AVIF vs JPG: which should you use?
AVIF, built on the AV1 video codec, delivers roughly half the file size of JPG at the same visual quality — plus transparency, HDR and wide color gamut. JPG's remaining advantage is that absolutely everything opens it.
At a glance
| AVIF | JPG | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | ~50% smaller | Baseline |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| HDR / wide gamut | Yes | No |
| Browser support | All modern browsers | Universal |
| Email / office apps | Poor | Universal |
| Encode speed | Slow | Fast |
When to use AVIF
For web delivery, AVIF is the strongest format available: photos compress dramatically smaller than JPG or WebP at equal quality, which directly improves page speed and Core Web Vitals. Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge all support it.
When to stick with JPG
Outside the browser, AVIF support is still patchy — email clients, older photo software and many upload forms reject it. Convert AVIF to JPG when you need a file that opens anywhere.
Tools used in this guide
Related guides
AVIF vs JPG: which should you use? — FAQ
For the web, yes — around half the file size at the same quality, plus transparency and HDR. For universal compatibility, JPG still wins.