AVIF can match a JPEG at roughly half the size, yet plenty of software still refuses it. Here is where the format came from, which browsers and systems support it, how it compares with WebP and JPEG, and when to convert it or skip it.
What is AVIF? It is the AV1 Image File Format: a next-generation image format that stores a single frame compressed with the AV1 video codec inside a HEIF container. In practice, an AVIF file often matches a JPEG's visual quality at roughly half the size, and it supports transparency, HDR and 10- or 12-bit color. Current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge display it. Windows may need a free extension, and older programs frequently refuse it, in which case converting to JPG or PNG is the quickest fix.
To convert, use AVIF to JPG for photos, AVIF to PNG for anything transparent, and AVIF to WebP for a widely supported middle ground on the web. To move your own images in the other direction, JPG to AVIF and PNG to AVIF are ready. The sections below cover the format's origins, current support, how it compares, and the situations where it is the wrong choice.
The format comes from the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium of major technology companies founded in 2015. Its first goal was AV1, a royalty-free video codec. Because video codecs already compress each frame very efficiently, applying the same tools to still images was a natural next step. Version 1.0 of the image specification was published in early 2019, and browsers began adding support one after another from the following year.
The royalty-free part matters. Browser makers and software developers can ship it without paying patent fees, which helped support spread comparatively quickly.
HEIC, the format iPhones save by default, uses the same HEIF container family; the difference is the codec inside. HEIC relies on the licensed HEVC codec, while AVIF relies on AV1. Both are clearly more efficient than JPEG, but the browser picture differs: every current browser shows AVIF, whereas browser support for HEIC is very limited. That is why the HEIC photos on your phone cannot simply be dropped onto a web page.
| Platform | Supported since | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Version 85 (2020) | Desktop and Android |
| Firefox | Version 93 (2021) | Animation support arrived later |
| Safari | Version 16 (2022) | With iOS 16 and macOS Ventura |
| Edge | Version 121 (2024) | Disabled earlier despite its Chromium base |
| Windows 10 and 11 | Photos app | May need the free AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store |
| macOS | Ventura (13) and later | Preview and Quick Look open it |
| Android | Android 12 and later | System-level decoding |
| Older editors, mail clients, upload forms | Often missing | Convert before sending |
Read the table with one distinction in mind: viewing in a browser is close to trouble-free, and the problems start as soon as the file leaves the browser. Emailing an AVIF to a client, uploading it to a corporate dashboard or opening it in an older editor can still go wrong.
The shortest route is dragging the file into an up-to-date browser window. On Windows, if Photos refuses or File Explorer shows no thumbnails, install the AV1 Video Extension from the Microsoft Store. On a Mac running Ventura or later, Preview opens it and can save a JPEG copy through File > Export. iPhones on iOS 16 and Android phones on Android 12 or later display it natively.
Conversion happens on the server within that request, and files are not kept. The contents must match the extension, so a file that was merely renamed, such as a JPG relabelled as .avif, is rejected.
One caveat: converting an HDR file to an 8-bit JPG squeezes bright highlights into the standard range, so colors and highlights can look a little different from the original. That is a limit of the 8-bit target, not a fault of the conversion.
| Property | AVIF | WebP | JPEG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression efficiency | Typically the highest | 25–34% better than JPEG | Baseline |
| Bit depth | 8, 10, 12 bits | 8 bits only | 8 bits in practice |
| HDR | Supported | Not supported | Not available |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | Yes | No |
| Encoding speed | Slow | Moderate | Very fast |
| Progressive display | Not in common use | No | Yes |
| Software support | Full in browsers, patchy in apps | Broad | Universal |
Most published comparisons put AVIF at roughly half the size of a JPEG of equivalent quality; its lead over WebP is smaller and depends on the content. The real distinguishing feature is how it degrades. JPEG breaks into blocks as compression rises, while AVIF smooths detail away. A heavily compressed AVIF therefore looks clean at first glance, but fine structures such as grass, fabric weave and skin pores can take on a waxy, “plastic” look.
Quality numbers also do not translate between formats. Our converters write AVIF at quality 60 and JPG or WebP at 90. A 60 in AVIF does not mean the same thing as a 60 in JPEG; the scale is built differently, and that setting gives a clean result on most photographs.
If you adopt the format on your site, offering a fallback for older browsers is the healthy approach. Inside an HTML <picture> element you list an AVIF source first, then WebP, then JPEG, and the browser takes the first one it understands. Modern browsers get the smallest file and the rest step down gracefully. Hand-prepared images such as hero shots and product photos benefit most from this arrangement.
The program or operating system you are using cannot decode the format. Try the file in a browser first; if it opens there, the problem lies with the app. On Windows, installing the AV1 Video Extension or converting the file to JPG is the lasting fix.
They are close in efficiency. The difference is where they are used: AVIF is royalty-free and widely supported in browsers, while HEIC mostly stays inside Apple devices. For anything you will share on the web, AVIF or JPG is the better fit.
Re-encoding lossy data always costs a little in theory, but at a sensible setting it is not visible. For the best result, convert from the highest-quality source you have rather than from an already compressed copy.
No need. The two work well together: AVIF for the smallest files, WebP for broad compatibility and faster encoding. A fallback setup lets you serve both on the same page.
Next, read what is WebP for the previous generation, the PNG vs JPG comparison of the two classics, how to reduce image file size for upload limits, and how to choose an image format for a decision flow across all of them.
