Format comparison
AVIF vs JPG
By Suprabhat Updated How we write these
The short answer
AVIF makes photos much smaller than JPG at the same visible quality and handles HDR and transparency, and every current browser shows it. JPG remains the format every upload form, printer, email client and photo app accepts, so use AVIF on your own site and JPG everywhere else.
AV1 Image File Format
Choose AVIF when
- Images on your own website, where every kilobyte counts
- HDR photos or photos with transparency
- Your visitors use current browsers
JPEG
Choose JPG when
- Uploading to a form, portal or social network
- Printing, emailing or sending by chat
- Editing in older software
Side by side
| Property | AVIF | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | AV1 Image File Format | JPEG |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Typical size | Often around half the size of the equivalent JPG | A 12-megapixel phone photo is usually 2–5 MB |
| Support | Current browsers and apps | Opens everywhere |
| Opens on | Current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, but few editors, chat apps or upload forms | Every phone, computer, browser, printer and upload form |
| Best for | The smallest possible photos on a modern website | Photographs that need to open anywhere and stay reasonably small |
| Introduced | 2019 | 1992 |
Watch out with AVIF
AVIF’s savings are real, but encoding is slow, so a batch that takes seconds as JPG can take minutes as AVIF.
Watch out with JPG
Re-saving a JPG again and again degrades it, because each save compresses the already compressed version. Keep an original and export to JPG once, at the end.
Need to switch?
Convert in your browser in a few seconds. Nothing is uploaded, and there is no size limit.
Questions
Is AVIF better than JPG?
AVIF makes photos much smaller than JPG at the same visible quality and handles HDR and transparency, and every current browser shows it. JPG remains the format every upload form, printer, email client and photo app accepts, so use AVIF on your own site and JPG everywhere else.
Which is smaller, AVIF or JPG?
AVIF is usually smaller for the same content. AVIF: Often around half the size of the equivalent JPG. JPG: A 12-megapixel phone photo is usually 2–5 MB.
How do I convert AVIF to JPG?
Use the free AVIF to JPG converter. It runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded.
How do I convert JPG to AVIF?
Use the free JPG to AVIF converter. It works the same way, entirely on your device.
More format comparisons
- Format comparison
PNG vs JPG: which should you use?
Use JPG for photographs and PNG for everything with sharp edges: screenshots, logos, diagrams and text. PNG never loses detail but makes photos several times larger; JPG keeps photos small but smudges lines and can’t be transparent. - Format comparison
WEBP vs PNG: which should you use?
For images on a website, WebP does everything PNG does, transparency included, in a noticeably smaller file. PNG is still the safer choice for files you send to other people or open in older software. - Format comparison
WEBP vs JPG: which should you use?
WebP makes photos about a quarter to a third smaller than JPG at the same visible quality, and every current browser shows it. JPG remains the format every upload form, printer and email client accepts without question. - Format comparison
AVIF vs WEBP: which should you use?
AVIF usually produces the smallest file of any image format at the same quality, especially for photos, but it is slower to encode and slightly less widely supported. WebP is the practical middle ground: small, fast and supported everywhere modern.