What Is AVIF (and How to Convert It to PNG When Sites Don’t Accept It)

You save a photo, your phone or browser labels it .avif, and then the website you’re uploading to says: “File type not supported”. Annoying.

In this guide we’ll look at what AVIF actually is, why it’s great for storage but awkward for some uploads, and how to quickly convert AVIF images to standard PNG using EasyPDF Studio so they “just work” everywhere.

What is an AVIF image?

AVIF is a newer image format based on the same technology used for modern video compression. The main benefits are:

• Smaller file sizes than JPG or PNG for the same quality
• Good support for transparency and high-quality colour
• Designed for the modern web and high-resolution screens

The problem: not every website, app or older browser supports AVIF yet. That’s when uploads fail or previews don’t show.

Why do some sites still prefer PNG?

Many platforms still rely on PNG because it is:

• Supported by every major browser and operating system
• Reliable for images with transparency (logos, UI elements, icons)
• Simple for developers and older tools to handle

So even though AVIF is more efficient, you’ll often see sites ask for .png or .jpg to avoid compatibility issues.

When should you convert AVIF to PNG?

It’s worth converting when:

• A site refuses your AVIF upload or says the format isn’t supported
• You’re preparing assets for marketplaces, CV sites or older CMS tools
• You need transparent images (logos, product cut-outs, UI icons)
• You want a safe format to send to clients without worrying what device they use

How to convert AVIF to PNG on EasyPDF Studio

We’re adding a simple, browser-based AVIF to PNG tool so you can convert images in a few clicks without installing software.

Step-by-step

• Open the AVIF to PNG tool on EasyPDF Studio.
• Click inside the upload box or drag your .avif file onto the page.
• Wait a moment while the image loads in your browser.
• Click Convert to PNG.
• Download the new .png file and upload it wherever you need.

Because the conversion runs in your browser, your image doesn’t have to be permanently stored on a server – useful for more private documents.

AVIF vs PNG: which should you keep?

A simple rule:

• Keep AVIF for storage (small, efficient, future-ready)
• Use PNG when sharing with people or platforms that might be older

If you’re designing graphics for the web, you can keep AVIF and PNG versions side-by-side so you can choose the right one for each platform.

Related tools you might need

• HEIC to JPG for iPhone photos that won’t upload
• JPG/PNG to PDF to bundle images into one document
• Compress PDF if your final file is too large to send

Related guides

• How to Fix “File Type Not Supported” When Uploading Images (AVIF, HEIC & More)
• Simple Checklist to Fix Image Upload Problems (Format, Size & Quality)
• JPG vs PNG vs WebP vs AVIF: Which Image Format Should You Use?

With these tools together, you can turn almost any image format into something websites actually accept, and then bundle them into neat PDFs when you need to.

Ready to fix “file type not supported” errors? Start by converting your first image on the AVIF to PNG tool.