WebP vs JPEG vs AVIF: which format should you use in 2026?

Choosing the right image format can cut your page weight in half. Here's the practical rundown for 2026.

JPEG — the safe default

Universally supported, great for photos. But it's the largest of the three at the same quality.

WebP — the best all-rounder

25–35% smaller than JPEG at equal quality, supports transparency, and is supported by every modern browser. For most sites, WebP is the recommended default.

AVIF — the smallest

Often 20% smaller than WebP with excellent quality, but slower to encode and slightly less universal. Great for hero images where every KB counts.

Recommendation

Use WebP as your default. Offer AVIF for large hero images, and keep a JPEG fallback for ancient browsers.

Try it now — free

Best Convert PDF can convert your images to WebP, JPEG or AVIF right in the browser — pick a format, set quality, done.

Open the free compressor →