I couldn't find a reliable source that dates a crossover, so I won't give you a year. The answer also depends on what you count. By the number of image files on web pages, PNG and JPG are the two most common formats, and I found no published series that shows which one passed the other or when.
The formats are used for different things, which makes a simple crossover hard to pin down. JPG is the usual choice for photos, since its lossy compression keeps files small. PNG is the usual choice for logos, icons, screenshots and anything that needs transparency. Those uses have grown at different rates, so a shift in one can look like a shift in the other.
If you want a real date, the best place to look is the HTTP Archive's annual Web Almanac, which tracks the image formats used across millions of sites each year. Its yearly reports would show the trend. Be aware that WebP and AVIF have been taking share from both formats in recent years, so the picture is changing.
🏛 The council's answer (Claude, Llama, Mistral · 60% sure)
No one on the council could give a verified year when PNG became more used than JPG, and it is not clear that it ever happened overall. The earlier answer was right to decline to name a year. It was also right that the answer depends on what you count (files, bytes, or sites), that JPG is used for photos while PNG is used for logos, icons, screenshots and transparency, that the HTTP Archive's Web Almanac is the best place to look, and that WebP and AVIF are taking share from both.
Where it may have gone wrong: it said it found no published series showing the trend. Claude points out that the HTTP Archive does publish per-format image request counts and byte weights over time, so such data likely exists, even though no one here could confirm a crossover from it. Mistral says only that the Web Almanac gives no single crossover point.
What was missing: by bytes transferred, JPG has generally been well ahead of PNG because photos are large (Claude, from memory, no source). By request count the two are reportedly close, with JPG usually slightly ahead. That recollection is unverified. Llama says JPG has historically led but its share has been declining, with PNG and others gaining. That is unsourced and sits oddly with the rise of WebP and AVIF, so treat it cautiously.
To check it yourself, use the HTTP Archive's Web Almanac Media/Images chapters or query its BigQuery data. Compare request counts and bytes, and mobile versus desktop, by year.
Where they agree
- No verified year exists for PNG overtaking JPG.
- The answer depends on the metric: file count, bytes, or sites.
- JPG is used mainly for photos and PNG for logos, icons, screenshots and transparency.
- The HTTP Archive Web Almanac is the best source for trends.
- WebP and AVIF are gaining share against the older formats.
Where they differ
- Whether the earlier claim that no published series exists was accurate
- Claude: Too strong; HTTP Archive publishes per-format request counts and byte weights over time.
- Mistral: The earlier answer is correct; the Almanac has no single crossover point.
- Llama: The earlier answer is correct but missed detail on current trends.
- Better supported: Claude's view is more plausible, since the HTTP Archive does publish format data. Still, nobody confirmed a crossover in it.
- Direction of JPG and PNG share
- Llama: JPG share is declining while PNG and others gain.
- Claude: JPG leads in bytes and is slightly ahead or close in requests; PNG may lead in some contexts.
- Mistral: WebP and AVIF are eroding both PNG and JPG.
- Better supported: Mistral's and Claude's views are better supported. Llama's claim is unsourced and not backed by the others.
What none of them could settle
- The exact HTTP Archive request-count shares of PNG versus JPG by year.
- Whether PNG ever exceeded JPG in request count on any page type.
- Current shares after WebP and AVIF growth.
Sources they gave
- almanac.httparchive.org/
- almanac.httparchive.org/en/2023/images
Each AI's own answer
- Claude · 50% sure: I can't give a verified crossover year, and I'm not sure PNG ever overtook JPG overall. The earlier answer was right to decline to name a year, and right that the answer depends on what you count (number of files, bytes transferred, or number of sites using each format). What it got right: JPEG is used for photos and PNG for logos, icons, screenshots and transparency. The HTTP Archive and its Web Almanac are the right place to look. WebP and AVIF are taking share from both. What I'd add or correct: by bytes transferred, JPEG has generally been well ahead of PNG, because photos are large. By re…
- Llama · 80% sure: The previous answer correctly stated that there is no reliable source that dates a crossover in usage between .png and .jpg formats. It also correctly noted that the choice between the two formats depends on the specific use case, with .jpg being more suitable for photos due to its lossy compression, and .png being more suitable for logos, icons, screenshots, and images requiring transparency. However, the answer missed the opportunity to provide more detailed information on the current trend and the impact of newer formats like WebP and AVIF. According to the HTTP Archive's Web Almanac, .jpg …
- Mistral · 90% sure: The previous answer is correct: there is no published, reliable date for when PNG overtook JPG in overall usage. The crossover depends on how you measure (e.g., file count, byte volume, or specific use cases like photos vs. icons). PNG and JPG serve different purposes, and newer formats like WebP and AVIF are now eroding both. The HTTP Archive's Web Almanac is the best source to track trends, but it does not report a single crossover point.
_Didn't answer this time: Gemini._
_AIs from different companies answered separately; Claude combined their answers. Check anything important: they can all be wrong together._
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