AVIF vs CUR Format Comparison
AVIF
AV1 Image File Format
image/avif
VS
Windows Cursor
image/x-win-cursor
CUR
A complete technical comparison of AV1 Image File Format and Windows Cursor — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.
Equal browser support
Feature Support
| Feature | AVIF | CUR |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency (Alpha) | Yes | Yes |
| Animation Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| Progressive Loading | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| HDR Support | Yes | ✕ No |
| EXIF Metadata | Yes | ✕ No |
| ICC Color Profile | Yes | ✕ No |
AV1 Image File Format
image/avif
Extension
.avif
Container
HEIF / ISOBMFF
Compression
AV1 Lossy / AV1 Lossless
Algorithm
AV1
Color Depth
8-bit, 10-bit, 12-bit
Developed by
Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia)
Released
2019
Magic Bytes
XX XX XX XX 66 74 79 70 61 76 69 66
Windows Cursor
image/x-win-cursor
Extension
.cur
Container
ICO/CUR Container File
Compression
Uncompressed (BMP) / PNG (Supported in newer versions)
Algorithm
None (DIB / BMP)Deflate (If PNG embedded)
Color Depth
1-bit (Monochrome), 4-bit (16 colors), 8-bit (256 colors), 24-bit (True Color), 32-bit (True Color with Alpha)
Developed by
Microsoft Corporation
Released
1985
Magic Bytes
00 00 02 00
Browser Support Comparison
| Browser | AVIF | CUR |
|---|---|---|
Chrome
|
✓ 85+
|
✓ 1
|
Firefox
|
✓ 93+
|
✓ 1
|
Safari
|
✓ 16+
|
✓ 1.2
|
Edge
|
✓ 121+
|
✓ 12
|
IE (Legacy)
|
✕ |
✓
|
AVIF
AVIF Strengths
- Best-in-class compression — typically 20–50% smaller than WebP at equivalent quality
- Native HDR and wide color gamut (BT.2020) support
- Supports 8, 10, and 12-bit color depth
Limitations
- Encoding is highly CPU-intensive — significantly slower than JPEG or WebP
- Requires Edge 121+ (not supported in earlier Edge versions)
- Limited support in native desktop image viewers
CUR
CUR Strengths
- Natively supported by Windows for desktop cursor customization
- Widely supported by modern web browsers for custom CSS cursors
- Supports an exact hotspot coordinate, which standard image formats like PNG and JPEG lack
Limitations
- Legacy format that is being gradually replaced by SVG and PNG for web implementations
- Does not support animation (animated cursors use the distinct .ani format)
- The MIME type is highly fragmented across systems (e.g., image/cursor, image/x-win-cursor, application/x-cursor)
When to choose which format
AVIF
Use AVIF when…
- Next-Gen Websites
- HDR Photography
- High-Quality Web Images
CUR
Use CUR when…
- Operating System Custom Cursors
- Custom Web Browser Mouse Pointers (via CSS)
- Desktop Application UI
Convert & Edit Online
Free online web tools for AVIF and CUR files.
Free Image Resizer
Editor
Resize, scale, crop, and modify dimensions for any photo or graphic.
Use Tool
Image Metadata Remover
Privacy
Clean EXIF, camera, lens, and location tags from your photos.
Use Tool
WebP to JPG Converter
Universal
Convert modern web images to universal high-compatibility JPG.
Use Tool
Compress WebP Images
Optimizer
Reduce image file sizes for faster web performance.
Use Tool