AVIF and PNG explained
AVIF stores still images using the AV1 video codec's intra-frame compression. It generally achieves the smallest files of any widely supported format, and it handles wide colour gamut and HDR, which JPEG cannot.
PNG is a lossless raster format built to replace GIF. It stores every pixel exactly as given and supports a full 8-bit alpha channel, which means genuine partial transparency rather than the single transparent colour GIF offers.
- Where AVIF files come from
- Performance-focused websites and modern image pipelines.
- Where PNG is used
- Screenshots, exported logos and UI assets, and anything designed rather than photographed.