JPG vs AVIF
How do JPG and AVIFcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.jpg
Full guide →Joint Photographic Experts Group
JPG (also known as JPEG) is the most widely used image format for photographs and complex images. It uses lossy compression to significantly reduce file size while maintaining acceptable visual quality.
.avif
Full guide →AV1 Image File Format
AVIF is a next-generation image format based on the AV1 video codec. It offers the best compression ratios available today — significantly better than WebP and JPG — while being royalty-free and open source.
| Specification | JPG | AVIF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joint Photographic Experts Group | AV1 Image File Format |
| Extension | .jpg | .avif |
| MIME type | image/jpeg | image/avif |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Joint Photographic Experts Group | Alliance for Open Media |
| Year introduced | 1992 | 2019 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
JPG advantages
- Very small file sizes for photographs
- Universally supported everywhere
- Adjustable compression quality
- Ideal for web and email sharing
JPG limitations
- Lossy compression — quality degrades with each save
- No transparency support
- Not suitable for text or sharp-edge graphics
- Artifacts visible at high compression
AVIF advantages
- Best-in-class compression efficiency
- Royalty-free and open source
- Supports HDR, wide color gamut, and transparency
- Both lossy and lossless modes
AVIF limitations
- Slow encoding speed
- Growing but incomplete browser support
- Limited editing software support
- Relatively new format
Which should you use?
Both JPG and AVIF have their strengths. JPG excels at photography and photo sharing, while AVIF is better for cutting-edge web performance optimization.
Best uses for JPG
Best uses for AVIF
Convert between JPG and AVIF
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.