Why Convert PNG to AVIF
AVIF is a relatively new image format built on the same underlying compression technology as the AV1 video codec, and it's designed to squeeze out more efficiency than older image formats at a given visual quality. For PNG images specifically - which are lossless and therefore often much larger than they need to be for on-screen use - converting to AVIF usually means a dramatically smaller file. Icons, illustrations, and product shots with cut-out backgrounds are the biggest beneficiaries, since they need both small file size and the transparency AVIF fully supports.
How to Convert PNG to AVIF
Upload your PNG
Drag it in or click Upload Your Image.
AVIF is already selected
This page defaults Convert To to AVIF - switch it if you want a different format instead.
Optionally set a target size
Leave it on Best Quality, or choose a KB target if you need a specific file size.
Click Convert
The AVIF file downloads automatically once it's ready.
PNG vs AVIF
Compression efficiency. PNG's lossless compression preserves every pixel exactly but leaves real file-size savings on the table for content that doesn't need pixel-perfect precision. AVIF's compression is dramatically more efficient, typically producing a much smaller file at a quality level that's still very close to the original.
Quality. AVIF supports both lossless and lossy modes; this tool uses lossy AVIF by default, which is what delivers its size advantage. At sensible quality settings the difference from the source PNG is minor, but - as with any lossy format - it is a tradeoff, not a free upgrade.
Transparency. Both PNG and AVIF support a full alpha channel, so transparent PNGs convert cleanly with no flattening or background added.
Browser support and use cases. All current major browsers support AVIF. It's best suited to modern web delivery where you control (or can detect and fall back from) the format shown to visitors; for guaranteed universal compatibility with very old software, PNG or JPG remain safer choices.
When AVIF is appropriate: publishing images for a modern web audience where file size and load time matter - icons, illustrations, product photography, hero images. When it isn't: workflows requiring guaranteed lossless precision, or audiences you know rely on older browsers or tools without AVIF support.
Modern Web Delivery with AVIF
Most sites that adopt AVIF don't replace every other format outright - they serve AVIF to browsers that support it and fall back to WebP or JPG for the rest, using the HTML <picture> element or equivalent server-side content negotiation. If you need to generate that kind of multi-format, multi-size image set automatically, cloudvertify's Responsive Image Generator builds exactly that from a single source image.
Reducing File Size Further
Beyond AVIF's default compression, this tool also supports targeting a specific file size - 20KB, 50KB, 100KB, 200KB, or a custom value - the same way it does for JPG and WebP. It searches for the highest quality that still fits your target and only reduces the image's dimensions if quality reduction alone isn't enough. As with any format, there's a real limit to how small an image can get before quality visibly suffers, and the tool reports honestly if a target can't be met rather than silently producing an over-compressed result.
Common Use Cases
- ·Compressing icons and illustrations with transparent backgrounds for a modern website.
- ·Reducing product photography file size while keeping cut-out backgrounds transparent.
- ·Cutting page weight on image-heavy sites where every kilobyte affects load time.
- ·Preparing the smallest possible source assets for a responsive
<picture>element image set.
More Ways to Convert
Need broader compatibility than AVIF currently offers? Convert PNG to WebP instead for a format with wider support that still compresses well and keeps transparency. Already have JPG source images you want in AVIF? Convert JPG to AVIF applies the same encoding to photographic sources. And if you're moving an existing WebP library to AVIF for the extra compression, convert WebP to AVIF handles that directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, typically by a large margin. AVIF uses modern, highly efficient compression (derived from the AV1 video codec) that outperforms PNG's lossless approach substantially, especially on photographic or detailed content - and it still beats PNG on flatter graphics, just by a smaller margin.
For delivering images on the web, AVIF is generally the better choice on file size while matching or exceeding PNG's visual quality at reasonable settings, and it still supports transparency. PNG remains preferable when you specifically need guaranteed lossless output or need to support very old software, since AVIF is a newer format with a shorter compatibility history.
Yes - AVIF has a full alpha channel, the same as PNG. Converting a transparent PNG (an icon, a cut-out product photo, an illustration) to AVIF preserves the transparency exactly.
This tool's AVIF encoding is lossy by default, so there is a genuine quality-for-size tradeoff, the same as with JPG or WebP. At the quality levels this tool targets by default, the visual difference from the source PNG is typically minimal, but it isn't a byte-for-byte lossless copy - if you need guaranteed lossless output, keep the file as PNG.
Smaller image files mean faster page loads, which directly affects user experience and performance metrics like Core Web Vitals. AVIF currently offers the best compression efficiency of the widely-deployed image formats while still supporting transparency and modern color, making it a strong default for image-heavy pages on a modern audience.
Upload your PNG above, leave the output format on AVIF (already selected on this page), optionally set a target file size, and click Convert - the AVIF file downloads automatically as soon as it's ready.
Yes - AVIF handles photographic detail and noise very efficiently, often producing noticeably smaller files than JPG or WebP at comparable visual quality, which is why it's increasingly used as the primary format for photo-heavy websites.
Yes - all current major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) support AVIF. Very old browser versions and some legacy software don't, which is the main reason to keep a JPG or WebP fallback available if your audience includes users on outdated software.
Both support transparency and compress far better than PNG. AVIF usually edges out WebP on file size at equivalent quality, particularly for detailed or photographic content, while WebP has broader compatibility with slightly older browsers and tools. If AVIF support is a concern for your audience, WebP is the natural middle-ground alternative.
It can, since AVIF's compression algorithm is more computationally intensive than JPG's or WebP's. This tool balances that by using a fast search pass to find the right settings and only performing one slower, high-quality final encode for the result you actually download.
It's processed by cloudvertify's conversion engine for the conversion itself and isn't retained afterward.