG to open web-downloaded images. Converting WebP to PNG lets you edit images in older Photoshop without upgrading your software. | <strong>Print services and professional printing:</strong> Commercial printers accept PNG, JPG, or TIFF—not WebP. If you're sending graphics to a print shop for business cards, posters, or merchandise, convert to PNG first. For photos without transparency, <a href="/convert/webp/to-jpg" class="link link-primary">convert to JPG</a> instead—printers prefer JPG for photographs. | <strong>Older Windows systems:</strong> Windows 10 version 1809 and earlier don't display WebP thumbnails in File Explorer. The Photos app on these systems shows an error instead of the image. Converting to PNG ensures your images display correctly in Windows Photo Viewer and File Explorer thumbnails on older systems. |
| Older email clients: Outlook 2016 and earlier versions don't display WebP attachments. Gmail's web interface supports WebP, but some mobile email apps show blank placeholders instead. Converting to PNG ensures recipients see your images without requiring them to download external software. | WebP delivers 25-35% smaller file sizes than PNG at equivalent visual quality. This compression advantage makes WebP ideal for modern websites. However, not every application or platform supports WebP yet: | Expect PNG files to be 30-50% larger than the source WebP. A 500 KB WebP image typically becomes 650-750 KB PNG. This file size increase is the cost of universal compatibility. PNG uses less efficient compression than WebP, but opens in every image viewer and editor without compatibility issues. |
| If your WebP was saved with lossy compression (the default for most web images), the PNG output preserves that quality level. Converting to PNG doesn't restore detail already discarded during WebP compression. The PNG will match the WebP's appearance exactly—no quality improvement or degradation. | For web publishing, keep images in WebP format. Only convert to PNG when you specifically need compatibility with software that can't read WebP. A typical workflow: use WebP for website delivery, but convert to PNG before opening in older versions of Photoshop or sending to clients with outdated systems. | <strong>Full transparency support</strong> — alpha channel and transparent backgrounds carry over perfectly |
| Lossless pixel data — every pixel from the WebP appears identically in PNG output | <strong>Immediate conversion</strong> — standard images convert in seconds, large files under a minute | <strong>Color profile preservation</strong> — embedded ICC profiles transfer to PNG for accurate colors |
| High-resolution support — handles images up to 50 megapixels without quality loss | <strong>Clean output</strong> — no watermarks, logos, or added metadata | <strong>Cross-platform processing</strong> — works in any browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, or mobile |
| File size | 25-35% smaller | Baseline (larger) |
| Use when | Modern browsers only | Universal compatibility needed |
What to Expect: File Sizes and Quality
Expect PNG files to be 30-50% larger than the source WebP. A 500 KB WebP image typically becomes 650-750 KB PNG. This file size increase is the cost of universal compatibility. PNG uses less efficient compression than WebP, but opens in every image viewer and editor without compatibility issues.
If your WebP was saved with lossy compression (the default for most web images), the PNG output preserves that quality level. Converting to PNG doesn't restore detail already discarded during WebP compression. The PNG will match the WebP's appearance exactly—no quality improvement or degradation.
For web publishing, keep images in WebP format. Only convert to PNG when you specifically need compatibility with software that can't read WebP. A typical workflow: use WebP for website delivery, but convert to PNG before opening in older versions of Photoshop or sending to clients with outdated systems.
Related Conversion Tools
- PNG to WebP — optimize PNG files for modern web delivery
- WebP to JPG — use instead if you don't need transparency (smaller files)
- PNG to WebP — reverse conversion for modern web delivery
- PNG to JPG — remove transparency for even smaller files
- All Image Tools — browse all image conversion options