WebP vs JPEG vs AVIF: Best Format for Web Photos in 2025

7 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

If you care about speed, SEO, and crisp-looking images, format choice matters. WebP vs JPEG vs AVIF: here’s the 2025 playbook for photographers, designers, and site owners using FreeImages assets on the web.

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TL;DR: the practical answer

Default for photos: Serve AVIF first, WebP as fallback, and JPEG as the final safety net. This maximizes savings without breaking compatibility. AVIF and WebP are supported in all modern browsers in 2025.
Logos, icons, UI art: Prefer SVG. If raster is unavoidable, try WebP lossless or PNG for tiny graphics with sharp edges.
Transparency: Use AVIF or WebP. JPEG has no alpha channel.
Animation: Use video for big/long loops. For small animated stickers, WebP is your safest bet; AVIF can store image sequences but animation support varies across implementations.
SEO & Core Web Vitals: Use <picture> with type hints, responsive srcset/sizes, and give your hero (LCP) image fetchpriority="high".

What each format does well (2025 reality check)

JPEG

The veteran workhorse. It’s everywhere and decodes fast, but it’s lossy-only, no transparency, and generally yields larger files than modern formats at the same perceived quality. Keep it as a legacy fallback only.

WebP

A modern, royalty‑free format from Google. It supports lossy and lossless, alpha, ICC profiles/metadata, and animation in a single container. Browser support is effectively universal across modern browsers in 2025.

AVIF

Next‑gen format based on the AV1 codec. Delivers excellent compression, supports lossy and lossless, alpha, HDR and wide color with higher bit depth options (10/12‑bit). It’s supported in current Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, and Safari versions.

WebP vs JPEG vs AVIF: How they compare

Feature	JPEG	WebP	AVIF
Compression efficiency vs JPEG	—	Better	Often best
Transparency (alpha)	No	Yes	Yes
Lossless mode	No	Yes	Yes
Animation	No	Yes	Spec supports sequences; browser animation support varies
High bit depth / HDR	Limited	Generally 8‑bit	10/12‑bit, HDR/WCG capable
2025 browser support	Universal	Near‑universal modern	Near‑universal modern

Why AVIF usually wins for photos

Independent testing and platform guidance consistently show AVIF can deliver significantly smaller files than JPEG at similar visual quality, and it often edges out WebP too. That means faster pages and better Core Web Vitals with no visible quality hit when tuned properly. AVIF also brings HDR and wide‑gamut options that JPEG and WebP lack.

Why WebP is still a great fallback

WebP covers almost every feature you want for the web in one format (lossy/lossless, alpha, animation, metadata) and is supported by basically every modern browser. It also decodes quickly and is easy to generate in most tools and CDNs.

When JPEG still makes sense

As the final fallback in a <picture> element for long‑tail or very old browsers.
For workflows where tools or pipelines can’t yet output AVIF/WebP reliably.
For certain photography pipelines where a progressive JPEG preview is desired and modern alternatives aren’t available. (But whenever possible, move up to AVIF/WebP.)

Recommended implementation (copy‑paste ready)

Use <picture> so modern browsers pick the best format, and always include a conventional src on <img> for indexing and ultimate fallback.

<picture>
	<source type="image/avif"
		srcset="/images/hero-800.avif 800w, /images/hero-1600.avif 1600w"
		sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">
	<source type="image/webp"
		srcset="/images/hero-800.webp 800w, /images/hero-1600.webp 1600w"
		sizes="(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px">
	<img src="/images/hero-800.jpg"
		alt="alt text here"
		width="800" height="533"
		loading="eager"
		fetchpriority="high"
		decoding="async">
</picture>

Put the AVIF source first, then WebP, with JPEG as the img src.
Keep explicit width and height to avoid layout shift.
Use fetchpriority="high" for your LCP hero to help it start earlier.

Optional preload for the LCP image

<link rel="preload" as="image" type="image/avif" href="/images/hero-1600.avif">

Preloading the AVIF variant is fine, but avoid preloading both AVIF and WebP for the same image to prevent double downloads.

Delivery and caching tips

Let your CDN negotiate formats via the Accept header and cache variants properly with Vary: Accept. Cloudflare, for example, offers “Vary for Images” to serve AVIF/WebP/JPEG variants from one URL while keeping caches correct.
Responsive images are non‑negotiable. Use appropriate srcset widths and realistic sizes so mobile users don’t download desktop‑sized photos. Lighthouse and Chrome docs reinforce that modern formats plus responsive sizing is the winning combo.
For long or large animations, prefer video (MP4/WebM) instead of animated images to slash transfer size.

SEO notes for image formats

Google indexes images just fine when you use standard HTML image elements. Using <picture> with an <img src="..."> fallback is recommended and keeps discovery straightforward. Also consider adding images to your image sitemap.
Stick to descriptive filenames, alt text, and nearby captioning. Those basics still matter for Image Search visibility.

“Which should I pick?” quick decision guide

Portfolio, blog posts, hero photos: AVIF → WebP → JPEG.
Product photos with fine gradients or HDR displays: AVIF first.
Logos, icons, UI shapes: SVG, else WebP lossless/PNG.
Stickers or tiny animated UI: WebP animation; test AVIF sequences if your audience’s browsers support them.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Serving only AVIF without a fallback. Some older devices and crawlers still need WebP or JPEG. Use <picture>.
Forgetting cache variation. If your server serves different formats from one URL, set Vary: Accept so CDNs don’t mix them up.
Preloading every variant. Preload only the one the browser will actually use, typically the AVIF source.
Relying on GIF for big animations. Use video.