How to Upscale AVIF Photos Online
By ArturUpdated 5 min read
You saved an image from a website. Now your photo editor refuses to open it. The file ends in .avif, and half your apps act like it doesn't exist.
AVIF is showing up everywhere on the modern web. Here's what it is, why your tools struggle with it, and how to upscale an AVIF photo directly in your browser.
AVIF is a modern image format built on AV1 video technology. Its big trick is compression. An AVIF file is often about half the size of a JPEG that looks the same. MDN's image format guide has the full technical rundown.
That's why websites love it. Smaller images mean faster pages. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all display AVIF without any trouble. So when you save an image from a modern site, there's a good chance you get an AVIF file.
AVIF also supports deeper color than JPEG. Files can store 10-bit or 12-bit color, which allows smoother gradients and HDR images. That's great for quality. It's also exactly the part that breaks many tools, as you'll see below.
The format is great for delivery. It's just not great for editing yet.
Here's the funny thing: you rarely create AVIF files yourself. They come to you.
Big websites convert their images to AVIF automatically to speed up loading. Image CDNs and WordPress optimization plugins do the same to every upload. The site owner uploads a JPG, and the server quietly serves you an AVIF. When you right-click and save, you get the AVIF version, not the original.
Stock photo sites and AI image tools increasingly hand out AVIF downloads too. So the file lands on your desktop through everyday browsing, and the surprise comes later when you try to open it.
Browsers moved fast on AVIF. Desktop software moved slowly. Many photo editors, viewers, and upload forms still don't recognize the format. You can check exactly which software supports it on caniuse, where browser support is green across the board while everything else lags.
So you end up stuck. You have a perfectly good image that your own computer treats like a mystery file. Most online upscalers have the same problem. They accept JPG and PNG, then reject your AVIF at the door.
The usual workaround is annoying: find a converter, turn the AVIF into a JPG, then take that JPG to the next tool. Every extra step wastes time, and a sloppy conversion can cost quality.
UpscaleIMG accepts AVIF files directly. You upload the AVIF, and the decoding happens on our servers automatically. No converter needed, no extra tab open.
It also handles the hard cases. Those 10-bit and 12-bit AVIF files trip up even tools that claim AVIF support. UpscaleIMG decodes those too.
From there, the AI upscaler does its normal job. It enlarges your image 2x or 4x while rebuilding detail, so edges stay sharp instead of turning blurry. You can read exactly how that works in the complete guide to image upscaling.
That last part is a hidden bonus. You started with a file your editor rejected. You end with one that works everywhere.
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A quick side-by-side helps you see where each format fits:
| Format | File size | Browser support | Editor support |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG | Largest | Universal | Universal |
| WebP | Medium | Universal | Good |
| AVIF | Smallest | All modern browsers | Still patchy |
AVIF wins on size. JPEG wins on compatibility. WebP sits comfortably in the middle.
The practical rule: AVIF is the best format for images that live on a web page. JPEG and PNG are the best formats for images you need to edit, print, or upload somewhere. Since an upscaled image usually has a job to do next, UpscaleIMG hands you the compatible kind.
No more than upscaling from a JPEG of similar quality. The decoding step reads every pixel exactly as stored in the file. Nothing gets lost on the way in.
Keep one thing in mind though. AVIF is a compressed format, and websites often compress aggressively to save bandwidth. If the site squeezed the image hard before serving it, the AI works with what survived. It will still improve the image. Just start from the largest, cleanest AVIF you can find, the same rule that applies to every source format.
UpscaleIMG outputs PNG, JPG, or WebP on purpose. After upscaling, most people want to edit, print, or upload the image somewhere. Those three formats are accepted everywhere, while AVIF support is still patchy outside browsers.
Pick PNG when you want every bit of quality kept. Pick JPG for photos you'll share or upload. Pick WebP when the image goes back onto a website and loading speed matters. Our guide on upscaling without losing quality helps you choose the right settings.
Sometimes you don't need a bigger image. You just need the same image in a different format. In that case, a converter is the right tool, and upscaling would be overkill. Our sister tool ConvertIMG handles pure AVIF conversion.
But if the image is small AND stuck in AVIF, upscaling solves both problems in one pass. That's the common case with images saved from the web, which are often heavily sized down by the site.
Yes. The free plan gives you 2x upscaling for up to four images a day, no account needed. Subscriptions unlock 4x and custom sizes.
Not sure which tool fits your workflow? Our comparison of free AI image upscalers shows how the options stack up.
Got an AVIF file sitting on your desktop right now? Drop it into UpscaleIMG and download a bigger, sharper version in seconds.
UpscaleIMG
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