AVIF vs JPEG: Compression & Quality Compared
Why AVIF is the modern successor to JPEG for web images
The Case for Replacing JPEG
JPEG has been the web's dominant image format since 1992. It's universal, well-understood, and handled by every tool in existence. But it's also 30+ years old, and AVIF offers dramatically better compression using the AV1 codec.
File Size Comparison
At equivalent visual quality, AVIF produces files that are 30-50% smaller than JPEG. This translates directly to faster page loads, lower bandwidth costs, and better Core Web Vitals scores.
| Feature | AVIF | JPEG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | AV1 (modern) | DCT (1992) |
| Typical size savings | 50% smaller | Baseline |
| Transparency | Yes (alpha) | No |
| Lossless mode | Yes | No (JPEG-LS rare) |
| HDR / Wide Gamut | Yes (10/12-bit) | No (8-bit) |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Browser support | 95%+ (2026) | 100% |
| Tool support | Growing | Universal |
Visual Quality
AVIF handles gradients, smooth transitions, and fine detail significantly better than JPEG. At low quality settings, JPEG produces visible blocking artifacts while AVIF degrades more gracefully with subtle softening.
Migration Strategy
The simplest migration path is to serve AVIF as the primary format using the HTML <picture> element with JPEG as a fallback. This ensures zero compatibility issues while delivering smaller files to 95%+ of your visitors.
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Frequently Asked Questions
AVIF achieves 30-50% smaller file sizes than JPEG at equivalent visual quality. For a typical 500KB JPEG, the AVIF equivalent would be 250-350KB with no visible difference.
For web delivery, yes. Use AVIF as the primary format with JPEG as a fallback via the <picture> element. Keep original JPEGs archived for editing since AVIF re-encoding is lossy.
Yes. Unlike JPEG, AVIF supports full alpha transparency. This makes AVIF a single-format replacement for both JPEG (photos) and PNG (transparency).
Email client support for AVIF is limited. For email, JPEG remains the safest choice. Use AVIF for web pages where you control the viewing environment.