Microsoft Icon vs Web Picture Format
Technical analysis 2026: differences, performance and which one you should use for your project.
"If you are after web performance, WebP is the clear choice over ICO thanks to its superior compression."
A specific container for Windows icons and website favicons. It can hold multiple sizes and color depths in a single file.
Developed by Google for the modern web. It offers superior compression (both lossy and lossless) and transparency, weighing around 30% less than JPG/PNG.
When comparing ICO (Microsoft Icon) with WebP (Web Picture Format), it is important to understand the historical and technical context. ICO was established in 1985, while WebP appeared in 2010.
The main technical difference lies in their compression algorithm. ICO uses hybrid (both lossy and lossless) compression: you can choose between maximum quality or maximum savings depending on the settings. WebP, on the other hand, uses hybrid (both lossy and lossless) compression: you can choose between maximum quality or maximum savings depending on the settings.
100% (For favicons)
97% (Modern)
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