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Formats
6 min read

WebP vs AVIF: The Foreseeable Advancement of Web Images

Todays web development calls for sophisticated technologies that can maintain an optimal balance between quality and size of an image file. WebP and AVIF are the latest representatives in image compression technologies and both present different benefits for different applications.

WebP: The Choice of Groundwork

Having being developed by Google, WebP was designed to compress images at least 25-35% better than JPEG without lowering the quality too much. This format also supports lossless and lossy compression, also supporting transparency and animation.

Advantages of WebP:

  • • Bountiful support from browses (more than 95% of browses)
  • • Reduction of file sizes compared to JPEG/PNG
  • • Support for transparency and animation
  • • Long development of tools and frameworks
  • • Acceptance from all major platforms

AVIF: A New Overnight Sensation

Running on the most recent AV1 video codec, AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) promises far better compression than it’s earlier counterparts Such as WebP. It can yield up to 50% smaller file size while still retaining the same quality. It is the most recent image format participant in the competition.

Advantages of AVIF:

  • • Best compression features (50% less than JPEG)
  • • Better quality at lower bitrates
  • • High respect to color gamut
  • • Enable HDR imaging high dynamic range images
  • • Film grain synthesis for softer, more natural textures.

Performance Comparison

File Size Reduction

WebP vs JPEG:25-35% smaller
AVIF vs JPEG:40-50% smaller

Browser Support

WebP:95%+ browsers
AVIF:85%+ browsers

Recommended Strategy:

The choice between WebP and AVIF depends on your specific needs:

Recommended Strategy:

  1. 1. Use AVIF if your priority is image quality and compression.
  2. 2. Use WebP as an alternative.
  3. 3. Use JPEG if you are working with older browsers.
  4. 4. Use the HTML picture element to automatically pick the preferred format.

Implementation Tips

Use the picture element with AVIF and WebP for progressive feature enhancement, along with the best formats supported to maximize performance. This will also ensure compatibility is maintained across all devices and browsers.