What Is AVIF? The Next-Generation Image Format Explained
AVIF is the newest major image format on the web — and by most technical measures, it is the best one. It produces files roughly 50% smaller than JPEG and 20–30% smaller than WebP at equivalent visual quality, while supporting HDR, wide colour gamut, transparency, and animation.
This guide explains what AVIF is, how it works, how it compares to JPEG and WebP, which browsers support it, and when you should (and should not) use it.
What Is AVIF?
AVIF stands for AV1 Image File Format. It is a still-image format derived from keyframes of AV1 video — the same codec used by YouTube, Netflix, and most modern video streaming. The format was developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM), a consortium including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, and Amazon.
The AV1 codec was designed to outperform H.264 and VP9 at video compression — and those same algorithms, applied to still images, produce files dramatically smaller than anything JPEG or WebP can achieve.
AVIF was finalized as a standard in 2019 and first gained browser support in Chrome 85 (2020). As of 2026, it is supported in all major browsers.
What Makes AVIF Different?
AVIF is not just a marginally better JPEG. It is a fundamentally more capable format:
- Lossy and lossless compression — like WebP, unlike JPEG
- Transparency (alpha channel) — supports full 8-bit alpha, unlike JPEG
- Animation — supports multi-frame sequences, like GIF and WebP
- HDR (High Dynamic Range) — preserves the wide brightness range of HDR photos
- Wide colour gamut — supports Display P3 and Rec. 2020 colour spaces
- Up to 12-bit colour depth — vs JPEG's 8-bit, enabling smoother gradients
- No patents — fully royalty-free and open standard
Browser Support for AVIF
Global AVIF support is approximately 90–93% as of 2026. The main gaps are older Safari (iOS 15 and earlier) and Samsung Internet older versions. For a safe fallback strategy, use the HTML <picture> element:
<picture> <source srcset="photo.avif" type="image/avif"> <source srcset="photo.webp" type="image/webp"> <img src="photo.jpg" alt="Description"> </picture>
This serves AVIF to browsers that support it, WebP as the first fallback, and JPEG to any browser that supports neither.
AVIF vs WebP vs JPEG — Full Comparison
| Property | AVIF | WebP | JPEG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical file size (photo) | Smallest (~50% vs JPEG) | ~35% smaller than JPEG | Baseline |
| Lossy compression | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lossless compression | Yes | Yes | No |
| Transparency (alpha) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | Yes | No |
| HDR / wide colour | Yes (full HDR) | Limited | No |
| Colour depth | Up to 12-bit | 10-bit | 8-bit |
| Browser support | ~90–93% | ~97% | 100% |
| Encoding speed | Slow | Fast | Very fast |
| Open standard / royalty-free | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email client support | Very limited | Limited | Universal |
Real File Size Comparison
The same 4000×3000 pixel photograph at different quality levels:
| Format & Quality | File Size | vs JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG 80% | 950 KB | — |
| WebP 80% | 620 KB | 35% smaller |
| AVIF 60 (equivalent quality) | 470 KB | 51% smaller |
| JPEG 90% | 1.8 MB | — |
| WebP 90% | 1.2 MB | 33% smaller |
| AVIF 80 (equivalent quality) | 890 KB | 51% smaller |
When to Use AVIF
- Performance-critical websites — if page speed is a priority and your audience is on modern browsers, AVIF will deliver the smallest files possible.
- E-commerce product images — high-quality photos at minimal file size means faster product page loads and better conversion rates on mobile.
- HDR photography — AVIF is the only mainstream web format that properly preserves HDR and wide colour gamut data from modern cameras and phones.
- Next.js / Astro / Nuxt projects — these frameworks support automatic AVIF generation via their built-in image optimization components.
- When you want the best future-proofing — AVIF is the direction the web is heading. Adopting it now positions you ahead of the curve.
When Not to Use AVIF
- Email images — no major email client renders AVIF. Use JPEG for anything shared by email.
- When encoding speed matters — AVIF encoding is significantly slower than JPEG or WebP. For real-time image processing pipelines, WebP is faster.
- When you need 100% browser coverage — if your site has significant traffic from older iOS devices (pre-iOS 16), use WebP with a JPEG fallback instead.
- Printing — JPEG remains the standard for print workflows.
Convert Images to AVIF — Free, No Upload
Convert JPG, PNG, or WebP to AVIF instantly in your browser. Files never leave your device.
How to Convert Images to AVIF
Method 1 — Free Online Converter (Recommended)
- Open convertlo.pro/jpg-to-avif.html (or any AVIF converter on the site).
- Drop your JPG, PNG, or WebP file onto the converter.
- Conversion runs entirely in your browser — no file is uploaded.
- Download your AVIF file instantly.
Method 2 — Using Sharp (Node.js)
const sharp = require('sharp');
sharp('input.jpg')
.avif({ quality: 60 })
.toFile('output.avif');
Sharp uses libvips under the hood and is fast enough for production use. Quality 50–65 is typically the sweet spot for AVIF — it produces smaller files than JPEG at 80% with equivalent visible quality.
Method 3 — Using ImageMagick (Command Line)
magick input.jpg -quality 60 output.avif
ImageMagick 7.1+ supports AVIF natively. Install with brew install imagemagick on Mac or via your Linux package manager.