What Is AVIF? The Next-Gen Image Format Explained
AVIF compresses images better than anything before it. Here's what it is, where it works, and what to do when it doesn't.
AVIF in a nutshell
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is an image format based on the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media — a consortium that includes Google, Apple, Mozilla, Netflix, and Amazon. It was finalised in 2019 and has been gaining adoption rapidly since then.
The key advantage of AVIF is compression efficiency. AVIF files are typically 50% smaller than JPEG and 20% smaller than WebP at the same visual quality. For a web that's hungry for faster load times, that's a significant improvement.
What makes AVIF different?
AVIF inherits the compression techniques from AV1 video, which means it uses more advanced algorithms than older formats. Here's what it supports:
- Lossy and lossless compression— like WebP, but with better compression ratios at both extremes.
- HDR and wide colour gamut— AVIF supports 10-bit and 12-bit colour depth, making it suitable for HDR content.
- Transparency— full alpha channel support.
- Animation— animated AVIF files can replace animated GIFs at a fraction of the file size.
- Royalty-free— unlike HEIC (which uses patented HEVC), AVIF is completely free to use.
Browser support
AVIF support has grown quickly. Chrome added it in version 85 (2020), Firefox in version 93 (2021), and Safari 16 (2022). Edge supports it via Chromium. As of 2026, AVIF works in all modern browsers.
The catch is that encoding AVIF is slow compared to JPEG or WebP. This doesn't affect you as a viewer, but it means some image editing tools and batch processors are slow to add AVIF export support.
AVIF vs WebP vs JPEG
| Feature | AVIF | WebP | JPEG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Best | Very good | Good |
| Colour depth | Up to 12-bit | 8-bit | 8-bit |
| HDR support | Yes | No | No |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes | No |
| Encoding speed | Slow | Fast | Very fast |
| Royalty-free | Yes | Yes | Yes |
When do you need to convert AVIF?
You might download an AVIF image from a website and find that your image editor, presentation software, or design tool can't open it. Desktop application support still lags behind browser support. This is common when saving images from sites that serve AVIF for performance, like streaming platforms and news sites.
Converting AVIF to PNG is the safest option — PNG is universally supported and lossless, so you won't lose any quality in the conversion. FlipFiles converts AVIF to PNG in your browser using the Canvas API. Your files never leave your device.
The future of AVIF
AVIF is likely to become the dominant image format on the web over the next few years. Its combination of superior compression, HDR support, and royalty-free licensing makes it attractive for both content creators and platform operators. As encoding speed improves and more tools add native support, the need for conversion will decrease — but for now, having a quick converter is essential.