Format comparison
PNG vs AVIF
PNG is the lossless UI workhorse; AVIF targets much smaller modern-web delivery (including alpha) with slower encodes and legacy fallback needs.
Decision table
| Feature | PNG | AVIF |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Usually highly efficient (often lossy) |
| Transparency | Full alpha | Alpha supported |
| Best for | UI, logos, screenshots | Optimized web photos/graphics |
| Typical size | Larger for photos | Often much smaller |
| Editor support | Excellent | Improving |
| Web support | Excellent | Modern browsers |
| Safe re-save | Yes | Lossy encodes discard detail |
Choose PNG when…
- Design handoffs
- Screenshots with crisp text
- Lossless UI archives
- Partners who cannot open AVIF
Choose AVIF when…
- Production websites on modern browsers
- Transparent assets too large as PNG
- Tight performance budgets
- CDN pipelines with AVIF support
Verdict
Design and edit in PNG (or SVG). Ship AVIF with fallbacks when page performance matters on current browsers.
Convert between them
Jump straight into a private browser converter — files are not uploaded to a server.
Keep exploring this topic
Stay inside the PNG / AVIF knowledge graph — sibling comparisons, best-format guides, and converters — not generic homepage links.
Format hubs & guides
Related comparisons
Best format guides