Format Showdown

WebP VS AVIF

The ultimate comparison guide. Understanding the technical differences between Web Picture Format and AV1 Image File Format.

WebP

webp

Modern format providing superior compression for web performance.

Pros

  • Superior compression (30% smaller than JPG)
  • Supports transparency
  • Supports animation

Cons

  • Not supported by very old browsers
  • Complex encoding

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

When WebP wins

Stay with WebP when you need modern websites or app assets. Its strengths center on superior compression (30% smaller than jpg) and a feature set native to Google.

When AVIF wins

Choose AVIF when your workflow prioritizes next-gen web delivery or high-quality streaming assets. It delivers best-in-class compression plus modern compression perks.

Technical Specifications

FeatureWebPAVIF
MIME Typeimage/webpimage/avif
DeveloperGoogleAlliance for Open Media
Release Year20102019
Best ForModern websites, App assets, Speed optimizationNext-gen web delivery, High-quality streaming assets
Opportunity map

Where WebP still wins

Keep WebP when you need superior compression (30% smaller than jpg) and workflows depend on modern websites / app assets. Link those teams directly to the converter above so they can ship AVIF deliverables without leaving their browser.

  • • Reference the .webp glossary from this page.
  • • Embed the conversion CTA in docs, wikis, and onboarding runbooks.
  • • Use AVIF for next-gen web delivery while archiving originals as WebP.
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.