Browser Support for AVIF in 2025: Complete Compatibility Guide

One of the most common questions about AVIF is: "Which browsers support it?" The good news is that as of 2025, AVIF has achieved excellent browser support, covering approximately 93-95% of global web users.

In this guide, we'll provide a complete breakdown of AVIF browser support, show you how to check compatibility, and explain how to implement fallbacks to ensure your images work everywhere.

Current AVIF Browser Support (2025)

According to Can I Use, AVIF support has reached near-universal levels in 2025:

Global Usage Statistics

Based on browser market share data, here's what percentage of users can view AVIF images:

• Desktop browsers: ~96% support
• Mobile browsers: ~91% support
• Overall global support: ~93-95%

The remaining 5-7% of users without AVIF support are primarily on:

• Older iOS devices (iOS 15 and earlier)
• Older macOS versions (before Ventura)
• Legacy browsers that aren't updated
• Some specialized or enterprise browsers

How to Check AVIF Support

Using Can I Use

The most reliable resource for checking browser support is Can I Use - AVIF. This site provides:

• Current support status for all browsers
• Version-specific information
• Known issues and limitations
• Global usage statistics

JavaScript Detection

You can detect AVIF support in JavaScript using this function:

async function supportsAvif() {
  const avifData = 'data:image/avif;base64,AAAAIGZ0eXBhdmlmAAAAAGF2aWZtaWYxbWlhZk1BMUIAAADybWV0YQAAAAAAAAAoaGRscgAAAAAAAAAAcGljdAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGxpYmF2aWYAAAAADnBpdG0AAAAAAAEAAAAeaWxvYwAAAABEAAABAAEAAAABAAABGgAAAB0AAAAoaWluZgAAAAAAAQAAABppbmZlAgAAAAABAABhdjAxQ29sb3IAAAAAamlwcnAAAABLaXBjbwAAABRpc3BlAAAAAAAAAAIAAAACAAAAEHBpeGkAAAAAAwgICAAAAAxhdjFDgQ0MAAAAABNjb2xybmNseAACAAIAAYAAAAAXaXBtYQAAAAAAAAABAAEEAQKDBAAAACVtZGF0EgAKCBgANogQEAwgMg8f8D///8WfhwB8+ErK42A=';

  return new Promise((resolve) => {
    const img = new Image();
    img.onload = () => resolve(true);
    img.onerror = () => resolve(false);
    img.src = avifData;
  });
}

// Usage
if (await supportsAvif()) {
  console.log('AVIF is supported!');
} else {
  console.log('AVIF is not supported');
}

Implementing Fallbacks

Even with 93%+ support, you should provide fallbacks for users on older browsers. The best approach is using the HTML <picture> element.

Basic Fallback Pattern

<picture>
  <!-- AVIF for browsers that support it (best compression) -->
  <source type="image/avif" srcset="image.avif">

  <!-- WebP fallback (good compression, wider support) -->
  <source type="image/webp" srcset="image.webp">

  <!-- JPEG fallback (universal support) -->
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Description" width="800" height="600" loading="lazy">
</picture>

This pattern serves:

• AVIF to ~93% of users (best quality, smallest files)
• WebP to an additional ~3-4% (older Safari, some edge cases)
• JPEG to remaining users (100% compatibility)

Responsive Images with AVIF

<picture>
  <source
    type="image/avif"
    srcset="image-400.avif 400w, image-800.avif 800w, image-1200.avif 1200w"
    sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 800px, 1200px">
  <source
    type="image/webp"
    srcset="image-400.webp 400w, image-800.webp 800w, image-1200.webp 1200w"
    sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 800px, 1200px">
  <img
    src="image-800.jpg"
    srcset="image-400.jpg 400w, image-800.jpg 800w, image-1200.jpg 1200w"
    sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 800px, 1200px"
    alt="Description"
    loading="lazy">
</picture>

CSS Background Images

For CSS background images, you can use feature queries:

.hero {
  /* Fallback for browsers without AVIF support */
  background-image: url('hero.jpg');
}

/* Modern browsers with AVIF support */
@supports (background-image: url('test.avif')) {
  .hero {
    background-image: url('hero.avif');
  }
}

Note: CSS @supports for image formats isn't fully reliable. For critical images, use the <picture> element instead.

Framework-Specific Implementation

Next.js

Next.js Image component automatically handles format negotiation:

import Image from 'next/image';

// Next.js automatically serves AVIF when supported
<Image
  src="/image.jpg"
  width={800}
  height={600}
  alt="Description"
/>

Configure in next.config.js:

module.exports = {
  images: {
    formats: ['image/avif', 'image/webp'],
  },
};

Using Image CDNs

CDNs like Cloudinary, imgix, and Cloudflare Images automatically:

• Detect browser capabilities via Accept headers
• Serve AVIF to supported browsers
• Fall back to WebP or JPEG automatically
• Handle responsive image generation

Known Limitations

Progressive Loading

Unlike JPEG, AVIF doesn't support progressive loading. Images load all-at-once rather than gradually appearing. For slow connections, this can affect perceived performance.

Mitigation strategies:

• Use blur-up placeholder images
• Implement lazy loading with loading="lazy"
• Use skeleton screens while images load

Animated AVIF Support

Animated AVIF (image sequences) has varying support:

• Chrome/Edge: Full support
• Firefox: Full support
• Safari: Limited support (may not loop properly)

For animated content, test thoroughly across browsers or consider animated WebP as a more compatible alternative.

Should You Use AVIF in 2025?

Yes! With 93-95% browser support, AVIF is ready for production use. The benefits are significant:

• 30-50% smaller files than JPEG
• Better image quality at the same file size
• HDR and wide color gamut support
• Transparency support (unlike JPEG)

Just remember to implement proper fallbacks using the <picture> element to ensure all users can view your images.

Conclusion

AVIF browser support has reached the tipping point where it's practical for mainstream use. All major browsers—Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge—now support AVIF, covering the vast majority of web users.

By implementing AVIF with proper fallbacks, you can deliver smaller, higher-quality images to most of your users while maintaining compatibility for everyone else.

Ready to start using AVIF? Check out our conversion tools:

• Convert AVIF to JPG
• Convert AVIF to PNG
• Convert AVIF to WebP