Video to GIF

GIFs are bigger than you expect, and here is why

A GIF has almost no compression between frames. Where a video codec stores one frame and then only the changes, a GIF stores something close to every frame in full. File size is roughly width × height × number of frames, and all three multiply.

This is why a five-second GIF can be larger than the thirty-second video it came from. It is also why the three settings here matter more than they look: halving the width quarters the size, and halving the frame rate halves it again.

Settings that keep it small

• Width 320–480px. GIFs are watched small. Beyond 480 you are paying for pixels nobody looks at.
• 10–15 frames per second. Below 10 it stutters visibly; above 15 you are mostly adding size. 12 is a good default.
• Under five seconds. The single biggest lever. A three-second loop is usually a better GIF than a six-second one anyway.
• Pick a section with little movement. A static shot with one thing moving compresses far better than a camera pan, where every pixel changes every frame.

Why the colours look right here

GIF supports at most 256 colours. The naive way to convert is to let the encoder pick its own palette as it goes, which produces the banded, dithered mess people associate with bad GIFs.

This tool runs two passes instead: the first analyses the whole clip and builds one palette for all of it, the second applies that palette to every frame. It takes slightly longer and looks considerably better, particularly on gradients and skin tones.

Why this one does not upload your file

Most free video tools send your file to a server, process it there and hand back a download link. That works, and it means a stranger now has a copy of your footage, kept for however long their retention policy says — which for unreleased product shots, client work or anything with a face in it is a real cost, not a theoretical one.

Here the encoder is compiled to WebAssembly and runs in this tab. The trade is honest: your laptop is slower than a server farm, so a long clip takes longer. In exchange there is no upload, no queue, no account and no copy of your video anywhere but your own disk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my file uploaded anywhere?

No. The encoder runs inside your browser through WebAssembly, and the file never leaves your device. You can check this yourself: open your browser's network tab while it runs, or disconnect from the internet once the page has loaded — the tool keeps working.

Do I need an account?

No. There is no sign-up, no email and no watermark on the result.

Why is my GIF bigger than the video?

Because GIF barely compresses between frames, while a video codec stores one frame and then only what changed. A GIF is close to every frame stored whole. Reduce the width, the frame rate, or the length — all three multiply into the final size.

Does the GIF have sound?

No. The GIF format has no audio track at all. If you need sound, use a short video file instead.

What width should I pick?

320 to 480 pixels covers almost every use. GIFs are viewed small, in chat windows and feeds, and the size cost of going wider is steep.

Why does it look grainy?

GIF is limited to 256 colours, so anything with smooth gradients — a sky, a lit face, a soft background — has to be approximated. This tool builds one optimised palette for the whole clip rather than guessing per frame, which is the best that format allows.

How long can the GIF be?

Up to 30 seconds here, but you will almost certainly want less. Past about five seconds the file grows faster than the GIF gets better.

Does it loop?

Yes, infinitely. That is set in the file itself, so it loops wherever you post it.

Why is it slower than a site that uploads my file?

Those services encode on a server farm. This one uses your laptop. For a short clip the difference barely shows, and you skip the upload, the queue, the download, and handing your footage to someone else.