Use WebP as a baseline and AVIF for modern browsers to achieve smaller file sizes, better quality, and faster loading; 1. WebP offers broad support and good compression for most use cases; 2. AVIF provides superior efficiency and HDR/wide color for modern devices but requires fallbacks for older browsers like pre-Big Sur Safari; 3. Implement via the
Next-gen image formats like AVIF and WebP are transforming how we deliver images on the web—offering better compression, richer colors, and faster load times. If you're still relying on JPEG and PNG, you're likely serving heavier images than necessary, which can hurt performance and user experience. Here’s how to make the most of AVIF and WebP.
Why Switch to WebP and AVIF?
WebP and AVIF aren’t just incremental improvements—they represent a significant leap in image efficiency.
- WebP, developed by Google, supports both lossy and lossless compression, transparency (like PNG), and animation (like GIF). It typically reduces file sizes by 25–35% compared to JPEG and PNG.
- AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) goes even further, delivering up to 50% smaller files than JPEG at the same visual quality. It supports HDR, wide color gamut (10-bit color depth), and advanced compression techniques from the AV1 video codec.
For modern websites aiming for speed and visual fidelity, these formats are essential.
When to Use WebP vs. AVIF
While both formats are powerful, they serve slightly different needs and compatibility levels.
Use WebP when:
- You need broad browser support (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera—all support WebP; Safari since v14).
- You’re optimizing for mobile or mid-tier devices where encoding/decoding speed matters.
- You want a reliable fallback format before adopting AVIF.
Use AVIF when:
- You're targeting modern browsers (Chrome 85 , Firefox 92 , Edge 90 ).
- Image quality at low bitrates is critical (e.g., e-commerce product images).
- You want future-proof support for HDR and wide color.
Note: Safari on older macOS versions (before Big Sur) doesn’t support AVIF, so always have fallbacks.
How to Implement Them on Your Site
You don’t need to replace all your images at once—use progressive enhancement with the <picture></picture>
element.
<picture> <source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif"> <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp"> <img src="/static/imghw/default1.png" data-src="image.jpg" class="lazy" alt="Descriptive text"> </picture>
This ensures:
- AVIF is served if supported
- Falls back to WebP if AVIF isn’t available
- Finally falls back to JPEG for older browsers
Automate Conversion
Manually converting images isn’t scalable. Instead:
- Use ImageMagick or libvips in build pipelines
- Leverage tools like Squoosh.app (GUI) or sharp (Node.js) for batch processing
- Integrate with CMS or static site generators (e.g., via plugins for WordPress, Next.js, or Gatsby)
Example with sharp
:
await sharp('input.jpg') .webp({ quality: 80 }) .toFile('output.webp'); await sharp('input.jpg') .avif({ quality: 80 }) .toFile('output.avif');
Don’t Forget Performance Trade-offs
Despite their benefits, next-gen formats come with caveats:
- Encoding time: AVIF is slower to encode than WebP or JPEG (though decoding is generally fine on modern hardware).
- Tooling maturity: AVIF support in design tools (e.g., Photoshop) is still limited.
- CDN and caching: Ensure your CDN supports content negotiation or pre-convert assets at upload.
For high-traffic sites, pre-converting images at build/upload time is better than on-the-fly generation.
Basically, use WebP as your baseline next-gen format and layer in AVIF where browser support allows. The combo gives you cutting-edge compression without sacrificing accessibility. With proper fallbacks and automation, the switch pays off fast in performance gains.
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