JPEG XL vs AVIF vs WebP
Three modern formats compete to replace JPEG: WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL. They offer different trade-offs between file size, quality, and support.
Here's the honest comparison, and the practical answer for most people.
WebP: the pragmatic choice
WebP is the best-supported modern format — every browser supports it, and so do most tools and CMSs. It beats JPEG and PNG on size with no downside in practice. For most websites, WebP is the safe, boring, correct answer.
AVIF: the size champion
AVIF offers the best compression of the three for photographs, often 20–30% smaller than WebP at the same quality. It's supported in all modern browsers. Its main drawback is slightly slower encoding and less support in older tools.
JPEG XL: technically superb, poorly supported
JPEG XL has the best compression and lossless re-encoding of JPEGs, but browser support is limited and stagnant. As of 2026 it isn't a practical choice for a public website — the others simply open in more places.
The practical answer
Use WebP as your default for maximum compatibility. Use AVIF for photos when you want the smallest files (with a WebP or JPEG fallback). Skip JPEG XL until browser support improves.
For most people: WebP everywhere. For image-heavy sites that chase every byte: AVIF for photos with a fallback. JPEG XL is excellent on paper but not worth betting on yet. Our converters handle both WebP and AVIF.