Format Showdown

AVIF VS TGA

The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between AV1 Image File Format and Truevision TGA.

AVIF

avif

Next-gen compression codec derived from AV1 video, offering the best quality-to-size ratio.

Pros

  • Best-in-class compression
  • HDR support
  • 10-bit color depth

Cons

  • Slow encoding speed
  • Limited software support outside browsers

TGA

tga

Legacy raster format used in broadcast and game development with optional RLE compression.

Pros

  • Supports alpha channel
  • Straightforward structure
  • Trusted in VFX pipelines

Cons

  • Large uncompressed files
  • Sparse metadata
  • Poor native web support

When AVIF wins

Stay with AVIF when you need next-gen web delivery or high-quality streaming assets. Its strengths center on best-in-class compression and a feature set native to Alliance for Open Media.

When TGA wins

Choose TGA when your workflow prioritizes game textures or broadcast graphics. It delivers supports alpha channel plus modern compression perks.

Technical Specifications

FeatureAVIFTGA
MIME Typeimage/avifimage/x-tga
DeveloperAlliance for Open MediaTruevision
Release Year20191984
Best ForNext-gen web delivery, High-quality streaming assetsGame textures, Broadcast graphics, VFX matte passes

Need to switch?

Opportunity map

Where AVIF still wins

Keep AVIF when you need best-in-class compression and workflows depend on next-gen web delivery / high-quality streaming assets. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship TGA deliverables without leaving their browser.

  • • Reference the .avif glossary from this page.
  • • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
  • • Use TGA for game textures while archiving originals as AVIF.
Internal linking plan

Keep crawlers in the conversion hub

Link this comparison to the relevant tool, glossary, and documentation pages so every crawl discovers a monetizable route.