How to use it
- Add your AVIF images.
- Keep the quality high, since the image has been compressed once already.
- Download the JPGs.
What AVIF is
AVIF stores a still frame compressed with AV1, a video codec developed by a group that includes Google, Netflix, Apple, Mozilla and Microsoft. It is one of the most efficient image formats in general use, often producing files half the size of a comparable JPG. It can also hold wide-gamut and HDR images and transparency.
Browsers adopted it quickly, but desktop software has been slower. Older versions of Photoshop, many photo viewers and a lot of web forms do not know what to do with it.
How this converter reads AVIF
Your browser does the decoding, so this needs a reasonably current browser: Chrome from 2020 onwards, Firefox from late 2021, Safari 16 and later, or Edge from early 2024. If your browser cannot read AVIF, you will see a message rather than a broken file.
If an AVIF was made with HDR brightness, the JPG will show a standard-range version. Colours may look a touch less punchy than they did on an HDR screen, which is expected.
AVIF and JPG compared
| AVIF | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| First released | 2019 | 1992 |
| Compression | Lossy (lossless possible) | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation or pages | Animation | No |
| Best for | The smallest images for websites | Photos for sharing, email and print |
| Support | Current browsers; patchy in desktop apps | Universal |
Questions people ask
Why is the JPG so much larger than the AVIF?
AVIF is far more efficient. A JPG at similar quality typically needs twice the bytes, sometimes more.
My AVIF has a transparent background. What happens to it?
JPG cannot store transparency, so those areas are filled with the background colour you choose. Use AVIF to PNG to keep them transparent.
Can I convert animated AVIF?
Only the first frame is converted.