AVIF to PGM converter
Convert AVIF to PGM in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your image never leaves your device.
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Quick answer: To convert AVIF to PGM, add the AVIF file to the iHateFiles AVIF to PGM converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. AVIF carries transparency and PGM cannot, so transparent areas are filled with a background colour you choose.
Should you convert AVIF to PGM?
Do this when you are about to edit the file and want no further loss. Do not do it hoping to improve a AVIF: PGM preserves what it is given, including the damage.
AVIF is lossy and PGM is not
Moving from AVIF to PGM stops any further loss, but it cannot undo what AVIF already discarded: that detail was thrown away when the file was first written and is not in it any more. Expect the PGM to be considerably larger while looking exactly the same, because it is now storing the AVIF artefacts faithfully too.
PGM cannot hold transparency
Any transparent area in the AVIF has to become a real colour, because PGM has no alpha channel to record it. The background colour on this page is what those areas become. White suits most uses; pick the colour of the page it will sit on if you know it, because this cannot be undone afterwards.
PGM reduces the colour first
Before PGM compresses anything it reduces the image to greyscale. Flat colour, logos and line art survive that easily. A photograph coming from AVIF will band visibly, and no quality setting changes it, because the limit is the format rather than the encoder.
Expect a much larger file
PGM stores every pixel exactly, including the compression artefacts the AVIF already has. The file will grow, sometimes by a factor of ten, without looking any better. Do this when you need to edit without further loss, not to improve the image.
AVIF and PGM side by side
| AVIF | PGM | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Animation | No | No |
| Written here | Yes | Yes |
What usually goes wrong
About the AVIF. Reading AVIF is nearly universal; writing it is not. A browser without an encoder quietly hands back a PNG instead of refusing, so the conversion looks as though it worked. Current Chrome on macOS is one of them. This site checks for a real encoder first and says so when there is none.
About the PGM. Converting a colour image to PGM throws the colour away for good. Keep the original if you might want it back.
How to convert AVIF to PGM
- Add your AVIF file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to PGM.
- Press convert and the PGM file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert AVIF to PGM?
Open this page, add your AVIF file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this AVIF to PGM converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to PGM lose quality?
PGM compresses without loss, but it first reduces the image to greyscale, discarding all colour. Flat colour and line art come through unchanged; a photograph will band and lose subtlety.
Can I convert several AVIF files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.