Writing · 2026-05-04

Best AVIF encoder for Mac, no Python required

XL Converter has no macOS build. Squoosh runs in a browser. Here is a native Mac path to AVIF that ships in the Mac App Store.

AVIF compression on Mac has been awkward. The best CLI tool, XL Converter, ships only for Windows and Linux. The most popular GUI, Squoosh, lives inside a web browser and processes one image at a time. ImageOptim, the Mac standard, never added AVIF support.

This post walks through the options for actually encoding AVIF on a Mac in 2026, including the native path Sqz ships.

(Full post coming soon.)

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#avif #macos #tools