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Image MIME Reference
AVIF

AV1 Image File Format

image/avif
VS

Extended Image File Format

image/vnd.xiff
XIFF

A complete technical comparison of AV1 Image File Format and Extended Image File Format — covering compression, feature support, browser compatibility, magic bytes, and when to choose each format.

AVIF wins on browser support

Feature Support

Feature AVIF XIFF
Transparency (Alpha) Yes ✕ No
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
Full AVIF reference →
Extended Image File Format
image/vnd.xiff
Extension
.xif
Container TIFF-based Proprietary Container
Compression CCITT Group 3 / Group 4 / LZW / Uncompressed
Algorithm
CCITT Group 4LZWNone
Color Depth 1-bit (Monochrome), 8-bit (Grayscale), 24-bit (RGB)
Developed by Keyfile Corporation
Released 1994
Magic Bytes
49 49 2A 00 or 4D 4D 00 2A
Full XIFF reference →

Browser Support Comparison

Browser AVIF XIFF
Chrome Chrome
✓ 85+
 ✕
Firefox Firefox
✓ 93+
 ✕
Safari Safari
✓ 16+
 ✕
Edge Edge
✓ 121+
 ✕
IE 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
XIFF

XIFF Strengths

  • Pioneered early enterprise document workflow integration by binding administrative routing data directly to the document image file
  • Leveraged efficient fax compression standards to keep storage requirements low on 1990s server infrastructure
Limitations
  • Completely proprietary and obsolete; Keyfile Corporation's software ecosystem no longer exists
  • Causes widespread MIME type identification conflicts due to sharing the exact same binary header signature as standard TIFF files
  • Zero support in modern operating systems or web browsers

When to choose which format

AVIF
Use AVIF when…
  • Next-Gen Websites
  • HDR Photography
  • High-Quality Web Images
XIFF
Use XIFF when…
  • Keyfile Enterprise Document Management
  • Legacy Corporate Workflow Archival
  • Scanned Multi-page Document Routing

More comparisons

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