What Is an AVIF File?

The next-generation image format for the web

The AVIF Format in a Nutshell

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a modern image format based on the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) — a consortium that includes Google, Apple, Mozilla, Microsoft, Netflix, and Amazon. It was designed to replace older formats like JPEG and PNG with significantly better compression.

Why AVIF Matters

Images account for roughly 50% of a typical webpage's total size. AVIF can reduce image file sizes by 50% compared to JPEG and 20-30% compared to WebP at equivalent visual quality. That means faster page loads, lower bandwidth costs, and better Core Web Vitals scores.

Key Features

• Superior compression — Dramatically smaller files than JPEG, PNG, and even WebP at the same visual quality.
• Lossy and lossless — Supports both compression modes, making it versatile for photos and graphics alike.
• Transparency (alpha channel) — Full support for transparent images, unlike JPEG.
• HDR and wide color gamut — Supports 10-bit and 12-bit color depth, HDR, and wide color gamuts for stunning visuals.
• Animated images — Can replace animated GIFs with much smaller file sizes and better quality.
• Royalty-free — No licensing fees, unlike HEIF/HEIC which relies on patented codecs.

Browser Support

AVIF is supported in all major browsers:

• Chrome — Since version 85 (August 2020)
• Firefox — Since version 93 (October 2021)
• Safari — Since version 16.4 (March 2023)
• Edge — Since version 85 (August 2020)

This means over 95% of web users can view AVIF images natively. For the remaining users, you can use the HTML <picture> element to provide WebP or JPEG fallbacks.

AVIF vs WebP

AVIF achieves 20-30% better compression than WebP at equivalent visual quality. Both formats support transparency and animation, but AVIF handles gradients, fine details, and low-bitrate encoding noticeably better. AVIF also supports HDR and wide color gamut, which WebP does not. However, WebP has broader legacy browser support. For best results, serve AVIF with a WebP fallback using the HTML <picture> element.

AVIF vs JPEG

AVIF produces 30-50% smaller files than JPEG at the same visual quality. AVIF also supports transparency (alpha channel) and HDR, which JPEG cannot. For web images, switching from JPEG to AVIF is one of the simplest ways to improve page load speed.

AVIF vs PNG

AVIF files are 50-80% smaller than equivalent PNGs. Both formats support transparency, but PNG is lossless only while AVIF offers both lossy and lossless compression. For web graphics with transparency, AVIF is the clear winner on file size.

When to Use AVIF

• Website images where page speed matters
• Product photos on e-commerce sites
• Blog and editorial images
• Social media graphics
• Any scenario where you want smaller files without losing quality

How to Convert to AVIF

You can convert images to AVIF right here on iLoveAVIF — for free, with complete privacy. All conversion happens in your browser using WebAssembly, so your images never leave your device.

Try our tools: JPG to AVIF, PNG to AVIF, WebP to AVIF, or Compress AVIF. Need to convert from AVIF? Try AVIF to JPG, AVIF to PNG, or AVIF to WebP.

Learn more in our guides: AVIF vs WebP, AVIF vs JPEG, AVIF vs PNG, AVIF Browser Support, and Best Image Format for the Web.