How-to · Images
How to convert images to AVIF in Chrome
The short answer
Image Converter encodes AVIF directly in your browser with a local WASM encoder — right-click an image and choose AVIF, or drop files into the popup. AVIF (like JXL) is a Pro format, unlocked with a one-time purchase; JPG, PNG and WebP conversion is free. Nothing is uploaded either way.
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Install Image Converter and unlock Pro (a one-time purchase) — AVIF and JXL are Pro formats; JPG/PNG/WebP stay free.
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Right-click any image on a page and choose “Convert image to…” → AVIF (Pro).
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Or open the popup (Ctrl+Shift+Y), pick AVIF as the target and set the quality slider.
- 4
Drop the file (or files) — encoding runs locally in a WASM encoder, so large images take a moment.
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Save the result: name-converted.avif, never uploaded anywhere.
AVIF is the format you reach for when file size actually matters: at comparable visual quality it usually lands well under an equivalent JPEG or WebP, and every modern browser can display it. What's been missing is a converter that doesn't route your images through someone's server. Image Converter encodes AVIF inside Chrome, with a WASM encoder that runs on your machine — the file never leaves your browser.
First, the honest part: AVIF is a Pro format
The free tier of the extension converts to JPG, PNG and WebP without limits or accounts. AVIF and JXL output, images-to-PDF and batch conversion are Pro features, unlocked with a one-time purchase — not a subscription. The menu doesn't hide this: the entries read AVIF (Pro) and JXL (Pro), and selecting one without a license opens the upgrade page instead of pretending to convert. The license itself is an offline key, so going Pro doesn't add any phone-home — the zero-upload promise holds on both tiers.
Convert from the right-click menu
With Pro unlocked, right-click any image on any page and choose Convert image to… → AVIF (Pro). The encoder runs in the background — AVIF encoding is heavier work than JPG, so expect a moment longer on large images — and the result downloads as name-converted.avif.
Or convert files in the popup
For images already on disk, open the popup (Ctrl+Shift+Y), select AVIF as the target format, set the quality slider and drop your files. AVIF earns its keep at the lower-middle of the quality range — it degrades far more gracefully than JPEG, so try a lower value than you'd dare with JPG and compare. With Pro you can drop many files at once and get a ZIP back; the details are in the batch conversion guide.
When AVIF is the right target — and when it isn't
Reach for AVIF when the images are destined for the web: page assets, a media library, anything where bytes translate to load time. Skip it when the recipient is a tool or form that only accepts JPG or PNG — browser support is universal now, but plenty of desktop software still isn't there. JXL sits in the same menu for the same reason: excellent compression, narrower support, so use it where you control the consumer. And because everything runs locally, you can test the whole pipeline offline — the conversion works with the network cable out.