Three formats dominate photographic images on the web today: the classic JPEG, the widely-supported WebP, and the newcomer AVIF. They do the same job — compress photos — but at very different efficiencies. Here is how they stack up.
Compression and quality
At the same visual quality, file sizes usually rank like this:
- AVIF — smallest, often 30–50% smaller than JPEG.
- WebP — middle, typically 25–35% smaller than JPEG.
- JPEG — largest, but still perfectly usable.
AVIF also handles dark gradients and flat color better (less banding), and both AVIF and WebP support transparency, which JPEG does not.
Browser and app support
This is where the order flips:
- JPEG — works literally everywhere, forever.
- WebP — supported by all current browsers; safe for the web today.
- AVIF — supported by current Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari, but older devices and many desktop apps still can’t open it.
See What is WebP and What is AVIF for the details.
Which should you use?
- A website you control: serve AVIF or WebP for speed, with a JPEG fallback for old clients.
- A file you send to someone: JPEG (or PNG) so it opens anywhere.
- Needs transparency: WebP or AVIF (or PNG); never JPEG.
- Maximum compatibility over size: JPEG.
For the JPEG-vs-PNG side of the decision, see PNG vs JPG.
Convert between them — free, no upload
Everything runs in your browser:
- PNG to WebP · JPG to WebP — modern, smaller web images.
- AVIF to WebP · AVIF to JPG — open or repackage AVIF files.
- Compress an image — squeeze any format further.
Rule of thumb: AVIF or WebP on your own site, JPEG when you hand a file to someone else.