AVIF (AV1 Image File Format)
The image format that finally beats JPEG at its own game without asking you to pay a royalty.
| Full name | AV1 Image File Format |
| Extension | .avif |
| MIME type | image/avif |
| Developer | Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) |
| Released | 2019 (v1.0.0, February 19, 2019) |
| Type | Raster image |
| Color depth | Up to 12 bits per channel |
| Compression | AV1 codec (lossy and lossless) |
What is a AVIF file?
AVIF is a modern image format built on the AV1 video codec and wrapped in a HEIF container. It delivers images that look as sharp as JPEG at roughly half the file size, with support for HDR color, transparency, and animation. All major browsers and many image tools support it today.
AVIF uses the AV1 codec to compress individual image frames, then packages them inside a High Efficiency Image File (HEIF) container. That combination gives it both excellent compression and a flexible container that can hold still images, image sequences, and metadata. The format supports 8-bit, 10-bit, and 12-bit color depth, full wide-color-gamut (WCG) space, and HDR transfer functions including PQ and HLG. Transparency is built in via an alpha channel, with no 256-color limit like GIF.
History
The Alliance for Open Media formed in 2015 as a coalition of companies including Google, Mozilla, Cisco, Netflix, and Amazon to develop a royalty-free video codec as an alternative to HEVC. The resulting AV1 codec was published in 2018. AOMedia then specified how to store AV1-encoded still images in a HEIF container, publishing the AVIF 1.0.0 specification on February 19, 2019. The format was later standardized as ISO/IEC 23000-22 in 2020, and browser adoption arrived in 2021 with Chrome and Firefox leading the way.
How it works
An AVIF file is a HEIF container built on the ISO Base Media File Format (ISOBMFF). Inside the container, the image data is encoded with the AV1 codec using its block-based prediction and transform pipeline. AV1 divides the image into superblocks up to 128x128 pixels, then recursively splits them to match local complexity. Simple flat regions stay as large blocks while fine-detail areas are split into smaller ones. Metadata such as color profiles, EXIF, and XMP can sit alongside the image data in separate container boxes.
What it is used for
- Web images where bandwidth matters, such as product photos, hero banners, and thumbnails
- HDR photography displayed on wide-gamut monitors or HDR-capable screens
- Animated graphics as a higher-quality, smaller replacement for GIF or APNG
- Mobile apps and games where reducing image payload cuts load times and data costs
How to open it
Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all open AVIF files natively in the browser; drag the file into the address bar to view it. For editing, recent versions of Photoshop, GIMP (with a plugin), and most Sharp-based image pipelines read and write AVIF directly.
Pros and cons
Strengths
- Files are 50 to 60 percent smaller than JPEG at equivalent visual quality
- Supports HDR and wide color gamut, making it ready for modern high-end displays
- Royalty-free and open, with no licensing fees for any party in the delivery chain
- Full alpha-channel transparency and animation support in a single format
Trade-offs
- Encoding is significantly slower than JPEG or WebP, especially at high quality settings
- Older software and operating systems do not support it without updates or plugins
- Complex images can produce slight soft-focus artifacts at aggressive compression levels
- File size advantage shrinks for very small images, where JPEG or WebP may be leaner
Convert AVIF files
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From AVIF
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AVIF FAQ
Is AVIF better than WebP?
For most photographs, AVIF produces smaller files at the same quality. WebP encodes faster and has wider compatibility with older browsers and tools. If your audience uses up-to-date browsers and encoding time is not a constraint, AVIF is the better choice. If you need broad compatibility or fast server-side encoding, WebP is still practical.
Do all browsers support AVIF?
Chrome (from version 85), Firefox (from version 93), and Safari (from version 16) all support AVIF. Edge supports it too. Older browser versions and Internet Explorer do not. The HTML picture element lets you serve AVIF with a JPEG or WebP fallback so users on older browsers still see the image.
Can AVIF store animations?
Yes. AVIF supports image sequences with individual frame delays, making it a replacement for GIF or APNG. The animation is stored as multiple AV1-encoded frames inside the HEIF container. File sizes for animated AVIF are typically much smaller than equivalent GIFs at far higher quality.
Who created AVIF and is it free to use?
AVIF was created by the Alliance for Open Media, a consortium that includes Google, Apple, Mozilla, Netflix, Amazon, and others. It is fully royalty-free. You can encode, decode, distribute, and display AVIF images without paying any licensing fee.