the problem isnt webp, its photoshop from 2015
webp was created by google in 2010. the idea was simple: make images smaller with the same quality. and it works. a lossy webp is like 25 to 35 percent smaller than a jpeg. the lossless one is smaller than png too. it supports transparency. supports animation. its like a little format that does everything.
but then u download an image from google images and it comes in webp. u throw it in paint and... nothing. throw it in photoshop and depending on the version... nothing. clip studio paint? nothing. figma? ah, figma kinda opens it, but sometimes it acts weird.
this copypasta sums up the rage perfectly:
"why is this a webp?! i hate webp! just give me a png, please. ms paint won't open a webp. photoshop won't open a webp. clip studio paint won't open a webp. i have to google 'webp to png converter' and pray it keeps transparency. i hate it."
this is real. the pain is real. but the blame is on the software that doesnt update, not on the format that evolved. (¬_¬)
but webp is technically superior
lets get to the facts. webp uses more modern compression than jpeg and png. it has:
- better lossy compression than jpeg: smaller files, same visual quality.
- better lossless compression than png: transparency with reduced size.
- animation: like gif, but waaay smaller and with better quality.
- 8-bit alpha channel: smooth transparency, not just binary.
if the whole world actually adopted webp, websites would load faster, apps would use less data, servers would spend less bandwidth. its a win for everyone.
but no. we prefer converting to png and sending a file 3x bigger on whatsapp. why? bc the app opens it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
the creator's response
in the copypasta theres a bit where someone tweeted "i hope the inventor of webp gets hit by a bus" and the creator simply replied "i invented the lossless webp format in 2011".
like... the response is kinda smug, right? but at the same time i get it. the guy made good tech and the whole world decided to hate him bc windows 7 paint cant open it. (T_T)
if he had invented it in 1995 and everyone had 30 years to implement, maybe things would be different. but the lack of support is microsofts fault, adobes fault, corels fault, every company that makes these apps and took years to give decent support.
apps are finally getting better
nowadays support is much better. windows 11 paint opens webp. recent photoshop cc opens it. all browsers support it. even ffmpeg handles animated webp. but the reputation of "annoying format" already stuck.
its kinda unfair. imagine if we hated mp4 bc windows media player from 2004 couldnt play it. or hated pdf bc some old reader crashed. we blame the app, not the format. with webp its the opposite. (⌐■_■)
what gets me more annoyed is when a site delivers webp for download and the average person simply cant use it. its not their fault. they just wanna open the image. the ecosystem failed them.
so whats the solution
its not going back to png and jpeg forever. its demanding that the apps we use support modern formats. microsoft, adobe, affinity, corel, everyone. webp is 15 years old now. its not a niche thing anymore.
and if ur a dev, serve webp to the browser with a jpeg/png fallback. html has the picture tag exactly for that. dont force the user to download a format they cant open in their favorite app.
use the <picture> tag with <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp"> and an <img> fallback to png. modern browser gets webp, the rest gets png. everyone wins. (◕‿◕)
anyway, webp doesnt deserve the hate. it just wanted to be tiny and cute. the blame is on photoshop for taking too long to look at it with love. next time u convert a webp to png on ezgif, remember: ur not fixing a broken image. ur working around a support problem that shouldnt exist anymore in 2026.
sorry webp, we treated u badly. (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)