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What is a Video to GIF Converter?

A GIF is a small, silent, looping picture that moves. People use GIFs as reactions in chats, in presentations, in guides and on websites. A video to GIF converter takes a part of a video and turns it into one. You choose where the clip starts and ends, and the tool saves the frames as a GIF file.

This converter works in your browser. Your video stays on your device, and the tool makes the GIF there.

How to Convert a Video to GIF

1. Click the upload area or drag a video onto it. MP4, WEBM and MOV files are supported.
2. Watch the video in the player. Set the start time and the end time, or move the slider, to choose the part that you want.
3. Choose the frames per second (FPS) and the width. Smaller numbers give a smaller GIF.
4. Click Convert to GIF. A progress bar shows while the GIF is made. The first time, the conversion engine has to download, which can take a while.
5. Check the preview. If the GIF is too big or not smooth enough, change the settings and convert again.
6. Click Download GIF to save it.

What You See on the Page

Item	Meaning
Upload area	Where you add your video
Video player	Lets you watch the video and find the part that you want
Start time and end time (or slider)	Choose the part of the video that becomes the GIF
FPS	How many frames are shown each second. More frames look smoother and make a bigger file
Width	How wide the GIF is in pixels. The height follows from the shape of your video
Convert to GIF	Starts making the GIF
Progress bar	Shows that the GIF is being made
Preview	Plays the finished GIF
Download GIF	Saves the GIF to your device

The Three Settings That Decide the Size

A GIF stores every frame as a picture, so its size depends mostly on three things: how long the clip is, how many frames each second it has and how wide it is.

1. Length of the clip

The number of frames in the GIF is the length in seconds multiplied by the frames per second.

number of frames = seconds x FPS

Clip length	FPS	Frames in the GIF
2 seconds	10	20
3 seconds	10	30
3 seconds	15	45
5 seconds	15	75
5 seconds	20	100

More frames means a bigger file. Doubling the length or the FPS roughly doubles the number of frames.

2. Frames per second (FPS)

FPS	Look	Good for
5 to 8	Choppy, like a slideshow	Very small files, simple changes
10 to 15	Fairly smooth for most clips	Reactions, screen recordings and short clips. A common starting point
20 and above	Smoother, with a much bigger file	Fast action, only if you really need it

These ranges are rules of thumb. Many GIFs look fine at 10 to 15 frames per second, and your video decides what looks right.

3. Width

The width is the number of pixels across. The height follows from the shape of your video, so the picture is not stretched. Because both the width and the height grow together, the number of pixels in each frame grows with the square of the width.

Width	Height for a 16:9 video	Pixels in one frame
320	180	57,600
480	270	129,600
640	360	230,400

Going from 320 to 640 pixels wide doubles the width, but makes each frame four times as big in pixels. This is why a small reduction in width can shrink a GIF a lot.

Which Settings to Start With

What you want	Try
A quick reaction or meme clip	2 to 4 seconds, 10 to 15 FPS, 320 to 480 pixels wide
A short step in a guide or a screen recording	3 to 6 seconds, 10 FPS, 480 to 640 pixels wide, so that text stays readable
A tiny GIF for a message or an email	1 to 3 seconds, 8 to 10 FPS, 240 to 320 pixels wide
Something smoother to look at	Raise the FPS a little first and check the size

These are starting points and not rules. Convert, look at the size and the preview, and adjust.

Supported Videos and the Preview Player

• Formats: MP4, WEBM and MOV.
• The player depends on your browser. Browsers can play different video types. A video that plays on one browser may not play on another.
• MOV files from iPhones often use a video type that some browsers cannot play. If the player stays blank, the conversion can still work. Type the start and end times by hand.
• Audio is ignored. A GIF has no sound.
• Very large or very long videos can be too much for a browser. Cut the video shorter first, for example in a video editor or on your phone.

What a GIF Can and Cannot Do

A GIF is good at	A GIF is not good at
Short, looping clips that play on their own	Long videos, which become huge
Working almost everywhere, in chats, emails and web pages	Sound, because it has none
Simple graphics, screen recordings and cartoons with flat colors	Smooth color changes, such as skies, skin and shadows, which can look grainy
Being easy to download and share as one file	Small file sizes, because it compresses much less well than a video format

A GIF can show only a limited number of colors, up to 256 in each frame. A video has millions, so converting a video to a GIF always changes how the colors look.

GIF vs a Short MP4 or WEBM Video

Topic	GIF	MP4 or WEBM video
File size for the same clip	Usually much bigger	Usually much smaller
Colors	Up to 256 in each frame	Millions
Sound	None	Possible
Plays on its own in chats and web pages	Almost everywhere	Often needs a video player, and rules differ by app
Best for	Short loops that must work anywhere	Anything longer, or where quality and size matter, such as a website

If you are putting an animation on your own website, a short video file is often the better choice. Some apps and websites also turn GIFs into video themselves, so check what your platform offers.

Tips for a Better and Smaller GIF

• Keep it short. A few seconds is usually enough for a GIF.
• Choose a clean start and end. A clip that ends where it started loops smoothly.
• Start small and go up. Convert at a small width and a low FPS first, and increase the settings only if the preview is not good enough.
• Pick the right moment. A part with little movement and a steady background gives a smaller file.
• Avoid scenes with fine gradients and a lot of movement if you need a small file.
• Crop or zoom in your video first if the action is only in one part of the picture, because the tool changes the width but does not crop.
• For screen recordings, use a width that keeps the text readable, and a lower FPS, because screens change less than films.
• If the GIF is still too big, shorten the clip or reduce the width. The Image Compressor & Resizer works on pictures and does not compress a GIF.

