WebP vs AVIF
How do WebP and AVIFcompare? Here's everything you need to know to choose the right format — and how to convert between them.
.webp
Full guide →Web Picture Format
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google that provides superior compression for images on the web. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency, and animation — all in one format.
.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 | WebP | AVIF |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Web Picture Format | AV1 Image File Format |
| Extension | .webp | .avif |
| MIME type | image/webp | image/avif |
| Category | Image | Image |
| Developer | Alliance for Open Media | |
| Year introduced | 2010 | 2019 |
| Compression | Lossy | Lossy |
WebP advantages
- 25-35% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality
- Supports transparency like PNG
- Supports animation like GIF
- Both lossy and lossless modes available
WebP limitations
- Not supported by some older browsers
- Limited support in desktop editing software
- Less universal than JPG or PNG
- Maximum dimension of 16383x16383 pixels
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 WebP and AVIF have their strengths. WebP excels at website optimization and performance, while AVIF is better for cutting-edge web performance optimization.
Best uses for WebP
Best uses for AVIF
Convert between WebP and AVIF
Need to switch formats? Convert for free with SquishConvert.