AVIF vs WebP: Shopify Images for SA Mobile

April 4, 2026

AVIF vs. WebP: Optimizing Shopify Images for Slow SA Mobile Networks

If you are a senior developer building for the South African market, you know that "mobile-first" isn't just a design trend—it’s a survival requirement. With data prices still high and 4G/5G coverage spotty outside major hubs, the size of your images can literally make or break your conversion rate.

In 2026, the debate has moved beyond JPEG and PNG. We are now looking at the showdown between WebP and the newer AVIF format. Here is why this matters for your Shopify store.

1. The Heavyweight: Why JPEG is No Longer Enough

JPEGs are the "old plumbing" of the web. They are large, they don't support transparency, and they lose significant quality when compressed. On a typical Shopify product page with 5-10 images, using JPEGs can result in a total page weight of 3MB+. On a throttled Vodacom or MTN connection, that’s a 10-second wait.

2. WebP: The Current Standard

WebP has been the go-to for a few years. It offers ~25-30% smaller file sizes than JPEG at the same quality.

The Good: It’s supported by 97%+ of browsers. Shopify automatically converts most images to WebP if the browser supports it.
The Bad: It’s good, but it’s no longer the "cutting edge."

3. AVIF: The 2026 Performance King

AVIF (AV1 Image File Format) is the new challenger. It is based on the AV1 video codec and is significantly more efficient than WebP.

The Advantage: AVIF can be up to 50% smaller than JPEG and 20% smaller than WebP without any visible loss in quality.
The "High-Detail" Win: AVIF handles complex textures (like fabric in fashion or wood grain in furniture) far better than WebP, which can sometimes look "blurry" at high compression.

4. How to Implement AVIF on Shopify

Shopify has recently started rolling out native support for AVIF. However, if you are using a custom theme or a headless Next.js setup, you should use the

<picture>

tag to provide a "fallthrough" strategy:

<picture>
  <source srcset="image.avif" type="image/avif">
  <source srcset="image.webp" type="image/webp">
  <img src="image.jpg" alt="Product Name">
</picture>

This ensures that users on modern devices (iPhone 14+, latest Androids) get the tiny AVIF files, while older devices still get a working image.

5. The Real-World Impact in SA

I recently audited an SA skincare brand. By moving their hero images from JPEG to AVIF, we reduced the home page weight by 800KB.

The Result: Time to Interactive (TTI) dropped by 1.5 seconds on mobile.
The Conversion: Their bounce rate from mobile ads dropped by 12%.

Conclusion

Performance is a feature. In 2026, you cannot afford to ignore image formats. By embracing AVIF, you are effectively giving your South African customers a "speed upgrade" without them having to buy a faster phone.

Need a performance audit for your store? Let's optimize your assets.