Technical · Photos

JPG vs PNG vs WebP for Threads photos: which to keep

By the Thredra Team·Updated May 2026·5 min read

Download a Threads photo and you might get a JPG, a PNG, or a WebP — and people often wonder which is “best.” The honest answer: the right format depends on what you’re going to do with the image. Here’s what each one is, why Threads uses them, and which to keep for printing, editing, or re-sharing.

What Threads actually serves

Creators upload in HEIC, JPEG, or PNG, and Threads re-encodes most photos to JPEG for delivery, with WebP variants generated for in-feed display. You’ll occasionally see a PNG when the original had transparency. So when you download, you’re getting whichever variant the post exposes — usually a JPEG close to the uploaded dimensions.

The three formats in plain English

Format	Strengths	Watch-outs
JPG / JPEG	Universal support, small files, great for photos	Lossy; no transparency
WebP	Smaller than JPG at similar quality; supports transparency	Patchy support in some older apps/editors
PNG	Lossless; supports transparency; crisp for graphics/text	Much larger files for photos

Which one should you keep?

For everyday saving and re-sharing → JPG

JPEG opens everywhere — phones, social apps, email, every editor. For a normal photo you want to save or re-post, JPG is the safe, no-friction choice.

For the web or smaller files → WebP

WebP gives you similar quality to JPG at a smaller size, which is great for websites. The catch is compatibility: some older apps and a few editors don’t open WebP. If yours doesn’t, convert it to JPG/PNG (most image tools do this in one click).

For graphics, logos, or transparency → PNG

If the image has a transparent background or sharp text/line art, PNG keeps it crisp and lossless. For ordinary photos, though, PNG just makes a needlessly huge file.

Editing tip: if you’ll edit and re-export several times, start from the highest-quality variant available and avoid repeatedly saving as JPG — each JPG save re-compresses and slowly degrades the image. Edit, then export once at the end.

Will I lose quality downloading a photo?

You get the largest variant the post exposes, at the dimensions the creator uploaded — no upscaling, no cropping, and no extra compression from us. The only “loss” already happened when the platform first re-encoded the upload, which affects every viewer equally. Downloading the file is still far better quality than a screenshot.

Converting between formats

Got a WebP and need a JPG (or vice-versa)? On a phone, open the image in your gallery/Photos app and use “Export” or “Save a copy”; on a computer, open it in Preview (Mac) or Paint/Photos (Windows) and “Save as” the format you need. Plenty of free online converters exist too — just avoid uploading anything sensitive to unknown sites.

FAQ

What format are Threads photos?

Most are delivered as JPEG, with WebP variants for in-feed display and occasionally PNG when the original had transparency.

Is WebP better than JPG?

WebP is smaller at similar quality and supports transparency, but it has patchier support in older apps. For maximum compatibility, JPG is safer; for the web, WebP is great.

Which format keeps the most quality?

PNG is lossless, but for ordinary photos the practical best is whatever the post exposes at full size. Avoid re-saving as JPG repeatedly, which degrades the image.

How do I convert a WebP to JPG?

Open it in your phone’s Photos app or a desktop image viewer and use “Save a copy” / “Save as” to pick JPG. Free converters also work.

Download a Threads photo at full resolution

Paste a public Threads link and grab the original image — JPG, WebP or PNG, exactly as the post serves it.

Open the Thredra downloader