AVIF vs JPG: Is AVIF Worth It?
AVIF is a modern image format based on the AV1 video codec. It makes much smaller files than JPG at the same quality, but JPG still wins on compatibility outside the browser.
AVIF vs JPG
Short answer
Use AVIF for images on your website to cut file size dramatically. Use JPG for anything you share, upload or print.
AVIF vs JPG at a glance
| Property | AVIF | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy (small files, some detail discarded) |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Opens in | Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari 16+; many apps can't open it yet | All browsers and devices |
| Best for | The smallest high-quality images for the web | Photos, sharing, email, social media |
Use AVIF for
- Website images where speed matters
- Large photo galleries
- HDR and transparent images
Use JPG for
- Sharing, email and social media
- Upload forms and marketplaces
- Editing in any app
- Printing
File size test
How big are the files?
We saved the same two images in both formats with our converter at default settings (quality 85 for lossy formats).
| Test image | AVIF | JPG | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1600 × 1200 photo | 56 KB | 175 KB | AVIF 68% smaller |
| 1200 × 800 screenshot with text | 9 KB | 38 KB | AVIF 77% smaller |
Key differences
File size
In our photo test AVIF was 56 KB and JPG 175 KB, 68% smaller at the same quality setting.
Features
AVIF supports transparency, HDR and 10/12-bit color. JPG is 8-bit with no transparency.
Compatibility
Browsers show AVIF, but many desktop apps, phones and upload forms can't open it yet.
AVIF
What is an AVIF file?
The AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is an open, royalty-free raster image container specified by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) in ISO/IEC 23000-12. It encapsulates image sequences or still images compressed with the AV1 video codec within the HEIF (High Efficiency Image File Format) container structure. AVIF supports high dynamic range (HDR) utilizing Perceptual Quantizer (PQ) or Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) transfer functions, wide color gamut (WCG), and 4:2:0, 4:2:2, or 4:4:4 chroma subsampling, offering superior compression efficiency over JPEG and WebP.
How to open an AVIF file
Native support for AVIF is available in modern web browsers including Google Chrome (v85+), Mozilla Firefox (v93+), and Safari (v16+). For local viewing, Windows 10 and 11 require the installation of the free 'AV1 Video Extension' from the Microsoft Store to enable support in the Photos app and File Explorer. macOS 13 (Ventura) and iOS 16 provide system-level support. Graphics editors like GIMP, Paint.NET, and Adobe Photoshop (via plugin) can also decode and edit these files.
- Full Name
- AV1 Image File Format
- Developed By
- Alliance for Open Media
- Initial Release
- 2019
- MIME Type
- image/avif
JPG
What is a JPG file?
JPG is functionally identical to the JPEG format, differing only in the file extension length, a legacy constraint from the MS-DOS 8.3 filename limit (which allowed only three characters for extensions). It implements the same ISO/IEC 10918 standard, using lossy compression based on Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Huffman coding to store photorealistic images. The file structure contains markers such as Start of Image (SOI) and End of Image (EOI) and supports color spaces like sRGB and CMYK, making it interchangeable with .jpeg files in all software contexts.
How to open a JPG file
As one of the most ubiquitous file types in computing, JPG files open natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux without external software. Default viewers like Microsoft Photos, Apple Preview, and Linux image viewers handle the format automatically. For editing or conversion, industry-standard tools including Adobe Photoshop, Paint.NET, and XnView provide extensive support. Web browsers universally render JPGs without plugins.
- Full Name
- Joint Photographic Experts Group
- Developed By
- Joint Photographic Experts Group
- Initial Release
- 1992
- MIME Type
- image/jpeg
AVIF vs JPG