WebP or AVIF: which image format should you choose for WordPress in 2026?
In 2026, choose AVIF first, with WebP as a fallback. AVIF compresses better: at equivalent quality, it weighs around 50% less than JPEG and 20% less than WebP, with better rendering of gradients and low light. WebP, for its part, remains the safe bet: universally compatible and faster to encode. Serving both, AVIF first, gets you the best of both worlds.
WebP, the safe bet
WebP reduces image weight by 25 to 35% compared to JPEG at equivalent visual quality. It handles transparency (like PNG) and animation (like GIF), encodes fast, and has been read by all modern browsers for years. If you could only choose one, this would be it.
AVIF, the most efficient
AVIF goes further on compression, especially at low bitrate, and shines on photos and visuals rich in gradients. It supports HDR and wide gamuts. Its downside: it is slower to encode, which matters not at all if the conversion happens once, on upload, in the background.
The real right answer: both
The "WebP or AVIF" debate is a false dilemma. The good practice is to generate both and let the browser pick the most efficient format it can read, with a clean fallback to JPEG if needed.
That is exactly what Refined Media Library does: on every upload, your images are automatically optimized to WebP and AVIF, with no settings, no manual conversion. Lighter pages, that load faster, for your visitors as much as for the planet.
Frequently asked questions
- Is AVIF better than WebP?
- On compression, yes: at equivalent quality, AVIF produces files around 20% lighter than WebP and up to 50% lighter than JPEG, with better rendering in low light and gradients. Its only downside is slower encoding.
- Is WebP compatible with all browsers?
- Yes. WebP has been supported by all modern browsers for several years. AVIF is now too (Chrome, Firefox, Safari 16 and up), which makes both formats safe in 2026.
- Do you need to convert your images to WebP or AVIF manually?
- No, that would be tedious. Better to use a tool that automatically generates WebP and AVIF on upload, like Refined Media Library, and serves the right format based on the browser.