AVIF is one of the most significant advances in image compression in the last decade. It delivers image quality that rivals PNG at file sizes smaller than JPEG, and it is already supported in every major modern browser. If you work with images on the web, it is worth understanding what AVIF is, where it excels, and what its limitations are.
What is AVIF?
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a still-image format derived from the AV1 video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media — a consortium that includes Google, Apple, Mozilla, Microsoft, Netflix, and Amazon. The first specification was published in 2019.
Unlike JPEG (which is 30+ years old) or even WebP (which is 15 years old), AVIF uses modern compression techniques borrowed from video encoding:
- Transform coding with larger block sizes than JPEG
- In-loop deblocking and deringing filters to reduce compression artifacts
- Chroma subsampling options including full 4:4:4 for maximum colour fidelity
- HDR and wide colour gamut support natively
- Lossless and lossy modes in the same format
How Does AVIF Compare to JPEG and WebP?
In controlled comparisons at equivalent visual quality:
- AVIF files are typically 50% smaller than JPEG
- AVIF files are typically 20–30% smaller than WebP
- AVIF handles photographic gradients and skin tones with significantly fewer compression artifacts
At low quality settings, AVIF preserves recognisable image structure much better than JPEG — the familiar JPEG "blockiness" is largely absent.
Browser Support in 2026
AVIF is now supported in all major desktop and mobile browsers:
- Chrome — since version 85 (2020)
- Firefox — since version 93 (2021)
- Safari — since version 16 (2022)
- Edge — since version 121 (2024)
Global browser support is above 90%. This means AVIF is a safe choice for most web projects today, with a JPEG fallback for the remaining edge cases.
Where AVIF Excels
Photography and photographic illustrations — AVIF's compression is specifically tuned for natural images with smooth gradients and organic textures. This is where the gap over JPEG is most visible.
High-resolution images — Large images benefit most from AVIF's efficiency. A 4K product photo that is 2 MB as JPEG might be 800 KB as AVIF at equivalent quality.
Images with text overlays — AVIF handles the transition between text edges and photographic backgrounds better than JPEG, which often shows ringing artifacts around sharp edges.
HDR content — If you're targeting displays that support HDR, AVIF is the only widely supported still-image format that natively encodes the full HDR brightness range.
Where AVIF Has Limitations
Encoding speed — AVIF encoding is significantly slower than JPEG or WebP. For a large image, an AVIF encode can take seconds compared to milliseconds for JPEG. This matters for real-time image processing but not for pre-compressed web assets.
Editing software support — Photoshop and Lightroom support AVIF, but older tools may not. Check your workflow before switching entirely.
Animation — AVIF supports animation, but animated AVIF is not yet widely deployed. Animated WebP or MP4 are better choices for animation today.
iOS camera — Apple uses HEIC (based on HEVC, not AV1) for iPhone photos, not AVIF. Don't expect AVIF files from your camera roll.
AVIF vs WebP: Which Should You Use?
For new web projects in 2026, AVIF is the better default for photographic images. The compression advantage over WebP is real and meaningful. However, WebP's encoding is much faster, making it preferable for server-side image pipelines that generate thumbnails on the fly.
A common approach is to use AVIF for hero images, product photos, and anything where file size directly impacts page load time, and WebP as the fallback for environments that don't yet support AVIF.
Converting AVIF to JPG
If you've received an AVIF file and need to convert it to JPEG — for compatibility with software that doesn't yet support AVIF, or to share with someone on an older device — Convly's AVIF to JPG converter handles the conversion entirely in your browser using the built-in browser decoder. No upload, no server, instant download.
The conversion preserves as much quality as JPEG's 8-bit sRGB colour space allows at 92% quality, which is sufficient for most purposes.
Should You Start Using AVIF?
If you're building a new web project and control your image delivery pipeline, yes — AVIF is worth adopting for photographic content. The file size savings translate directly into faster load times and better Core Web Vitals scores, both of which affect your search rankings.
The practical approach: serve AVIF with a WebP or JPEG fallback using the HTML type="image/avif", and let browsers pick the best format they support. Your users on modern browsers get the smaller files; everyone else gets JPEG as usual.