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What Is AVIF? – Next-Gen Image Format Explained

AVIF is the most efficient image format for the web. Learn how it works, browser support, and when to use it.

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Quick Answer

AVIF is the most efficient image format available for the web, with files 40-60% smaller than JPG at equivalent quality. It supports HDR, transparency and animation, and it is a royalty-free open standard. Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari 16.4+ support it.

What Is AVIF?

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is an image format based on the AV1 video codec. It was developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia), a consortium whose members include Google, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix and Amazon. AVIF was finalized in 2019 and has quickly become the most efficient image format for the web.

How AVIF Works

AVIF compresses each still image with the intra-frame coding of the AV1 video codec. AV1 uses several advanced techniques:

  • Adaptive quantization, which gives more bits to the areas the eye notices most
  • Film grain synthesis, which recreates photographic texture without storing it
  • Superblock partitioning, which divides the image into blocks of flexible size
  • Loop filtering, which reduces compression artifacts
  • Palette mode, which handles graphics with few colors efficiently

Key Characteristics

FeatureDetail
DeveloperAlliance for Open Media (AOMedia)
Standardized2019
CompressionAV1 intra-frame coding
File size vs JPG40-60% smaller at equivalent quality
File size vs WebP20-30% smaller at equivalent quality
HDR supportYes (BT.2020, 12-bit, PQ/HLG)
TransparencyYes (alpha channel)
AnimationYes (native)
Browser supportChrome 85+, Firefox 93+, Edge 85+, Safari 16.4+
LicensingRoyalty-free

When to Use AVIF

  • Performance-critical websites that need the smallest possible files
  • HDR photography, thanks to wide gamut and high dynamic range support
  • Progressive web apps that need strong compression
  • Delivery over limited bandwidth, such as to mobile users and emerging markets
  • Image-heavy sites such as galleries, portfolios and online stores

When to Avoid AVIF

  • Workflows with frequent re-exports, where slow encoding slows development
  • Older browsers, which need a fallback format
  • Email attachments, because most email clients don't support AVIF
  • Print work, since print shops expect JPG, PNG, or TIFF

Try It Now

Convert images to and from AVIF in your browser, with no software to install and no uploads to a server.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is AVIF ready for production use?

Yes, for most web projects. AVIF is supported by Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari 16.4+ (March 2023), covering the vast majority of users. The main consideration is encoding speed, since AVIF takes much longer to encode than WebP or JPG. For static sites and CDNs, this is usually acceptable since encoding happens once.

Is AVIF better than WebP?

AVIF generally produces 20-30% smaller files than WebP at equivalent visual quality. AVIF also supports HDR content with wide color gamuts, which WebP does not. However, AVIF encoding is much slower than WebP. For new projects targeting modern browsers, AVIF is the better choice for image delivery.

Why is AVIF encoding so slow?

AVIF uses the AV1 video codec, which is computationally intensive to encode. The codec was designed for maximum compression efficiency, not encoding speed. While AV1 hardware encoding is becoming available, most AVIF encoding today is done in software and can take 5-50x longer than WebP depending on quality settings.

Can AVIF display HDR images on the web?

Yes. AVIF supports HDR (High Dynamic Range) content with wide color gamuts (BT.2020) and up to 12-bit color depth. This makes it the best format for displaying HDR photographs on the web. Browsers that support AVIF can display HDR content on HDR-capable screens.