ICO VS WebP
The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Icon File and Web Picture Format.
ICO
icoStandard format used for computer icons and favicons.
Pros
- Contains multiple resolutions
- Standard for Windows/Web icons
Cons
- Limited use case
- Inefficient for general images
WebP
webpModern format providing superior compression for web performance.
Pros
- Superior compression (30% smaller than JPG)
- Supports transparency
- Supports animation
Cons
- Not supported by very old browsers
- Complex encoding
When ICO wins
Stay with ICO when you need favicons or desktop icons. Its strengths center on contains multiple resolutions and a feature set native to Microsoft.
When WebP wins
Choose WebP when your workflow prioritizes modern websites or app assets. It delivers superior compression (30% smaller than jpg) plus modern compression perks.
Technical Specifications
| Feature | ICO | WebP |
|---|---|---|
| MIME Type | image/x-icon | image/webp |
| Developer | Microsoft | |
| Release Year | 1985 | 2010 |
| Best For | Favicons, Desktop icons | Modern websites, App assets, Speed optimization |
Need to switch?
Where ICO still wins
Keep ICO when you need contains multiple resolutions and workflows depend on favicons / desktop icons. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship WebP deliverables without leaving their browser.
- • Reference the .ico glossary from this page.
- • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
- • Use WebP for modern websites while archiving originals as ICO.
Keep crawlers in the conversion hub
Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.