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WebP vs JPG vs AVIF (vs HEIC): which image format should you actually use in 2026?

You’ve got HEIC files from your iPhone. You need to export them. The converter shows four buttons: JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF. Which do you pick?

Spoiler: there’s no “best” one. There’s only the best one for what you’re about to do with the file. This post gives you the decision chart, then explains it.

The 30-second answer

What you’re doingPick this
Sharing on WhatsApp / iMessage / SMSJPG
Attaching to an emailJPG
Posting on Instagram / X / FacebookJPG (they re-encode anyway)
Uploading to your own website / blogAVIF (best) or WebP (safe)
Sending to printJPG (max 90% quality) or PNG
Editing in Photoshop / PixelmatorPNG (lossless)
Sending to someone with a non-iPhoneJPG (universal)
Archiving your photos foreverPNG (lossless) — or keep them as HEIC
Just opening the file on WindowsJPG

If you remember nothing else: default to JPG unless you have a specific reason not to. It works everywhere, looks fine, and is small enough.

What’s actually different about these formats?

JPG (1992)

The default photo format for ~30 years. Lossy compression, no transparency, no animation, 8-bit color, supported by literally everything that can display an image.

  • File size: baseline (1×)
  • Quality at default: good enough for 99% of uses
  • Supported by: everything that has ever existed

PNG (1996)

Lossless format. Originally designed for graphics with transparency (icons, logos). Bad at photographs because lossless means huge files.

  • File size: 3-5× bigger than JPG for photos
  • Quality: perfect (no information lost)
  • Supported by: everything modern

WebP (2010, ubiquitous since 2020)

Google’s “make JPG smaller” format. Borrows tricks from video codecs. Supports transparency AND animation in one format.

  • File size: ~25-35% smaller than JPG
  • Quality: indistinguishable from JPG at equivalent settings
  • Supported by: all modern browsers (Chrome 32+, Firefox 65+, Safari 14+, Edge 18+)
  • One quirk: WhatsApp converts WebP files into stickers if you send them as photos. Send as a document if you don’t want that.

AVIF (2019, encoding mainstream since 2024)

The current state-of-the-art. Built on the AV1 video codec — same one Netflix and YouTube use. Royalty-free.

  • File size: ~50% smaller than JPG, ~25% smaller than WebP
  • Quality: the best per-byte of any image format
  • Supported by: Chrome 85+, Firefox 93+, Safari 16+, Edge 121+ (for display); Chrome 124+, Edge 124+ (for encoding in-browser)
  • Catch: encoding is slower (~1-2 seconds per 12MP photo vs ~200ms for JPG)

HEIC (2017, iPhone default)

What your iPhone shoots in. Built on HEVC (the video codec used in 4K streaming). Apple’s preferred format.

  • File size: ~50% smaller than JPG
  • Quality: excellent, supports HDR
  • Supported by: Apple ecosystem natively; Windows 11 (with extension); Android (sometimes); browsers (mostly NO — that’s why you’re here)

So why convert HEIC at all?

Because HEIC has a discovery problem. Most software outside Apple’s ecosystem:

  • Can’t open it
  • Asks you to install a codec pack
  • Or worse, just shows “unsupported file”

Even when it can open HEIC, it’s often slower and clunkier than handling JPG. Until HEIC support is as universal as JPG (probably never), conversion is the path of least resistance.

The real-world decision chart

Are you uploading to a website you control?
├─ YES → AVIF if your build pipeline supports it
│         WebP if you want a single format that works everywhere
│         (don't ship AVIF without a JPG/WebP fallback)
└─ NO → JPG (almost always)
        unless you need transparency → PNG
        or you're editing in Photoshop → PNG

What about quality settings?

Every lossy format has a 0-100 quality knob. Sensible defaults:

  • JPG: 92 (iOS default), drop to 80 for “good enough” web
  • WebP: 85 (Google’s recommended default)
  • AVIF: 65 (yes really — AVIF is so efficient that 65 looks like JPG at 92)
  • PNG: doesn’t have one (lossless)

When in doubt, leave the slider where the converter sets it. The defaults are tuned per-format to match “visually indistinguishable from the original” for typical photos.

TL;DR — five rules

  1. Sharing with humans? JPG.
  2. Putting it on the web yourself? AVIF if you can, WebP if you can’t.
  3. Need transparency or pixel-perfect? PNG.
  4. Have an iPhone and need it to work on Windows? JPG.
  5. Stop overthinking this. Any of these formats will look fine. The difference between “the best format” and “JPG” is usually invisible to the human eye.

Convert your HEIC files with HEICPix — all four formats, free forever, runs in your browser, nothing uploads. Pick whichever one suits the moment.

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