HEIF to AVIF Converter
Convert HEIF files (released 2015 (MPEG), Lossy or lossless (HEVC family)) to AVIF (Lossless + Lossy (AV1-based), typically 30–50% smaller than WebP at the same quality). Runs in your browser — no upload, no signup.
Based on 12,431+ conversions delivered
The thing most people want to know about converting HEIF to AVIF is what happens to quality. Here's the honest version: HEIF is Lossy or lossless (HEVC family) and AVIF is Lossless + Lossy (AV1-based), so the move changes how the image is stored — transparency becomes Yes and animation support becomes Yes. In our sample set, HEIF files came out about 68% smaller as AVIF. For most everyday conversions the visible difference is negligible and the compatibility or size gain is worth it; the comparison and pitfalls below flag the cases where it isn't, so you can decide with the facts in front of you.
Looking to programmatically convert HEIF to AVIF?
Same engine, available as a JSON API. Drop a file or URL via REST and get the converted output back — no browser, no UI, no rate limits on paid tiers.
Sub-second response on common pairs
Webhook delivery for batch jobs
100+ format pairs supported
HEIF vs AVIF — side-by-side
The numbers and capabilities at a glance, so you know what you're trading.
HEIF
- Year released
- 2015 (MPEG)
- Compression
- Lossy or lossless (HEVC family)
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- Yes
- Browser support
- Safari only — convert for cross-platform delivery
- Best for
- Modern Apple devices, Android camera pipelines that emit HEIF
AVIF
- Year released
- 2019 (AOMedia)
- Compression
- Lossless + Lossy (AV1-based)
- Transparency
- Yes
- Animation
- Yes
- Browser support
- Modern browsers (~90% since 2023)
- Best for
- Bandwidth-critical pages with modern audiences
Real HEIF → AVIF file sizes
We ran a fixed set of sample images through this exact converter so you can see the typical size impact before converting your own files.
| Sample image | HEIF size | AVIF size | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Photo | 59.0 KB | 17.2 KB | -71% smaller |
| Screenshot / UI | 791 B | 756 B | -4% smaller |
| Logo / transparency | 3.1 KB | 2.2 KB | -30% smaller |
Measured on a 256×256 sample set with this converter on 2026-05-28. Real-world files vary with resolution, colour and content.
Heads up before converting HEIF → AVIF
What changes — and what your conversion will cost — based on how HEIF and AVIF differ.
Older clients may not render AVIF
AVIF support: Modern browsers (~90% since 2023). Modern browsers and OS image viewers handle it natively, but legacy email clients, older CMS thumbnailers, and some print/design tools still don't. Confirm the downstream consumers in your pipeline accept AVIF before swapping at scale, or ship a HEIF fallback for the long tail.
Best practices for HEIF → AVIF
Concrete settings to pick before you convert HEIF to AVIF.
- Always preview the AVIF output before bulk-downloading — colour shifts, transparency surprises, and quality artifacts show up in the preview before they ship.
- Strip EXIF metadata if file size or privacy matters — camera GPS coordinates, timestamps, and serial numbers travel inside the image bytes by default.
- For photographic content, target a AVIF quality between 80 and 85 — that's the sweet spot where most encoders stop showing visible artifacts and the file size curve flattens.
- Verify the alpha channel rendered as expected — premultiplied vs straight alpha and edge halos around antialiased pixels are the most common surprises when going to AVIF.
- When converting to AVIF (animated), confirm the frame timing matches your source — some encoders default to a fixed 100ms delay per frame instead of preserving the original timing.
- For web AVIF delivery, encode in sRGB — wider colour spaces (Display P3, ProPhoto) render unpredictably across browsers and email clients.
When NOT to convert HEIF → AVIF
Honest cases where this conversion is the wrong call — pick a different format or keep your HEIF source.
Skip if your audience uses legacy browsers
AVIF doesn't render on every old browser, email client, or built-in OS viewer. If your traffic includes IE11, legacy Outlook, or older Android WebViews, stay on HEIF (or a universal format like JPEG/PNG) — or ship AVIF alongside a fallback via the HTML <picture> element.
Skip if the file is bound for print
AVIF is a delivery-grade web format. Print pipelines (offset, large-format, packaging) expect TIFF, PDF, or high-bit-depth PNG with embedded ICC profiles and a CMYK option. Converting HEIF to AVIF for a print job will likely fail prepress checks — keep the original or convert to a print-friendly format instead.
The importance of a good image conversion
Why getting HEIF → AVIF right matters more than you think.
Frequently asked
The basics everyone asks before dropping a file.
Convert HEIF to other formats