SavePage
·SavePage Team

PNG vs JPEG for Website Screenshots: Which Format to Choose

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The screenshot API supports two primary output formats: PNG and JPEG. They produce visually similar results but differ significantly in file size, quality characteristics, and appropriate use cases.

PNG: Pixel-perfect, larger files

PNG uses lossless compression. Every pixel in the output image exactly matches what was rendered in the browser. No information is lost.

Best for:

  • Text-heavy pages (crisp edges on characters)
  • UI elements with sharp lines and solid colors
  • Screenshots that will be zoomed in or inspected closely
  • Transparent backgrounds (PNG supports alpha channels)
  • Visual regression testing (pixel-perfect comparison)

Typical file sizes for a 1440x900 screenshot:

  • Simple page (mostly text): 200-400 KB
  • Complex page (images, gradients): 800 KB - 2 MB
  • Full page (10,000px tall): 2-8 MB

JPEG: Smaller files, lossy compression

JPEG uses lossy compression. It discards image data that is less perceptible to the human eye. The result looks nearly identical to the original but is significantly smaller.

Best for:

  • Pages with photographs or complex imagery
  • Thumbnail generation
  • Storage-sensitive applications
  • Bandwidth-sensitive delivery
  • Social media previews

Typical file sizes for a 1440x900 screenshot (quality 80):

  • Simple page: 80-150 KB
  • Complex page: 200-500 KB
  • Full page: 500 KB - 2 MB

Quality parameter

JPEG quality is controlled by the quality parameter (1-100). The default is 80, which provides a good balance between file size and visual quality.

| Quality | File Size (relative) | Visual Quality | |---------|---------------------|----------------| | 100 | Largest | Indistinguishable from PNG | | 90 | ~60% of 100 | Excellent | | 80 | ~40% of 100 | Very good (default) | | 60 | ~25% of 100 | Good, slight artifacts visible | | 40 | ~15% of 100 | Acceptable for thumbnails |

JPEG artifacts are most visible around text, sharp edges, and areas with high contrast. If your screenshot is primarily text and UI, use quality 90+ or switch to PNG.

WebP: The middle ground

WebP (available on Pro plans) offers both lossy and lossless compression. At the same quality level, WebP produces files 25-35% smaller than JPEG and 25-50% smaller than PNG.

Browser support for WebP is now universal in modern browsers, making it a practical choice for web delivery.

Recommendations

| Use Case | Recommended Format | |----------|-------------------| | Visual regression testing | PNG | | Design documentation | PNG | | Social media thumbnails | JPEG (quality 85) | | Archival | PNG | | API response previews | JPEG (quality 80) | | High-traffic web display | WebP | | Email embeds | JPEG (quality 80) |

For the SavePage.io API, the format is set with the format parameter:

# PNG (default)
/v1/?url=https://example.com&format=png

# JPEG with custom quality
/v1/?url=https://example.com&format=jpeg&quality=85

# WebP (Pro plan)
/v1/?url=https://example.com&format=webp

When in doubt, start with JPEG at quality 80. Switch to PNG only if you need pixel-perfect accuracy or transparency.

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