The short answer
AVIF offers 30-50% smaller files than WebP at similar visual quality. It handles low-quality compression better and supports HDR content.
WebP has broader browser support, encodes faster, and is a proven format with years of production use. It's the safer default for most projects today.
Choose AVIF for maximum compression when targeting modern browsers. Choose WebP for wider compatibility. If possible, serve both.
Compression efficiency
AVIF is built on AV1, a modern video codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media. WebP uses VP8 for lossy compression and its own codec for lossless. The generational difference in codec technology gives AVIF a significant compression advantage.
Photographs
A 100 KB WebP photo might be ~60 KB as AVIF at the same visual quality. For image-heavy sites, this translates directly to faster load times.
Graphics and illustrations
AVIF's advantage is smaller for simple graphics, but it still tends to produce files 20-30% smaller than WebP.
Lossless compression
Both formats support lossless mode. AVIF lossless files are generally comparable to or slightly smaller than WebP lossless.
Quality at low bitrates
When you push compression hard (low quality settings), the differences between formats become obvious.
AVIF at low quality
- → Maintains structural detail
- → Fewer visible artifacts
- → Smooth gradients preserved
- → Better for aggressive compression
WebP at low quality
- × Visible banding in gradients
- × Smearing around edges
- × Block artifacts in flat areas
- → Still acceptable at medium quality
Browser support
WebP has a head start of several years, which means wider support across browsers and software.
AVIF
- Chrome 85+ (August 2020)
- Firefox 93+ (October 2021)
- Safari 16+ (September 2022)
Good coverage for modern browsers, but gaps remain with older versions still in use.
WebP
- Chrome 32+ (January 2014)
- Firefox 65+ (January 2019)
- Safari 14+ (September 2020)
- Edge 18+ (November 2018)
Over 97% global support. Safe to use as a primary format.
Encoding speed
The sophistication of AVIF's compression comes at a cost: encoding time. This matters for real-time conversion, batch processing, and build pipelines.
- → WebP encodes faster — typically 5-10x faster than AVIF for the same image
- → AVIF encoding is CPU-intensive — the AV1 codec is more complex, requiring more processing time per image
- → Batch processing — converting hundreds of images to AVIF takes noticeably longer than WebP
- → Decoding is fast for both — once encoded, both formats display quickly in browsers
Recommendation
The best approach depends on your situation:
Use AVIF when...
You're targeting modern browsers and want maximum file size savings. Image-heavy sites like portfolios, e-commerce, and media platforms benefit the most.
Use WebP when...
You need a broadly supported modern format with good compression. It's the right default for most websites and apps today.
Serve both when...
You can use the HTML <picture> element to serve AVIF to browsers that support it and fall back to WebP for the rest. This gives you the best compression with full compatibility.
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