AVIF is a next-generation format with the highest compression efficiency available. Current browsers open AVIF, but support in programs and services is uneven.
GIF is limited to 256 colors, and synonymous with short moving images. When you convert AVIF to GIF, you can open it in more places and the file grows. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is AVIF, then converts it to GIF right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
AVIF vs GIF: what's the difference?
| Item | AVIF | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparent background | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | Yes |
| Introduced | 2019 | 1987 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | limited | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 0.5× | about 2.5× |
What is AVIF?
AVIF is an image format released in 2019 that builds on the still-image technology of the AV1 video codec. At the same quality it can be around 50% smaller than JPG, so websites sensitive to file size are adopting it quickly.
What is GIF?
GIF is one of the oldest web image formats, created in 1987, and can use only up to 256 colors per image. The compression itself is lossless, but reducing the colors to 256 makes photos look visibly coarse.
What changes when you convert AVIF to GIF
Semi-transparency is simplified to transparent or opaque
GIF doesn't support partial transparency. Soft fading edges and shadows can look jagged, like stair steps.
Quality doesn't improve, but it doesn't get worse either
Information lost when AVIF was saved can't be recovered. GIF is lossless, so it keeps the image exactly as it is now and later edits and saves add no further degradation. File size will grow, though.
GIF has no quality setting
GIF is lossless, so the quality slider doesn't apply. Instead, when converting from AVIF you can manage file size by resizing (exact width and height, or a percentage).
How the file size changes
For the same photo, GIF is much larger than AVIF (roughly 5× or so). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
GIF opens in more places
Support for AVIF in programs, document tools and upload forms is limited, while GIF is nearly everywhere. If you need to upload somewhere AVIF wouldn't open, try again after converting.
When to convert
- You need to upload to a program, messenger or upload form that can't open AVIF
- You must upload a still image to an old board or system that only accepts GIF
- You're preparing an image for typical GIF uses (simple logos and pixel art, uploading still images to legacy systems that only accept gif)