WebP vs AVIF: Which Image Format is Better in 2026?

WebP and AVIF: A Quick Overview

WebP was developed by Google and released in 2010. It supports both lossy and lossless compression, as well as transparency (alpha channel) and animation. It is now the standard next-gen format for the web.

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) was finalized in 2019 and is based on the AV1 video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media. It produces smaller files than WebP at the same visual quality — sometimes dramatically so — but has slower encoding and slightly less browser coverage.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	WebP	AVIF	JPG (reference)
File size (vs JPG)	25–35% smaller	40–55% smaller	Baseline
Browser support	97%+ (all modern)	~90% (Chrome/FF/Safari 16+)	100%
Transparency (alpha)	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No
Animation	✅ Yes	✅ Yes (AVIS)	❌ No
HDR / wide color gamut	⚠️ Limited	✅ Full HDR support	⚠️ Limited
Encoding speed	Fast	Slow (2–10× slower)	Very fast
Decoding speed	Fast	Slower on low-end devices	Very fast
Email client support	Gmail/Apple Mail only	❌ Not supported	✅ Universal
Lossless compression	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No

File Size: How Much Smaller is AVIF?

AVIF consistently beats WebP on file size, especially at lower quality settings. Real-world tests on a mix of web images show:

• Photographic images: AVIF is 30–50% smaller than WebP at equivalent perceived quality
• Illustrations / flat graphics: AVIF is 10–20% smaller than WebP
• Images with text: WebP can actually match or slightly beat AVIF (AVIF's block-based encoding can introduce artifacts around sharp edges)

Browser Support in 2026

Both formats now have broad browser coverage, but WebP remains the safer default:

Browser	WebP Support	AVIF Support
Chrome 85+	✅	✅
Firefox 65+	✅	✅ (v93+)
Safari 14+	✅	✅ (v16+, 2022)
Edge 18+	✅	✅
Samsung Internet	✅	✅ (v17+)
Internet Explorer (all)	❌	❌
Outlook (email)	❌	❌
Old Safari (< 14)	❌	❌

As of mid-2026, WebP covers around 97% of global browser usage, while AVIF covers approximately 90%. The gap matters for sites with audiences on older Android devices or Safari versions below 16.

When to Use WebP

WebP is the right choice when:

• You need maximum compatibility across all modern browsers without a fallback
• You are serving images to users on older Android devices or Safari 14 (which supports WebP but not AVIF)
• You need fast encoding — WebP converts 3–5× faster than AVIF, important for real-time processing or large batches
• You are working with images containing sharp text or UI — WebP handles these better than AVIF's block-based encoder
• You want a single format without a fallback — WebP's 97% coverage makes it safe to deploy alone

When to Use AVIF

AVIF is the right choice when:

• You want the absolute smallest file size and your audience is on modern browsers
• You are optimizing hero images and large photographs where size reduction has the biggest performance impact
• You need HDR or wide color gamut image support (AVIF is the only web format with full HDR support)
• You can implement a WebP fallback using the HTML <picture> element
• Your site uses a CDN or image optimization service that handles format negotiation automatically

The Best of Both: Using picture with AVIF + WebP Fallback

The ideal modern approach is to serve AVIF to browsers that support it and fall back to WebP (and JPG for very old browsers):

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif">
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description" width="800" height="600">
</picture>

The browser picks the first format it supports. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari 16+ will use AVIF; older Safari and some mobile browsers will use WebP; Internet Explorer and old browsers fall back to JPG.

How to Convert Images to WebP or AVIF

TinyPNG Now supports both WebP and AVIF output directly in the browser — no installation required:

1. Open TinyPNG Now and drag in your image(s).
2. Click WebP or AVIF in the format selector.
3. Adjust quality if needed (70% is a good starting point for AVIF; 75% for WebP).
4. Click Download. For batches, use Download All as ZIP.

Note: AVIF encoding is computationally intensive. Large images may take a few seconds longer to process than WebP. This is normal — the extra time is worth it for the file size savings.

If you are converting from PNG, check our guide on how to convert PNG to WebP for the full workflow including when to keep PNG instead.

WebP vs AVIF vs PNG vs JPG: The Full Picture

Format	Best For	Avoid For
JPG	Email, legacy support, print exports	Transparency, text-heavy images
PNG	Screenshots, logos, UI with text, transparency	Photos (too large), email newsletters
WebP	General web images, animations, wide browser support	Email (Outlook), HDR content
AVIF	Performance-critical photos, HDR, modern sites	Email, real-time encoding, text-heavy images

For a more detailed comparison including PNG and JPG, see our full guide: WebP vs PNG vs JPG: Complete Comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is AVIF better than WebP in 2026?

For file size: yes, AVIF is consistently 20–35% smaller than WebP at the same quality. For compatibility: WebP is safer, covering 97% of browsers vs ~90% for AVIF. The best practice is to use both with a <picture> fallback.

Will AVIF replace WebP?

Eventually, yes. AVIF is technically superior in most metrics. But WebP's head start means it will remain the dominant fallback for years. By 2027–2028, AVIF may be deployable as the sole format on most web projects as Safari 16+ penetration increases.

Which format does Google PageSpeed prefer?

Google PageSpeed Insights flags JPG and PNG images and recommends "next-gen formats" — it accepts both WebP and AVIF as valid next-gen formats. Either one will satisfy the PageSpeed recommendation and improve your Core Web Vitals score.

Does AVIF support transparency?

Yes. AVIF supports full alpha channel transparency, just like WebP and PNG. You can use AVIF as a replacement for transparent PNG images and get a significantly smaller file size.