Free webp to jpg
EN
Image MIME Reference
APNG

Animated Portable Network Graphics

image/vnd.mozilla.apng
VS

BlockFact Image

image/vnd.blockfact.facti
FACTI

A complete technical comparison of Animated Portable Network Graphics and BlockFact Image — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

APNG wins on browser support

Feature Support

Feature APNG FACTI
Transparency (Alpha) Yes Yes
Animation Support Yes ✕ No
Progressive Loading Yes ✕ No
HDR Support ✕ No Yes
EXIF Metadata Yes Yes
ICC Color Profile Yes Yes
Animated Portable Network Graphics
image/vnd.mozilla.apng
Extension
.apng.png
Container PNG Chunk Stream
Compression Deflate (Lossless)
Algorithm
Deflate (zlib)
Color Depth 8-bit (Indexed), 24-bit (TrueColor), 32-bit (RGBA)
Developed by Mozilla Corporation (Stuart Parmenter & Vladimir Vukićević)
Released 2004
Magic Bytes
89 50 4E 47 0D 0A 1A 0A
Full APNG reference →
BlockFact Image
image/vnd.blockfact.facti
Extension
.facti
Container BlockFact Authenticated Container
Compression Container (Inherits payload compression, e.g., JPEG/PNG)
Algorithm
None (Pass-through to embedded payload)
Color Depth Inherited from payload
Developed by BlockFact
Released 2025
Magic Bytes
Unknown (Proprietary Container)
Full FACTI reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser APNG FACTI
Chrome Chrome
✓ 59
 ✕
Firefox Firefox
✓ 3
 ✕
Safari Safari
✓ 8
 ✕
Edge Edge
✓ 79
 ✕
IE IE (Legacy)
✕ ✕
APNG

APNG Strengths

  • Supports 8-bit alpha transparency, completely solving the ugly 'white halo' problem inherent to GIFs
  • Gracefully degrades; viewers that do not support APNG will render a perfectly valid, static PNG of the first frame
  • Provides lossless compression that retains absolute pixel-perfect quality for UI elements and line art
Limitations
  • Because it relies on lossless Deflate compression, file sizes for complex, video-like animations can be massive compared to lossy formats like WebP or AVIF
  • Was initially rejected by the official PNG group, delaying its adoption for nearly a decade
  • Lacks native hardware decoding acceleration, unlike video-based animated formats (like MP4 or WebM)
FACTI

FACTI Strengths

  • Provides undeniable, mathematically verifiable proof of a photo's origin (time, location, and device) via the StarkNet blockchain [1.3.1]
  • Privacy-first design utilizes zero-knowledge proofs (Groth16), meaning the actual image is never uploaded to a central server or blockchain
  • Invisible watermarking ensures that even if the image is screenshotted or cropped, tampering can be detected
Limitations
  • Lacks native rendering support in web browsers and standard image viewers, requiring specialized software to view
  • Requires blockchain registration at the moment of capture, making it incompatible with existing legacy photos
  • The proprietary nature of the container limits integration to environments supporting the BlockFact SDK

When to choose which format

APNG
Use APNG when…
  • High-Quality Web Animations
  • Stickers (Apple iMessage, LINE, Discord)
  • UI Loaders with Alpha Transparency
  • GIF Replacement
FACTI
Use FACTI when…
  • Journalism and Media Authentication
  • Legal and Insurance Evidence
  • AI Deepfake Prevention
  • Content Provenance and Authorship

More comparisons

APNG vs ACES → FACTI vs ACES → APNG vs AVCI → FACTI vs AVCI → APNG vs AVCS → FACTI vs AVCS → APNG vs AVIF → FACTI vs AVIF → All comparisons →
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