How I Learned to Convert AVIF to JPG (And Why It Matters More Than You Think)

I still remember the first time I downloaded an AVIF image and tried to open it on my laptop. Instead of seeing the beautiful mountain and forest landscape I expected, I was greeted with an error message. My old photo viewer just didn’t know what to do with it.

That was my wake-up call. AVIF might be the future of images, but in the present, it’s not always practical. That moment pushed me to figure out how to convert AVIF to JPG, and along the way I learned so much about compatibility, lossy compression, editing flexibility, file size trade-offs, and web performance.

Let me walk you through my real experience what worked, what didn’t, and what I recommend if you’re also stuck between AVIF, JPG, and WebP.

Why I Even Needed to Convert AVIF to JPG

At first, I was excited about AVIF. It promised superior compression, vibrant colors, transparency, HDR, and smaller file sizes. And honestly, it delivers. When I compared an uncompressed JPEG at 278KB to the same image in AVIF at just 5KB, the difference was jaw-dropping.

But here’s the problem:

• Compatibility issues – My browsers, email clients, and editing tools didn’t always support AVIF. Even popular apps struggled.
• Website performance – Some of the content management systems I use optimized JPG images better than AVIF.
• File sharing and printing – Sending an AVIF file to a friend or uploading to social media platforms like Instagram or Twitter just didn’t work smoothly.
• Editing flexibility – Most of my favorite image editing software handles JPG perfectly, but AVIF support felt patchy.

That’s when it hit me. Sometimes the “future” format is not the most practical choice. I had to make peace with converting AVIF files back to JPG.

How I Actually Converted AVIF to JPG (Step-by-Step)

I didn’t want to download heavy desktop software. So I turned to online tools like CloudConvert, Convertio, and Ezgif.

Here’s the flow I followed:

1. Upload your AVIF file – I just dragged and dropped the image into the converter.
2. Choose JPG as the output format – Most tools have quality settings where you can tweak compression.
3. Start the conversion process – Just hit the button and wait.
4. Download the JPG file – Within seconds, I had a universally compatible JPG I could share anywhere.

The first time I did this, I honestly felt relieved. It was like unlocking the ability to use my own files again.

Does Converting AVIF to JPG Affect Quality and File Size?

Here’s where reality kicks in.

• Quality loss: Since JPG uses lossy compression, I noticed slight softness and color shifts compared to the original AVIF.
• File size increase: My JPG files were often larger than the AVIF ones. That trade-off between storage efficiency and universal support is unavoidable.

But with the right settings, the loss of detail was minimal. If you set JPG quality to 100%, you can maintain most of the original detail while still enjoying broad compatibility.

AVIF vs JPG vs WebP: Which Format Works Best?

I’ve experimented with all three formats, and here’s how they stack up:

• AVIF – Best for modern web applications, amazing visual clarity, HDR, vibrant colors, and advanced compression. But still facing limited browser and device support.
• JPG (or JPEG) – The most universally compatible format. Works across devices, browsers, operating systems, and editing software. Great balance of quality and efficient file size, but it discards image data with every edit.
• WebP – The middle ground. Better compression than JPG, more widespread support than AVIF, and a solid choice for web performance and SEO.

For me, the answer depends on the project:

• AVIF if I want cutting-edge quality and I know the audience has modern browsers like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.
• JPG when I need ease of use, email attachments, printing, or social media sharing.
• WebP for web projects where I want fast load times and smaller file sizes without worrying too much about support issues.

Lessons I Learned Along the Way

Converting formats might seem like a small task, but here’s what it taught me:

• Don’t chase technology blindly. Sometimes the “best” format on paper isn’t the most reliable in practice.
• Always consider the audience. Are they opening images on mobile, on older software, or inside design tools? That matters more than compression ratios.
• Keep both versions. I often store both AVIF and JPG files. That way, I get superior compression when I need it and universal support when I share.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to open an AVIF image or share it online, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. And honestly, converting AVIF to JPG isn’t just a technical step it’s a practical way to keep your work accessible, editable, and ready for the real world.

Yes, AVIF provides smaller file sizes, transparency, HDR, and modern compression efficiency, but JPG remains the safe, reliable choice when it comes to compatibility and sharing.

My advice is not to think of it as AVIF vs JPG. Think of it as using the right tool at the right time. And if you’re tech-savvy like me, you’ll probably end up using all three formats AVIF, JPG, and WebP depending on what life and your projects throw at you.

Have you tried converting your own AVIF files? Did you notice quality loss or file size changes? I’d love to hear how you’re balancing these formats in your workflow.