In the dynamic world of web development, optimizing images is essential to having websites that load quickly and emerge visually attractive. Two popular file formats, PNG and AVIF, now compete to balance file size and image quality.
This article examines AVIF vs. PNG format features in detail to learn about their structure, storage, file sizes, image quality, performance, browser support, compression techniques, support for animation, and transparency.
When is PNG better than AVIF?
The PNG format uses lossless compression, producing high-quality files with larger file sizes. In contrast, the AVIF format uses highly efficient AV1 codec compression, which creates significantly smaller files without quality loss.
Consequently, PNG is suitable for web images, icons, and graphics where transparency and lossless quality are significant.
When is AVIF better than PNG?
AVIF uses efficient lossy and lossless compression techniques, resulting in significantly smaller and high-quality images, while lossless PNG images are larger and high quality. Hence, AVIF is ideal for creating high-quality images with efficient storage, such as advanced photography and web media.
The pros of AVIF images include support for high dynamic range (HDR) and wide color range and support for lossless, low-fidelity, lossy compression techniques, leading to high-quality, small images.
AVIF versus PNG Table Comparison
| Element | PNG | AVIF |
| Transparency | Supports transparency | Supports transparency |
| File Size | Its compression gives larger files than AVIF | AV1 compression yields smaller files than PNG |
| Image Quality | High-quality lossless images with distinct clarity and sharpness. | High-quality images with smooth gradients and exceptional color accuracy compared to PNG. |
| Performance | Larger, lossless files are loading slower than AVIF files. | Smaller files than PNG, which loads faster than PNGs. |
| Structure | Has an 8-byte signature header, with various chunks and several interior fields subject to the chunk type. | It has nested boxes like a File Type Box (ftyp) container, with boxes having different metadata and real image data. |
| Animation | It does not support animation or lively content | Supports animation or live photos |
| Storage | Larger, lossless PNG images require more storage space than AVIF. | Smaller, lossless, and lossy AVIF images need less storage space than PNG images. |
| Compression | Lossless compression with Huffman coding and LZ77. | Lossless and lossy compression with AV1 codec algorithms. |
| Browser Support | Supported by almost all browsers except IE6. | It has limited browser support than PNG. |
Differences and similarities between PNG and AVIF images
PNG and AVIF are versatile file formats similar in transparency support, lossless compression, storage medium, and browser support. However, they differ in animation support, lossy compression, file size, performance, structure, and image quality.
Generally, the choice involving PNG versus AVIF anchors on the user's specific project requirements and the desired browser support level.
Transparency
AVIF and PNG formats support alpha channel transparency. The transparent backgrounds in AVIF images allow storing and supporting transparent data alongside lossy and lossless data. It enables data transparency at different levels and supports object representation in images with well-defined opacities.
In contrast, the PNG alpha channel sets all pixels to transparency levels between 0 (transparent) and 255 (opaque). The tRNS ancillary chunk then controls the transparent structure in PNG.
AVIF supports alpha channel transparency, which is suitable for graphics, icons, and elements that require transparency. Nevertheless, PNG is a typical option for transparent images because it supports alpha channel transparency for anti-aliased or non-rectangular edges.
File Size
AVIF files use highly efficient AV1 codec compression, offering significantly smaller file sizes than PNG without quality loss. The file format typically achieves a +50% compression ratio compared to PNG in an identical perceived quality.
Conversely, the PNG format uses lossless compression with Huffman coding, upholding high image quality, although at the expense of larger file sizes than AVIF. PNG files have no definite size limit and can be as large as 140 GB and above.
The maximum PNG file dimension is 2G x 2G pixels. Conversely, the AVIF format enables tilling encrypted file blocks through multiple frames. The coded images supported by AVIF cannot exceed its size limit of 65,536 x 65,536 pixels.
The Baseline profile comprises coded images with pixels not exceeding 4352x 8192 in height and width. Nonetheless, executing autonomously encoded tiles can surpass the AVIF file size limit. Hence, AVIF files are smaller than PNG files.
Image Quality
AVIF supports high dynamic range (HDR) and Wide Color Range (WCR), suitable for high-quality imaging. It supports higher bit depths and a broader range of colors than PNG. For example, it supports multiple color sub-sampling formats, such as YUV 420 and YUV 444.
Unlike PNG, AVIF supports WCR, ICC profile, Rec 2020, sRGB, Pro Photo RGB, and non-standard and standard color spaces. The maximum color resolution and WCR allow AVIF to represent extra color gradations, resulting in detailed, high-quality images with enhanced dark and bright tones.
On the other hand, PNG supports lossless compression, which preserves image quality, although it lacks inherent support for HDR and wide color gamut. It is a high-quality file format typically using 24-bit RGB or 32-bit RGBA color space, but its quality standard can be far from AVIF.
