pillow-avif-plugin

A pillow plugin that adds avif support via libavif

pillow-avif-plugin v1.6.0 2.6M downloads/30d#2,970 on PyPI★ 117

Permissive license MIT License Active released 2026-07-22

What it is and what it does

pillow-avif-plugin extends Pillow by registering AVIF as a supported image format, allowing AVIF files to be opened and saved through Pillow's standard interface. AVIF is a modern image codec offering efficient compression, and this plugin provides access to it until official support is added to Pillow itself.

The plugin works by hooking into Pillow's codec system—a single import activates AVIF support for the application. It is distributed as pre-compiled wheels for common Python versions and platforms, making installation straightforward on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Use it for:

Process AVIF images in workflows without waiting for official Pillow support
Build image pipelines that handle AVIF alongside JPEG, PNG, and other formats
Serve AVIF files in web applications using Pillow-based image tools
Convert image libraries to AVIF format for efficient storage and delivery

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Registers AVIF image format support with Pillow, enabling AVIF file handling through Pillow's standard image interface.

Yes, if you need AVIF support in Pillow now. The plugin is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, uses a permissive MIT license, and sees regular downloads. Install friction is moderate due to compiled wheels, but pre-built binaries cover most platforms. It is a reliable interim solution until official AVIF support arrives.

Install

pillow-avif-plugin on PyPI

pip

pip install pillow-avif-plugin

uv

uv add pillow-avif-plugin

poetry

poetry add pillow-avif-plugin

Installing pillow-avif-plugin

Before you install

Medium install friction due to compiled binary wheels across multiple platforms and Python versions. Active maintenance with a release 23 days ago and modest user adoption.

License in practice

MIT License permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, suitable for most projects without licensing concerns.

Quickstart

pip install pillow-avif-plugin

import pillow_avif

Pillow must be installed separately; the plugin registers as a codec and must be imported before AVIF operations.

Verify before relying

Whether libavif is bundled in wheels or requires separate system installation
Performance characteristics and compatibility with future Pillow versions
Specific AVIF read/write capabilities and format options supported by the plugin

Package facts

License	MIT License (permissive)
Python support	not specified
Install friction	medium — platform-specific wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	actively maintained — 23 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-07-22
First released	2021-02-01
Downloads	2,615,042/month — #2,970 on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-14)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14)

Evidence: pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp27-cp27m-macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp27-cp27mu-manylinux2010_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_10_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_aarch64.manylinux_2_17_aarch64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux2014_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_28_aarch64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_28_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_aarch64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_2_x86_64.whl; pillow_avif_plugin-1.6.0-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: CProgramming Language :: C++Programming Language :: Python :: 2.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14Programming Language :: Python :: 3.7Programming Language :: Python :: 3.8Programming Language :: Python :: 3.9Programming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: CPythonProgramming Language :: Python :: Implementation :: PyPyTopic :: Multimedia :: GraphicsTopic :: Multimedia :: Graphics :: Graphics Conversion