PNG8 to AVIF Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
AVIF delivers the smallest files at top visual quality for modern websites — it is supported by all current browsers. If your files are still in PNG8 format, this page is the shortcut: PNG8 is PNG with an 8-bit indexed palette — at most 256 colors, the "GIF-quality" PNG that Fireworks era designers exported for tiny file sizes.
This converter runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly — your files never leave your device, nothing is uploaded, and there are no watermarks, sign-ups or queues. Drop in several files at once to convert them as a batch.
How PNG8 compares to AVIF
| PNG8 | AVIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless (DEFLATE) | Lossy (AV1), lossless variant |
| Transparency | Full alpha (8/16-bit) | Supported |
| Animation | Only via APNG extension | Supported |
| Metadata | tEXt chunks, ICC profile | EXIF, ICC embeddable |
| Best for | Screenshots, logos, sharp graphics | High-performance web images |
How to convert PNG8 to AVIF
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your PNG8 files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to AVIF". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted AVIF file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the PNG8 format
PNG was created in 1996 as a free, open replacement for the patent-encumbered GIF, and it has been the reference lossless image format ever since. Pixels are compressed with the DEFLATE algorithm (the same one inside ZIP files), which reproduces the original image exactly — bit-for-bit — while supporting full 8-bit or 16-bit alpha transparency. Screenshots, logos, icons, charts and anything with text or sharp edges should live in PNG.
Because it never discards information, PNG files of photographs are several times larger than JPG — that is the price of perfection. Modern PNG encoders add filters per scanline that make screenshots and flat-color graphics compress surprisingly well. PNG also became the base of APNG, the animation extension that browsers play natively.
+ Strengths
- ✓Truly lossless — every pixel survives exactly as it was
- ✓Full alpha transparency with smooth edges, not 1-bit masks
- ✓Open standard, unpatented, with excellent tooling everywhere
- ✓Ideal for text, line art and flat-color graphics — sharp edges stay sharp
! Limitations
- −Photographs become several times larger than JPG
- −Base format has no animation (that is the APNG extension)
- −16-bit or high-resolution PNGs can grow very heavy
About the AVIF format
AVIF wraps AV1 intra-frame coding inside a HEIF container, championed by Netflix and the Alliance for Open Media. It is currently the compression king of still images: at typical web sizes it beats JPG and WebP visibly, it inherits 10/12-bit color, HDR and wide gamut from its video heritage, and it animates. Being AV1-based, it is royalty-free.
The trade-off is encoding cost: AVIF encoding is genuinely slow in software, which matters for build pipelines and batch jobs. Support is solid in every current browser (Safari since 16.4, Chrome since 85), while many native apps and older photo tools still shrug at it.
+ Strengths
- ✓Best-in-class compression at web sizes
- ✓HDR, 10/12-bit color and wide gamut supported
- ✓Royalty-free (AV1) and animation-capable
! Limitations
- −Encoding is slow, especially in software
- −Native app and photo-tool support still maturing
- −No progressive decoding
Why convert PNG8 to AVIF?
Think of it as moving your file to the container that fits the job. Photographs become several times larger than JPG AVIF works differently: Best-in-class compression at web sizes If any of that sounds like your task, run the conversion — it takes seconds and nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
Is this PNG8 to AVIF converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Will converting PNG8 to AVIF reduce quality?
AVIF uses lossy compression, so a small amount of recompression is unavoidable. The quality slider lets you choose between maximum fidelity and smallest file size — the default is visually indistinguishable for photos.
What happens to EXIF data and other metadata?
Conversions here re-encode the image, and re-encoding generally does not carry the original metadata over. If the EXIF data of your PNG8 files matters (camera model, GPS, timestamps), keep the original file as the master and treat the converted copy as the shareable version.
Will transparent areas survive the conversion to AVIF?
Transparency is kept whenever AVIF actually supports an alpha channel. If the target format has none (like JPG), transparent areas are flattened onto a white background — that is a property of the format, not of this tool.