PNG to AVIF Converter
Convert PNG to AVIF for much smaller files that still keep full transparency — all in your browser.
What Is AVIF?
AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is a modern image format built on the AV1 video codec, developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia). It supports transparency, HDR, wide color gamut, and up to 12-bit color depth, and typically produces significantly smaller files than PNG — especially for photographic content.
Google has indexed AVIF images since April 2024, and over 93% of browsers in use today can display it natively.
Why Convert PNG to AVIF?
PNG's lossless compression makes it reliable but often much larger than it needs to be, especially for photos or complex images saved as PNG rather than JPG. AVIF can preserve the same transparency while cutting file size dramatically, which speeds up page loads and reduces storage and bandwidth use.
How This Tool Works
This converter runs entirely in your browser using a real libavif encoder compiled to WebAssembly — the same AV1-based encoding technology used to produce AVIF files elsewhere. Your PNG is decoded, re-encoded as AVIF at the quality level you choose with transparency preserved, and never uploaded to any server. AVIF encoding is more computationally demanding than older formats, so larger images or higher quality settings take longer to process — often several seconds for large images.
PNG vs AVIF — When to Use Each
| Feature | PNG | AVIF |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger, especially for photos | Much smaller, even with transparency |
| Compression | Always lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | Supported | Supported |
| Color depth | Up to 16-bit | Up to 12-bit |
| Compatibility | Universal — every device, browser, and editor | ~93% of browsers, growing website adoption |
| Encoding speed | Fast | Slower, especially at high quality |
Keep PNG When
- You need guaranteed pixel-perfect, lossless output
- Uploading to software or platforms without AVIF support
- Working with graphics, icons, or screenshots where exact reproduction matters most
Convert to AVIF When
- Serving images with transparency on your own website
- Page load speed and Core Web Vitals matter
- A PNG's file size is much larger than the image content justifies
- Storage space for a large image library is a concern
Common Scenarios for PNG to AVIF Conversion
Shrinking Large PNG Photos
PNGs of photographic content are often far larger than they need to be, since lossless compression doesn't handle photo-like detail as efficiently as a format designed for it. AVIF can cut that size dramatically while keeping transparency intact.
Speeding Up a Website
Replacing large PNG images with AVIF versions can meaningfully reduce page weight, improving load times and Core Web Vitals scores.
Preserving Transparency at a Smaller Size
If you're using PNG purely because you need transparency — not because you need lossless precision — AVIF gives you the same transparency support at a fraction of the file size.
Reducing Bandwidth for Mobile Visitors
Smaller images load faster on slower connections and use less of a visitor's mobile data, especially valuable for image-heavy pages.
Preparing Graphics for a Modern CMS
If your content platform already supports AVIF, converting your PNG source images before upload lets you take advantage of the smaller file sizes from the start. For images that don't need transparency, Image to PDF is worth a look if you're bundling several into a single document instead.
Other Ways to Convert PNG to AVIF
You can also convert PNG to AVIF using GIMP (with the AVIF export plugin) or Squoosh, Google's own in-browser image codec playground. FileCast is useful when you want a quick conversion without installing a plugin or leaving this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to convert my images here?
Yes. This tool encodes your PNG as AVIF entirely in your browser, using a WebAssembly build of libavif. Your image is never uploaded to a server — when you close the tab, all data is gone.
What does the quality slider actually control?
It controls how much detail the AVIF encoder keeps versus how small the resulting file is. Higher quality produces a larger, more faithful file; lower quality produces a smaller file with more compression artifacts. The default (65%) is a reasonable balance for most images — try 80–90% if you notice visible quality loss, especially on graphics with sharp edges or text.
Is transparency preserved?
Yes. AVIF supports an alpha channel, so any transparency in your original PNG carries over to the converted file.
Why does conversion take longer than converting to JPG or WebP?
AVIF encoding is genuinely more computationally intensive than older formats — it's doing real AV1-based video-codec-derived compression, not a simpler algorithm. Larger images and higher quality settings both increase processing time, sometimes to several seconds for large images. This all happens on your device; there's no upload involved.
Can I convert multiple PNG files at once?
Currently, this tool converts one file at a time. Drop a file, convert it, download, then click "Convert Another" for the next one. Batch conversion is planned for a future update.