Convert video to GIF

Turn a video clip into an animated GIF with a palette built for that exact clip, in your browser.

Drop your files here

.mp4, .mov, .mkv, .webm, .avi, .m4v · up to 200 MB

Choose files

How to Convert to GIF

1
Add your video
MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM or AVI, up to 200 MB. Longer videos are fine; you pick the part that becomes the GIF.
2
Drag the handles to the part you want
Up to 30 seconds becomes a GIF. Then pick a frame rate and width: lower values make a lighter file, higher ones look smoother but grow fast.
3
Click Convert and download
The finished GIF shows on the page before you save it, silent and looping, sized for the settings you picked.

Why GIF gets heavy so fast

A GIF stores every frame as an indexed image against a shared palette, with no motion compression between frames the way real video codecs use. That is why a ten-second clip at full resolution can outweigh the source video several times over, and why this tool converts at most 30 seconds at a time. Beyond that, a usable GIF would routinely exceed 200 MB before it is even finished encoding. A longer video is not refused: the track under the player picks which 30 seconds become the GIF.

The palette is built for your clip, not a generic one

Before drawing a single frame, the converter analyzes the footage and builds a custom 64-, 128- or 256-color palette tuned to it. Screen recordings and clips with a static background get noticeably cleaner results than a one-size-fits-all palette would give. Dithering then decides how flat color bands are broken up to hide banding: Sierra-2-4a is the sharper default, Bayer gives a more uniform pattern, and turning dithering off keeps flat colors perfectly flat at the cost of visible banding on gradients.

Frame rate, width and looping

12 fps is the classic GIF frame rate and a good default; 20 fps looks noticeably smoother but roughly doubles the file for the same duration. Width scales the height automatically to keep proportions, and staying at 480 px or below is what keeps most results in the low megabytes. Looping is on by default, matching how GIFs are used everywhere; turning it off plays the clip exactly once.

The GIF is built on your device

Both passes, building a palette of up to 256 colours from your clip and then drawing every frame with it, run on your own device. The video is never uploaded and there is no account, so you can turn as many clips into GIFs as you like; closing the tab clears them.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the GIF end up bigger than the original video?

GIF has no motion compression between frames the way video codecs do, so every frame is stored mostly independently. That trade-off is inherent to the format, not a setting you can fix.

Which frame rate should I pick?

12 fps is the standard choice and keeps the file reasonable. Go to 15 or 20 only if the motion needs it, since the file size grows close to linearly with frame rate.

Why is there a 30-second limit?

A GIF longer than that at a usable resolution routinely exceeds 200 MB, which stops being practical to encode or share. A longer video still works; drag the handles on the track to the 30 seconds you want.

Will the GIF have sound?

No. The GIF format itself has no audio support, so the soundtrack is dropped by design.

What do the color and dithering options change?

Colors sets how many shades the custom palette can use; more looks better but weighs more. Dithering controls how gradients are approximated with that limited palette; turning it off keeps flat areas flat but can show visible color bands.