WebP vs AVIF: Which Image Format Should You Use?

WebP and AVIF are both modern formats that produce far smaller files than JPEG. But they are not interchangeable — here is how to choose.

Compression

AVIF usually wins on pure compression, producing the smallest files at a given quality, especially for photos and gradients. WebP is close behind and still far ahead of JPEG.

Browser support

WebP is supported almost everywhere today. AVIF support is now broad on modern browsers but still slightly behind WebP, so a fallback can matter for older devices.

Encoding speed

AVIF encoding is noticeably slower than WebP. For large batches, WebP converts much faster while still cutting size a lot.

Recommendation

• Default to WebP for the best balance of size, speed and support.
• Use AVIF when the smallest possible file matters most and your audience uses modern browsers.
• Keep a JPEG/WebP fallback if you must support very old clients.

With Scrunch you can try both on the same images and compare the results side by side before deciding.