WebP vs AVIF: Which Modern Image Format Should You Use?
6 min read
AVIF is the newer contender, built on the AV1 video codec. It compresses more efficiently than WebP, often 20% smaller again at the same quality, and supports HDR, wide color gamuts, and 10/12-bit color. The tradeoffs are slower encoding and a smaller (but growing) software ecosystem.
Compression and quality
At comparable visual quality, AVIF files are typically smaller than WebP, especially for photographic content and gradients, where WebP can show banding. AVIF also avoids the blocky artifacts of older codecs at aggressive compression levels.
Browser and software support
All major browsers now decode AVIF (Chrome 85+, Firefox 93+, Safari 16+). WebP, however, is supported everywhere including older Safari versions, and is accepted by far more apps and services. As a rule: WebP for maximum reach today, AVIF when file size is critical and your audience uses current browsers.
Practical recommendation
Serve AVIF first with a WebP (or JPG) fallback via the HTML <picture> element if you control the site. For single-file conversions without fallbacks, WebP remains the safest modern choice; AVIF is excellent when you know the recipient can read it.
- Absolute smallest files → AVIF
- Maximum compatibility with modern compression → WebP
- Legacy support (Safari < 16, older apps) → JPG/PNG