Is this PNG to AVIF converter really free?

Yes. Up to 5 files at a time, no signup, no catch. The free tier adds a small watermark to image output — Pro ($9.99/mo or $49/yr) removes it, raises the file size limit to 500 MB, and unlocks unlimited batch conversion.

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No — and you can verify it yourself. Open DevTools → Network tab, then convert a file. You'll see zero upload requests. Everything runs right in your browser. We never see your files.

How long does conversion take?

Usually 1–3 seconds for a typical file. The very first conversion on a fresh page load may take 5–20 seconds while the converter engine loads — after that it's instant. Your CPU does all the work locally.

What is the file size limit?

Free: up to 10 MB per file, 5 files per batch. Pro: up to 500 MB per file, unlimited batch. If you're working with large videos or RAW photos, Pro is built for that.

Can I batch convert multiple PNG files at once?

Yes — drop multiple files at once (or Ctrl/Cmd+click to select them) and they all convert in parallel. Free accounts handle up to 5 files per batch; Pro has no limit.

Will the image quality change after conversion?

It depends on the formats involved. Converting to a lossless format like PNG preserves every pixel exactly. Converting to a lossy format like JPEG or WebP applies compression — we default to 85% quality, which looks identical to the original for almost all images. You won't notice a difference unless you zoom in pixel-by-pixel.

Do you support batch image conversion?

Yes — drop multiple images at once and they all convert in parallel. Free accounts handle up to 5 at a time; Pro is unlimited. Download everything as a single ZIP when you're done.

Is AVIF better than PNG?

For photographs and complex images, yes — AVIF is 40–50% smaller than PNG at the same perceived quality. For simple graphics, diagrams, or images requiring exact pixel reproduction, PNG's lossless compression may be preferable. AVIF supports both lossy and lossless modes.

How private is this converter?

Completely private — by design, not policy. There is no upload endpoint. Files are processed right inside your browser tab and disappear the moment you close it. We collect only anonymous page-view counts; your file content is never seen or stored.

PNG to AVIF — Free, Smaller Files, No Upload

How to convert PNG to AVIF online

1
Drop your PNG file
Drag and drop your Portable Network Graphics file onto the converter, or click to browse your files. You can select up to 5 at once. Nothing leaves your device — conversion happens right here in the browser.
2
Hit Convert — it happens locally
Click Convert and watch it go. There's no upload, no server queue, no waiting. The converter runs Portable Network Graphics → AV1 Image File Format entirely in your browser tab. Most files finish in 1–3 seconds.
3
Download your AVIF
Your AV1 Image File Format file is ready. Click Download, or grab a ZIP if you converted a batch. Close the tab and everything disappears — no copies kept anywhere.

PNG vs AVIF: format overview

PNG

Portable Network Graphics

PNG Development Group (Thomas Boutell) · 1996

Compression: lossless
Color depth: 16-bit
Transparency: Yes

✓ Lossless compression — pixel-perfect quality
✓ Full alpha transparency (8-bit alpha channel)
✗ Large file sizes for photos

AVIF

AV1 Image File Format

Alliance for Open Media · 2019

Compression: lossy
Color depth: 12-bit
Transparency: Yes

✓ Smallest file size of any image format (50% smaller than WebP)
✓ Excellent HDR and wide-gamut color support

PNG magic bytes: 89 50 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A

AVIF magic bytes: 00 00 00 .. 66 74 79 70 61 76 69 66

Why convert PNG to AVIF?

PNG is a lossless format that prioritizes quality over file size, making it the right choice for storing original assets. But when the time comes to deliver those assets on the web, PNG files are often too large for optimal performance. A full-color PNG illustration or UI screenshot can be several megabytes, which contributes to slower page load times and poor Lighthouse scores. Google's PageSpeed Insights increasingly penalizes sites that serve unoptimized PNG images when next-generation formats are available.

AVIF, based on the AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media, offers extraordinary compression efficiency for both photographic and illustrative content. Compared to PNG, AVIF files can be 50 to 70 percent smaller at visually equivalent quality. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all support AVIF natively, meaning the vast majority of web users today will receive AVIF images without any compatibility issues. Serving AVIF from a CDN like Cloudflare or Fastly is straightforward with proper Content-Type headers.

Converting PNG to AVIF uses lossy compression by default, which means a small amount of precision is traded for substantial file size gains. For photographic content and complex illustrations, the visual quality at AVIF quality 80 is excellent and difficult to distinguish from the lossless PNG original at normal screen sizes. For images with hard edges, text, or flat colors, you may see slight softening at lower quality settings. Lossless AVIF mode is also available and produces smaller files than PNG while preserving every pixel, though encoding lossless AVIF is slow.

Quality & file size: PNG to AVIF

Typical file sizes: PNG 8–25 MB → AVIF 0.8–2 MB.

Converting from lossless PNG to lossy AVIF will apply compression. We default to 85% quality — visually indistinguishable from the original for most content. If you need pixel-perfect output, consider using a lossless target format instead.

Color depth: PNG supports 16-bit, AVIF supports 12-bit.

Transparency: PNG supports transparency. AVIF preserves transparency.

Frequently asked questions

Privacy: how FormatDrop handles your files

Your PNG files are converted 100% inside your browser. They are never uploaded to our servers, never stored, and never seen by anyone other than you. This isn't a privacy policy claim — it's an architectural guarantee: our server has no endpoint that receives file bytes.