AVIF vs WebP: Which Image Format Should You Use in 2025?

AVIF vs WebP: The Short Answer

AVIF compresses better. WebP is more practical. AVIF produces 20-30% smaller files than WebP, but it encodes slower, has lower browser support (~93%), and struggles with some image types. WebP offers the best balance of compression, speed, compatibility, and tooling support.

File Size Comparison

AVIF uses AV1 video codec technology, giving it a compression advantage:

Image Type	WebP Size	AVIF Size	AVIF Savings
Photograph (1200x800)	230KB	170KB	26%
Product photo (800x800)	120KB	90KB	25%
Illustration with text	85KB	95KB	-12% (worse)
Screenshot	110KB	140KB	-27% (worse)

Notice that AVIF excels at photographs but can actually produce larger files for screenshots, text-heavy images, and sharp-edged graphics. WebP handles all image types consistently well.

Quality at Low Bitrates

This is where AVIF truly shines. At very low quality settings (high compression), AVIF preserves detail significantly better than WebP. It avoids the blocky artifacts that WebP shows at aggressive compression.

However, at quality 75-85% (the range most people use), the visual difference is negligible. You'd need to zoom in at 400% to spot differences.

Browser Support

Browser	WebP	AVIF
Chrome	Since 2014	Since 2020
Firefox	Since 2019	Since 2021
Safari	Since 2020	Since 2023
Edge	Since 2018	Since 2020
Samsung Internet	Yes	Yes
Global support	97%+	~93%

That 4% gap matters. WebP works for virtually every visitor. AVIF still requires a fallback for some Safari users on older iOS/macOS versions.

Encoding Speed

This is AVIF's biggest weakness:

WebP encoding — Near-instant for most images
AVIF encoding — 5-20x slower than WebP

For a single image, the difference is seconds. For batch processing 50 product photos, AVIF encoding can take minutes while WebP finishes in seconds.

This makes AVIF impractical for:

Real-time conversion in the browser
High-volume batch processing
Dynamic image generation

When to Use AVIF

AVIF is worth considering when:

Maximum compression is critical — Bandwidth-constrained applications like mobile-first sites in developing markets
You control the delivery pipeline — CDNs like Cloudflare can serve AVIF to supported browsers with WebP fallback
Photographic content dominates — AVIF's compression advantage is strongest with photographs
You pre-process images — Server-side encoding absorbs the slow speed

When to Use WebP

WebP is the better default choice when:

You want one format — WebP handles photos, illustrations, screenshots, and transparency equally well
Browser support matters — 97%+ coverage means no fallback needed
Speed matters — Instant encoding in the browser or batch tools
Mixed content types — WebP doesn't struggle with text and sharp edges like AVIF can
Simplicity — One format, one conversion, done

The Practical Recommendation

For most websites and use cases:

Use WebP as your primary format — It covers everything well with near-universal support
Consider AVIF for photo-heavy hero images — Only if your CDN handles format negotiation
Don't lose sleep over the 20% difference — Going from JPEG to WebP already saves 25-35%. The jump from WebP to AVIF is a smaller incremental gain.

Converting Between Formats

If you have AVIF images that need broader compatibility, convert them to WebP:

Go to PixelPress AVIF to WebP converter
Upload your AVIF files
Download WebP versions with wider browser support

Going from AVIF to WebP typically adds only 15-20% to the file size while gaining support for the remaining ~4% of browsers.

Conclusion

AVIF is technically impressive, but WebP is the practical winner for 2025. It's fast, well-supported, and handles every image type well. Use WebP as your default and add AVIF only when your infrastructure supports format negotiation.

Convert your images to WebP with PixelPress — free, instant, and 100% private.