AVIF vs WebP
Both are modern replacements for JPG and PNG. AVIF compresses better; WebP is faster and a little more widely supported.
| Feature | AVIF | WebP |
|---|---|---|
| Based on | AV1 video codec | VP8 video codec |
| Photo size vs JPG | About 50% smaller | About 30% smaller |
| Encoding speed | Slow | Fast |
| HDR and wide colour | Yes (10/12-bit) | No (8-bit) |
| Transparency and animation | Yes | Yes |
| Browser support | All current browsers | All current browsers |
Compression
AVIF uses intra-frame coding from the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media, whose members include Google, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix and Mozilla. It's very good at keeping smooth gradients and fine detail at low bitrates, which is where JPG and WebP show artefacts. For photos, AVIF files are typically about half the size of a JPG and noticeably smaller than WebP at similar quality.
WebP's lossy mode is based on the older VP8 codec. It's a clear improvement on JPG, but AVIF tends to win in side-by-side tests, especially at small file sizes. For lossless graphics, WebP is often as good as or better than AVIF.
Speed
The biggest drawback of AVIF is encoding time. Producing an AVIF can take many times longer than a WebP or JPG, particularly at high-effort settings, which matters if you convert images on the fly on a server or in the browser. Decoding is fast enough for normal web pages on modern devices.
WebP encodes and decodes quickly, which makes it easy to generate in bulk.
Features
AVIF supports 10- and 12-bit colour, HDR and wide colour gamuts, film grain synthesis and very large images through tiling. Both formats support transparency and animation.
Support
Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari all display both formats, so on the web either is safe today. Outside browsers, support for both is still patchier than for JPG and PNG, with AVIF slightly behind WebP in older desktop apps and operating systems.
A common approach is to use the HTML picture element to offer AVIF first, then WebP, then JPG, and let each browser pick the best format it understands.
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Questions
Is AVIF better than WebP?
For photos, AVIF usually gives smaller files at the same quality. WebP is faster to create and slightly more widely supported.
Do all browsers support AVIF?
Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari do. Very old browsers don't, so keep a fallback if you need them.
Why does converting to AVIF take so long?
AV1 compression is computationally heavy. That's the cost of the smaller files.
Should I use AVIF for logos?
SVG is best for logos. For raster graphics, lossless WebP or PNG are often as small and simpler.