JPEG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF? A Real-World Benchmark of 9 Image Formats
Choosing the wrong image format is one of the most common — and most easily fixable — performance mistakes on the web. The right format can cut your page weight in half with zero visible quality loss.
I tested a 2.4MB photographic image across every major format using TinyJPG Compressor. Here are the results.
Real-World Format Benchmark
| Format | Size | Reduction | Visual Quality | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | 2.4 MB | — | 100% | — |
| JPEG (Q85) | 380 KB | 84% | Excellent | Photos, universal compatibility |
| PNG-24 | 1.8 MB | 25% | Lossless | Screenshots, icons, transparency |
| WebP | 260 KB | 89% | Excellent | Web use — best all-rounder |
| AVIF | 190 KB | 92% | Excellent | Cutting-edge web, max compression |
| GIF | 4.1 MB | -70% | Poor (photo) | Simple animations only |
Key takeaway: WebP is the sweet spot for most web use. AVIF goes further but has lower browser coverage. JPEG remains a reliable fallback.
👉 Download TinyJPG and test formats yourself
Format by Use Case
Web Development
Photos → WebP (with JPEG fallback)
Icons → PNG 32-64px (SVG preferred when possible)
Hero images → AVIF (with WebP fallback)
Screenshots → PNG or WebP lossless
Favicons → ICO (TinyJPG supports ICO output)
E-Commerce
Product photos → JPEG Q80-85
Product thumbnails → WebP
Banners → WebP
Transparent overlays → PNG
Print & Publishing
Print-ready → TIFF or high-quality JPEG
Archival → PNG lossless or TIFF
Documents → PDF (TinyJPG converts images to PDF)
01. WebP — The Current Sweet Spot
WebP reduces file size by 25-35% compared to JPEG at the same quality. Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari all support it — covering roughly 96% of browsers.
If you’re still defaulting to JPEG for web images, switching to WebP is the single easiest optimization with the biggest impact.
02. AVIF — Maximum Compression
AVIF uses the AV1 codec and achieves significantly better compression than WebP. The trade-off: slightly lower browser adoption (Safari’s support is still maturing).
Use AVIF for hero images and large banners where every kilobyte counts. Always provide a WebP or JPEG fallback.
03. JPEG — Still Relevant
JPEG isn’t going away. It offers universal browser support and excellent compression for photographic content. Use it as your fallback format and for audiences that need maximum compatibility.
Rule of thumb: JPEG Q80-85 is the sweet spot where quality and file size meet.
04. PNG — When You Need Transparency
PNG is the go-to for screenshots, icons, and graphics with text. It’s lossless, supports full alpha transparency, but produces larger files than JPEG for photos.
For web use: prefer WebP for photos, use PNG only when you need transparency or pixel-perfect rendering.
05. Special Formats: ICO, PDF, TIFF, BMP, GIF
| Format | Primary Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ICO | Windows icons, favicons | Processed locally by Pillow, 256x256 RGBA |
| Documents, presentations | Processed locally, 150 DPI RGB | |
| TIFF | Print publishing, archival | High quality, large files |
| BMP | Legacy compatibility | Avoid for web, auto-converted to PNG by TinyJPG |
| GIF | Simple animations | Poor for photos, use WebP/AVIF for animated images |
Important Notes
- AVIF and WebP need fallbacks for legacy browsers
- Lossy compression is irreversible — keep originals for archival
- Format conversion can’t improve quality, only preserve or reduce it
- TinyJPG maintains original dimensions unless resize is enabled
- BMP files are auto-converted to PNG before compression
FAQ
01. Which format is best for website photos? WebP. It’s supported by 96%+ of browsers, compresses 25-35% better than JPEG, and is easy to serve with a JPEG fallback.
02. Is AVIF ready for production use? Yes, with fallbacks. Chrome and Firefox have solid AVIF support. Safari is catching up. Serve AVIF with WebP fallback for best coverage.
03. Does format conversion affect image dimensions? No. TinyJPG preserves original dimensions during format conversion. Use the resize option separately if you need to change dimensions.
04. Can I convert multiple images to different formats in one batch? One batch uses one output format. Run separate batches for different formats.
05. What formats does TinyJPG support for input and output? Input: JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, BMP, GIF, TIFF. Output: JPEG, PNG, WebP, GIF, TIFF, BMP, AVIF, ICO, PDF.
Summary
The best format depends on your use case. For web: WebP is the sweet spot. For maximum compression: AVIF. For universal compatibility: JPEG. For transparency: PNG.
Download TinyJPG Compressor and benchmark formats with your own images.