PNG supports 256 quantized palette colors, although its TrueColor file supports a maximum of 16 million colors. The file format supports palette-based images, grayscale images, and full-color non-palette-based RGBA/RGB images, but not WCR and HDR, for which AVIF exceeds PNG in quality image provision.
Performance
Lossless PNG files retain image details, making them larger, necessitating more bandwidth and slower loading times than AVIF. However, AVIF and PNG images are attractive and increase user experience, although the impact of PNG file sizes is significant when users prioritize speed and efficiency.
AVIF uses the AV1 video codec to generate smaller files than lossless PNG files. As such, AVIF's smaller file size necessitates less storage space, minimal bandwidth, and increased web responsiveness than PNG images. Consider AVIF over PNG when considering web responsiveness and better user experience.
Structure
AVIF and PNG compare in terms of raster graphic formats, each with a distinct structure. AVIF is structured in a classified form of nested boxes that store metadata and data. It has a File Type Box (ftyp) responsible for identifying the file and specifying the format version used at the top-lying container or box.
The ftyp container comprises additional boxes such as The Item Properties Box (iprp), Item Location Box (iloc), and Media Data Box (mdat) with different metadata and accurate image information. The image metadata is sequentially stored as compressed frames using AV1 codec encoding.
AVIF frames have a storage box (ispe) and a decoder configuration record to offer encoded variables data used for that frame. It stores multiple images based on the modular structure alongside metadata like ICC, XMP, and Exif profiles that offer image info and the development process.
In contrast, a PNG file consists of an 8-byte signature header. Several chunks with image data, control information, or metadata follow the header. Besides, every PNG file chunk has three customary fields: a 4-byte length, a 4-byte type code, and a 4-byte CRC.
A PNG file format contains different interior fields depending on the chunk type. However, the numerous IDAT chunks enclosed efficiently embrace the compressed image info. Every chunk adapts to the primarily chosen structure.
All PNG file chunks have their identifications analogous to the interior format, which can be read sequentially from the beginning to the end of the data stream. The file also contains critical chunks, supporting every PNG file reader and writer.
Animation
AVIF supports animation, while PNG does not. AVIF files support animation and live photos using their multilayer image storage sequence. The file format is compatible with HIEF, which enables image sequences and elements.
In contrast, while PNG hardly supports animation or animated images, its specs can be extended in APNG, which supports animation by integrating the animation control chunk. However, animated AVIF vs animated are hardly comparable, given the variations in color support and structure.
Storage
AVIF uses efficient lossy and lossless compression to create significantly smaller file sizes that require less bandwidth or minimal storage space. On the other hand, PNG uses lossless compression to preserve image details, resulting in larger files that require more storage space than AVIF.
AVIF's image data and metadata under both compression techniques are stored as compressed frames using AV1 codec encoding. In contrast, PNG image data is stored in an interlaced and compressed format. Yet, AVIF and PNG images can be indefinitely based on a storage medium, handling process, and conditions.
AVIF and PNG files can be stored in File Systems, Content Delivery Networks, Hard Drives, Cloud, CDs, DVDs, and Floppy Drives.
Compression
PNG and AVIF use lossless compression, while AVIF also supports lossy compression. AVIF's lossy method compresses image data sequentially using the AV1 codec algorithm in a HEIF container format. Part of the image data is lost, leading to a slight loss in image quality and significantly smaller AVIF files.
The AVIF's lossless compression technique sequentially compresses image info using the AV1 compression algorithm in a HEIF format. However, the algorithm creates smaller image sizes while preserving all image information, ensuring no loss of image quality.
Conversely, lossless PNG uses Huffman coding and LZ77 algorithms to preserve all image data and retain quality. The efficient Huffman compression algorithm represents identical image information to generate an image similar to the original PNG before compression.
AVIF excels in compression effectiveness thanks to the AV1 video codec. It significantly minimizes file sizes while preserving higher-quality images. Hence, AVIF's lossless compression technique is rather better compared to the lossless compressed PNG.
In contrast, PNG supports lossless compression, upholding high image quality at the expense of larger file sizes.
Browser Support
AVIF has gained traction, albeit with limited web browser support. Most browsers partially support the file, including Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Edge, and Opera. However, Discord, Brave, and Internet Explorer require extensions to support AVIF files or images fully.
On the other hand, PNG enjoys universal support across all browsers and devices, including Opera, Edge, Chrome, Discord, Brave, and Firefox. It is unsupported by Internet Explorer 6.
Converting PNG to AVIF or AVIF to PNG
Convert PNG to AVIF when you want a suitable file format for smaller web graphics and high-quality images using an efficient compression technique. AVIF is known for its higher bit depths and a broader range of colors than PNG. Convertjack quickly and efficiently converts PNG to AVIF instantly.
Alternatively, convert AVIF to PNG when you prefer images with lossless quality, transparent backgrounds, icons, logos, and graphics where the utmost image quality is a priority. Use the efficient and convenient AVIF to PNG converter called Convertjack.