WebP vs AVIF: Which Next-Gen Image Format is Better for Your Website?

When it comes to optimizing images for the web, two heavyweights dominate the conversation: WebP and AVIF. Both formats offer significant advantages over traditional JPEGs and PNGs, but which one should you choose to speed up your website and improve your Core Web Vitals?

What is WebP?

Developed by Google, WebP has been around since 2010. It uses both lossy and lossless compression and supports transparency (alpha channel) and animation.

Pros of WebP:

Universal Support: It is supported by nearly 97% of global web browsers.
Good Compression: WebP images are generally 25-35% smaller than their JPEG equivalents.

What is AVIF?

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is the new kid on the block, developed by the Alliance for Open Media. It is based on the AV1 video codec and has rapidly gained popularity.

Pros of AVIF:

Incredible Compression: AVIF routinely beats WebP by another 20-30% in file size reduction at the exact same visual quality.
Advanced Features: It supports High Dynamic Range (HDR) and wide color gamuts.

Which Should You Choose?

If maximum compression and modern web performance are your top priorities (especially for mobile users on 3G/4G networks), AVIF is the clear winner. It simply provides better quality at a smaller file size than WebP.

However, because WebP has been around much longer, it has deeper legacy support. Many developers choose to offer AVIF as the primary image and fallback to WebP using the HTML <picture> tag.

How to Convert Your Images

You don't need expensive software to generate these next-gen formats. With DuckConvert, you can convert your existing media securely in your browser:

All conversions are processed locally on your device—meaning 100% privacy and no slow server uploads. Try it out today to speed up your website!