What Changed in 2024–2025: AVIF Stops Being "The Format of the Future"
For years, AVIF was the promising image format that would "soon" dominate the web. In 2025, that promise has been fulfilled. Two key announcements removed the last barriers to mass adoption:
Adobe Photoshop Adds Native AVIF Support
In 2025, Adobe finally integrated native AVIF support into Photoshop, allowing users to open, edit, and export .avif files without third-party plugins. This solves the biggest pain point for designers and photographers who relied on additional tools or complicated workflows.
Google Search Indexes AVIF Since 2024
The second crucial change: Google officially confirmed that it indexes AVIF images since 2024, putting them on par with JPEG, PNG, and WebP in Google Images. This eliminates the fear of "losing SEO" when migrating to AVIF, one of the main objections from developers and website owners.
Almost Universal Browser Support in 2025
According to Can I Use, AVIF has support in over 90% of modern browsers:
- Chrome/Edge: Since v85 (August 2020)
- Firefox: Since v93 (October 2021)
- Safari: Since v16 (September 2022)
- Opera: Since v71 (September 2020)
The only major browser without native support is Internet Explorer, which officially stopped receiving updates in June 2022. For the remaining 5-10% of users, a fallback strategy with WebP/JPEG solves compatibility.
Why AVIF Matters: Superior Compression and Better Core Web Vitals
Up to 50% Better Compression Than JPEG
AVIF offers dramatic file size reductions while maintaining identical visual quality:
- vs JPEG: 40-50% smaller with the same subjective quality
- vs WebP: 20-30% smaller than lossy WebP
- vs PNG: Up to 70% smaller for images with transparency
Real example: A 500 KB high-quality JPEG product photo converts to 200-250 KB in AVIF with quality 80-85, with no perceptible differences on modern displays.
Direct Impact on Core Web Vitals
File size reduction translates into measurable improvements in performance metrics:
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
By reducing the weight of the hero image or above-the-fold content, AVIF significantly accelerates LCP. A 1 MB hero image that drops to 400 KB can improve LCP by 0.5-1 second on 3G/4G connections.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
While less direct, pages with lower image weight reduce the load on the browser's main thread, improving response to user interactions.
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
AVIF supports intrinsic sizing just like other formats, so it doesn't negatively affect CLS if you implement width/height correctly.
When to Use WebP/JPEG Fallback
Although support is widespread, it's critical to implement a fallback strategy to ensure universal compatibility and not harm the experience of users with older browsers:
- Browsers without AVIF support: Safari 15 and earlier, Internet Explorer
- Old crawlers: Some third-party bots still don't recognize AVIF
- Legacy systems: Internal applications with outdated browsers
Practical Migration with OrquiTool: Express Guide in 5 Steps
Step 1: Upload Your JPG/PNG Images to OrquiTool
Visit OrquiTool Convert and drag your images to the upload area. OrquiTool processes everything locally in your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device.
Step 2: Select AVIF as Output Format
In the format selector, choose AVIF. Configure the recommended quality:
- Quality 80-85: Optimal for photographs and hero content (balance weight/quality)
- Quality 70-75: Acceptable for thumbnails or secondary images
- Quality 90+: Only if you need maximum quality and weight isn't critical
Note: AVIF quality 80 is visually comparable to JPEG quality 95, but with half the weight.
Step 3: Preview and Compare Weight/Artifacts
OrquiTool displays side-by-side preview and final file size. Check:
- Compression artifacts: Zoom in on areas with gradients or fine details
- File size reduction: Confirm you achieve at least 40% reduction vs JPEG
- Visual quality: If you detect noticeable loss, adjust quality to 85-90
Step 4: Download Your Optimized AVIF Images
Click "Download" to get your .avif files. OrquiTool preserves original file names by adding the .avif extension.
Step 5: Implement the <picture> Snippet with Fallback
To ensure universal compatibility, use the HTML <picture> element with progressive fallback:
<picture>
<source srcset="hero-image.avif" type="image/avif">
<source srcset="hero-image.webp" type="image/webp">
<img src="hero-image.jpg" alt="Image description"
width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy">
</picture>How it works:
- Browsers with AVIF support download
hero-image.avif(smaller weight) - Browsers without AVIF but with WebP download
hero-image.webp - Older browsers without AVIF or WebP use
hero-image.jpg
The browser downloads only one version, not all three, so there's no bandwidth penalty.
