Tools › Video
Video to GIF
Make a GIF from part of an MP4, MOV or M4V video. Choose the start and end, frame rate, width, loop and number of colors, see the file size before you start, and nothing is uploaded.
How it works
- The clip is decoded by your browser (WebCodecs), and each frame is scaled to the width you chose at the frame rate you chose.
- One palette of up to 256 colors is built for the whole GIF from frames across the clip, so colors don’t flicker between frames. Optional dithering keeps gradients smooth.
- Pixels that don’t change between frames are left transparent, which is what keeps a video GIF small. The size estimate runs the same encoder on a few sample frames.
Questions
Why is my GIF so big?
GIF is a 1989 format with no real video compression. A smaller width, a lower frame rate (10–12 fps is plenty for most clips), fewer colors or a shorter range all help a lot.
Is there a watermark?
No. The GIF contains only your clip.
Which videos work?
MP4, MOV and M4V that your browser can play: H.264, HEVC on supporting devices, VP9 and AV1. If WebCodecs can’t decode the clip, frames are captured from the player instead, which is slower.
Should I use MP4 instead?
If the site accepts video, yes: an MP4 is usually 5–10 times smaller than the same GIF and looks better. Use GIF where only GIF works, such as some chats, forums and email signatures.