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WebP vs AVIF vs JPEG, which should you use?

Three formats cover almost every web image today. Here is how they compare and when to use each.

The short answer

  • Reach for AVIF first. It makes the smallest files by a wide margin.
  • Use WebP when you want broad, boring reliability and slightly quicker encoding.
  • Fall back to JPEG only when you specifically need maximum compatibility for photos.

File size

For a typical photo at the same visual quality:

  • AVIF is the baseline and the smallest, often 40 to 60 percent smaller than JPEG.
  • WebP lands around 25 to 35 percent smaller than JPEG.
  • JPEG is the largest of the three.

For flat graphics and illustrations, the gap is even wider in AVIF’s favor.

Quality

AVIF and WebP both avoid the blocky artifacts JPEG shows at low quality. AVIF holds detail and gradients the best at very low bitrates, which is why it can go so small.

Transparency

  • AVIF: yes
  • WebP: yes
  • JPEG: no

If you are replacing a transparent PNG, use AVIF or WebP.

Browser support

All three work in every current major browser, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. If you still need to cover ancient browsers, serve AVIF or WebP with a JPEG fallback using the picture element.

Encoding speed

JPEG and WebP encode almost instantly. AVIF does more work, so it is a little slower. The size savings are worth it, and you can hide the wait by encoding in the background.

Not sure which is smaller for your image? Drop it into the compressor, switch between formats, and watch the file size update live.