The image formats worth the conversion cost
AVIF is smaller, slower to encode, and not always the right answer. Here is where each format earns its place.
For photographic content, AVIF is typically 30 to 50% smaller than a comparable JPEG, and WebP sits somewhere in between. For flat graphics and screenshots, the gap narrows and PNG sometimes still wins.
| Content | Best format | Encode cost | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photographs | AVIF, WebP fallback | High | Worth it |
| Screenshots, UI | WebP | Low | Worth it |
| Icons, line art | SVG | None | Worth it |
| Animated anything | Video, not GIF | Medium | Check support |