WebP vs AVIF vs JPEG: which is best for your website?

Smaller images make pages load faster, and the image format you choose makes a huge difference. JPEG has been the default for decades; WebP and AVIF are the modern alternatives. We ran the same images through all three to see what you actually gain.

Our test results

Four images, each saved with TinyPresso's default settings for every format:

File sizes depend a lot on the quality setting each format uses, so treat these as one real-world data point rather than a universal ranking — and always look at the results before publishing.

The takeaway is clear, though: both WebP and AVIF are dramatically smaller than JPEG — often a third of the size or less.

Browser support

If you need to support very old browsers, serve a modern format with a JPEG fallback — the browser picks the first one it understands:

<picture>
  <source srcset="photo.avif" type="image/avif">
  <source srcset="photo.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="photo.jpg" alt="…" width="1400" height="1045">
</picture>

Which should you use?

• WebP — the safe modern default. Huge savings, supported everywhere that matters, and most tools can create it.
• AVIF — also excellent, especially for photos. Compare it with WebP on your own images and pick whichever looks best at the smaller size.
• JPEG — the fallback, and still the right choice for email attachments and upload forms that don't accept newer formats.
• PNG — when you need every pixel exact, or for apps that don't support the others. Compress it first: our screenshot went from 875 KB to 261 KB as PNG.

How to convert your images

Drag your images into TinyPresso, pick WebP or AVIF as the output format, and press Compress — the whole batch is converted on your Mac, without uploading anything. For a few files, our free JPG to WebP and PNG to WebP converters work right in your browser. (Browsers can't create AVIF files, so for JPG to AVIF you'll need the app.)

Related guides

• Compressing images for the web
• HEIC vs JPEG: which photo format should you use?
• How to open and convert WebP files on a Mac

FAQ

Is AVIF better than WebP?

Both are far smaller than JPEG. Which is smaller depends on the image and the quality settings; in our tests with TinyPresso's defaults WebP was slightly smaller, while AVIF matched it on flat graphics. Compare both on your own images.

Do all browsers support WebP and AVIF?

All current major browsers support both. Safari added WebP in version 14 and AVIF in version 16. For very old browsers, use a picture element with a JPEG fallback.

Should I still use JPEG?

Use JPEG as a fallback for old browsers and for places that don't accept newer formats, such as some upload forms and email. On your own website, WebP or AVIF will usually be much smaller.