The short answer
AVIF compresses better than WebP — typically 20–30% smaller at the same visual quality. But WebP is faster to create and more universally supported by tools. For maximum savings on a modern website: AVIF. For the pragmatic default that works everywhere today: WebP.
What AVIF is
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is based on the AV1 video codec — the same technology Netflix and YouTube use to stream video efficiently. Still images inherit that efficiency: AVIF is currently the best-compressing mainstream image format, outperforming WebP, JPG, and PNG across the board in size-per-quality tests.
Compression: AVIF's headline win
At matched visual quality, AVIF files run roughly 20–30% smaller than WebP, and 50%+ smaller than JPG. It also handles HDR and wide color gamuts natively, making it the format of choice for high-end photography. If raw byte-shaving is the goal, nothing in common use beats it.
The trade-off: encoding speed
AVIF's compression is computationally expensive — encoding an AVIF can take several times longer than encoding the same image as WebP. For a website build step or a CDN that encodes once and serves millions of times, that cost is trivial. For quick one-off conversions on your laptop, you will notice the wait.
Browser and tool support in 2026
All major browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, Safari) now support AVIF, so web delivery is safe. The lagging edge is tooling: some older desktop software, email clients, and CMS plugins still do not recognize .avif files. WebP, being older, enjoys broader tool support. If your workflow touches many different apps, WebP causes fewer surprises.
So which should you use?
| Scenario | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Modern website, performance-obsessed | AVIF | Smallest files; encode once, serve forever |
| General web use, CMS uploads | WebP | Great savings, broadest tool support |
| Email, print, sharing | JPG | Universal compatibility still wins |
| Someone sent you an AVIF you can't open | Convert it | Use the AVIF to JPG converter |
Working with AVIF files today
Received an .avif file that your software cannot open? Convert it in seconds: AVIF to JPG for universal compatibility, or AVIF to PNG when you need lossless quality or transparency. Everything happens in your browser — the file never uploads anywhere.
AVIF and HDR photography
One area where AVIF has no real competition is HDR (high dynamic range) imaging: it natively supports 10-bit and 12-bit color plus wide color gamuts, preserving the smooth gradients and vivid highlights of HDR photos where 8-bit formats show banding. If you shoot HDR on a modern phone and want to keep that richness on the web, AVIF is currently the only practical choice — WebP tops out at 8-bit color.
Should you serve AVIF with fallbacks?
The textbook approach is the HTML <picture> element: offer AVIF first, WebP second, JPG as the final fallback, letting the browser pick the first format it understands. In practice, since every current browser handles both AVIF and WebP, many sites now serve AVIF alone and keep a JPG copy only for email and downloads. Either way, generate the AVIF from your highest-quality original — converting an already-compressed WebP to AVIF just bakes in both formats' artifacts.
One more consideration: decoding speed
AVIF is not only slower to encode — it is also slower to decode than WebP or JPG, which can matter on low-end phones rendering many images at once (think infinite-scroll feeds). For image-heavy pages aimed at budget devices, WebP's faster decoding keeps scrolling smooth. Match the format to the audience: flagship-phone users will never notice AVIF's decode cost, but a global audience on inexpensive Android phones might.
The pragmatic 2026 stack
- Archive originals as JPG or RAW.
- Serve AVIF to modern browsers for hero images where every kilobyte counts.
- Use WebP as the everyday web format — the sweet spot of size and compatibility.
- Fall back to JPG for email, print, and sharing.