WordPress and Other CMS: Native Support and Plugins
WordPress 6.5+ Supports AVIF Natively
Since WordPress 6.5 (released in April 2024), you can upload .avif files directly to the media library without plugins. WordPress automatically generates AVIF versions of your images when uploading, if the server supports the format.
Server Requirements
- PHP 8.0+: Required for AVIF support in GD/Imagick
- Imagick or GD with AVIF support: Verify with
phpinfo() - Updated hosting: Most modern hosting providers already support it
Plugins for Older WordPress
If you're using WordPress 6.4 or earlier, these plugins add AVIF support:
Imagify (freemium)
- Automatically converts JPG/PNG to AVIF on upload
- On-the-fly optimization with integrated CDN
- Free plan: 25 MB/month of optimization
ShortPixel (freemium)
- AVIF support with automatic fallback to WebP/JPEG
- Adaptive Images to serve optimal format per browser
- Free plan: 100 images/month
EWWW Image Optimizer (freemium)
- Local AVIF conversion without sending files to external servers
- Requires Imagick/GD with AVIF support on server
- Fully functional free version
Cache and CDN Tips
Cloudflare Polish
Cloudflare Polish (Pro plan and above) automatically converts images to AVIF if the browser supports it, without needing to change your HTML code. Enable Polish in your Cloudflare dashboard → Speed → Optimization.
Cache Configuration
Make sure your CDN or cache plugin respects the browser's Accept header to serve the correct format:
Accept: image/avif,image/webp,image/apng,image/*Plugins like WP Rocket and W3 Total Cache already handle this correctly in recent versions.
Mandatory Lazy-loading
Combine AVIF with native lazy-loading to maximize impact on LCP:
<img src="image.avif" loading="lazy" alt="...">Exception: DO NOT use loading="lazy" on the hero image above-the-fold, as it will delay LCP.
AVIF Migration Checklist + CTA
Complete Checklist in 10 Steps
- Audit your current images: Identify the 10-20 heaviest images on your site (hero, products, blog)
- Convert to AVIF with OrquiTool: Upload your JPG/PNG and export AVIF with quality 80-85
- Generate WebP versions as fallback: Also export WebP with quality 85 for older browsers
- Implement the <picture> element: Use the snippet above with fallback AVIF → WebP → JPEG
- Add width/height: Prevent CLS by specifying explicit dimensions
- Configure lazy-loading: Apply
loading="lazy"to below-the-fold images - Test in browsers: Verify in Chrome (AVIF), Safari 15 (WebP), and Safari 16+ (AVIF)
- Measure Core Web Vitals: Use PageSpeed Insights or Chrome DevTools to confirm LCP improvement
- Configure your CDN: Enable Polish in Cloudflare or configure Vary: Accept in your cache
- Migrate images progressively: Start with hero/above-fold, then product images, finally entire catalog
Recommended Presets: AVIF and WebP
Save this preset table for future conversions:
| Image Type | AVIF Quality | WebP Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Hero / Above-fold | 85 | 90 |
| Products / Blog | 80 | 85 |
| Thumbnails | 70 | 75 |
| Icons / UI | — | Use SVG |
Free Mini-Audit: Test the Impact on Your Top 3 Images
Want to see the real impact of AVIF on your website without committing to a full migration?
Try this:
- Identify the 3 heaviest images on your home page (hero, featured products, banner)
- Convert them to AVIF with OrquiTool using quality 80
- Compare before/after weights
- Temporarily replace them on your staging site
- Measure LCP before and after with PageSpeed Insights
If you achieve a 0.3-0.5 second improvement in LCP with just 3 images, you'll know migrating your entire catalog is worth it.
👉 Start converting your images to AVIF free with OrquiTool
Conclusion
2025 marks the tipping point for AVIF: with native support in Photoshop, full indexing in Google Search, and almost universal browser adoption, there's no longer any reason to postpone migration. The 40-50% file size reduction vs JPEG translates directly into measurable improvements in Core Web Vitals, especially LCP, which positively impacts your Google ranking.
OrquiTool removes the technical barrier by offering instant, local, and free AVIF conversion with quality and weight preview. Implement the <picture> element with fallback to WebP/JPEG to ensure universal compatibility, configure lazy-loading, and measure the real impact in PageSpeed Insights.
AVIF migration isn't a "someday" project — it's a competitive advantage available today. Start with your 3 heaviest images, validate the impact, and scale progressively. Your LCP (and your users) will thank you.