Why would I convert AVIF to WebP?

Compatibility. AVIF is not supported by Safari before version 16, by many desktop image editors, or by a lot of CMS and marketplace upload forms. WebP is accepted almost everywhere, so converting trades a little file size for the file actually opening.

Will the WebP be bigger than the AVIF?

Usually yes, by roughly 20-30% at comparable quality. AVIF is the more efficient codec. If size is the priority and your target supports AVIF, keep the AVIF.

Does converting AVIF to WebP reduce quality?

Slightly. Both are lossy formats, so decoding and re-encoding introduces a second generation of loss. Using quality 88 or above keeps this well below what you can see.

Convert AVIF to WebP

AVIF compresses better than WebP, so converting the other way costs you some file size. The reason to do it anyway is compatibility: plenty of desktop software, CMS uploaders and older Safari versions still refuse AVIF, while WebP is accepted essentially everywhere. This is a practical conversion, not an optimisation one.

Best for: Making AVIF files usable in software or on platforms that reject them.

What to know

Expect the WebP to be somewhat larger than the AVIF — that is the trade you are making for compatibility.
This is a lossy-to-lossy conversion, so use a high quality setting (88+) to avoid stacking artefacts on top of the AVIF's own.
AVIF metadata is not currently read, so EXIF from the source will not carry over.

About AVIF

Built on the AV1 video codec and standardised in 2019 — currently the strongest compression available in a widely supported still image format.

Encoding is genuinely slow: seconds per image rather than milliseconds.
Not supported by Safari before version 16, nor by much desktop software.
At aggressive settings it smooths fine texture rather than adding blocky artefacts, which some find worse.

Support:: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Safari 16+. Roughly 93% of users.
Transparency:: Full alpha, efficiently compressed.

About WebP

Google's 2010 format, now the pragmatic default for the web: meaningfully smaller than JPEG and PNG, and supported everywhere that matters.

Does both lossy and lossless, so it replaces JPEG and PNG with one format.
Transparency in lossy mode — something JPEG cannot do and PNG pays dearly for.
Encodes fast enough to convert hundreds of images without waiting around.
Universal browser support since Safari 14 in 2020.

Support:: All current browsers, including Safari 14+ and Edge. Roughly 97% of users.
Transparency:: Full alpha, in both lossy and lossless modes.

Frequently asked questions

Why would I convert AVIF to WebP?: Compatibility. AVIF is not supported by Safari before version 16, by many desktop image editors, or by a lot of CMS and marketplace upload forms. WebP is accepted almost everywhere, so converting trades a little file size for the file actually opening.
Will the WebP be bigger than the AVIF?: Usually yes, by roughly 20-30% at comparable quality. AVIF is the more efficient codec. If size is the priority and your target supports AVIF, keep the AVIF.
Does converting AVIF to WebP reduce quality?: Slightly. Both are lossy formats, so decoding and re-encoding introduces a second generation of loss. Using quality 88 or above keeps this well below what you can see.

Related conversions

Converting from something else? Convert any image to WebP