Common Problems and Fixes

• The player is blank or shows an error: Your browser cannot play that video type, which is common with MOV files from iPhones. Type the start and end times by hand, or convert the video to MP4 first.
• The conversion is very slow: The clip may be long, or the settings high. Use a shorter part, a lower FPS and a smaller width. The first run also has to download the engine.
• The page stops or reloads: The device ran out of memory. Use a smaller file or smaller settings, and close other tabs.
• The GIF is too big: Make the clip shorter, lower the FPS and reduce the width.
• The GIF looks jerky: The FPS is low. Raise it a little and check the size.
• The GIF looks grainy or the colors are off: A GIF has limited colors. A video with flat colors converts better than one with smooth gradients.
• There is no sound: GIFs have no audio.
• The picture is cut off or wrongly shaped: The tool keeps the shape of your video. If you want a different shape, crop the video first.
• The download is blocked or opens in a new tab: Press and hold the GIF on a phone, or right-click it on a computer, and choose Save image.

Common Mistakes

• Using a very long clip: GIFs get huge very quickly.
• Choosing a high FPS and a large width together: This makes the biggest files.
• Expecting sound or video quality: A GIF has neither.
• Expecting the file to be smaller than the video: A GIF is often much larger than the video it came from.
• Closing the page while it converts: The work stops and is lost.
• Making a GIF of a video that you do not have the right to use: This can break copyright.
• Not checking the preview: Look at it before you download or share.

Copyright

Use only videos that you own or have permission to use. Films, shows, music videos, game streams and videos made by other people are usually protected by copyright. Turning a part of one into a GIF and sharing or posting it can break copyright or the rules of a platform, even if the clip is short. Rules differ between countries, and this is general information and not legal advice.

Privacy

• Your video is converted in your browser, on your own device, and it is not sent to our server.
• The conversion engine is a set of files. Your browser downloads them when you add your first video. Your video is not part of that download.
• We do not save your video or your GIF. They disappear when you close or reload the page, so download what you need.
• On a shared or public computer, close the page and delete the downloaded files when you finish.
• Only convert videos that you own or have the right to use, and respect the privacy of the people in them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert a video to a GIF?

Upload your video or drag it onto the page. Use the player and the start and end controls to choose the part that you want, set the frames per second and the width, and click Convert to GIF. When the progress bar finishes, check the preview and click Download GIF.

Is my video uploaded to a server?

No. The GIF is made in your browser, on your own device, and your video is not sent to our server. The conversion engine itself is a set of files that your browser downloads when you add your first video. Your video is not part of that download.

Which video formats can I use?

MP4, WEBM and MOV files. Whether the preview player can show a video depends on your browser, because browsers support different video types. Some MOV files, such as many recorded on iPhones, may not play in the player on some browsers. In that case the player may stay blank even though the conversion can still work, and you may need to type the start and end times by hand.

How do I choose which part of the video becomes the GIF?

Set the start time and the end time, or move the slider handles in the player. The GIF is made from the part between the two. Keep it short. A GIF of a few seconds is usually much easier to share than a long one.

What FPS and width should I choose?

Lower numbers give a smaller file. A common starting point for a short clip is about 10 to 15 frames per second and a width of about 320 to 480 pixels. A higher FPS looks smoother, and a larger width looks sharper, but both make the file bigger. These are rules of thumb. Try a small setting first and increase it only if you need to.

Why is my GIF so big?

A GIF stores every frame as a separate picture and compresses much less well than a video format such as MP4. The size grows with the length, the frames per second and the width. A long clip at a high FPS and a large width can become very large.

How do I make the GIF smaller?

Make the clip shorter, lower the FPS, and reduce the width. Choosing a part of the video with less movement and fewer colors also helps. If the GIF is for a website, consider using a short MP4 or WEBM video instead, because it is usually much smaller.

Does a GIF have sound?

No. The GIF format has no audio, so the sound of your video is not kept.

Why do the colors look different or grainy?

A GIF can show only a limited number of colors, up to 256 for each frame, while a video has millions. Smooth color changes, such as skies, skin and shadows, can turn into visible steps or a grainy pattern. Videos with simple, flat colors usually look better as GIFs than videos with fine gradients.

Why does the first conversion take longer?

The conversion engine is large, so it is not loaded when you open the page. Your browser downloads it when you add your first video, which can take a while on a slow connection. After that, your browser can usually keep it, so later runs start faster. The conversion itself also depends on the length of the clip and on your device.

Why does the conversion fail or the page run out of memory?

Converting a video in the browser uses a lot of memory, and phones and older computers have less of it. A large file, a long clip, a high frame rate or a large width can be too much. Choose a shorter part, lower the FPS and the width, close other tabs and try again. If the file is very large, cut it in a video editor first.

Does it work on a phone?

The page is designed for phone screens, but the conversion is heavy work. Phones are slower and have less memory than computers, so use short clips and small settings, keep the screen on and stay on the page while it works.

Can I make a GIF from any video?

Use only videos that you own or have the right to use. A film, a show, a game stream or someone else's video is usually protected by copyright, and turning a part of it into a GIF and sharing it can break copyright or a platform's rules. This is general information and not legal advice.

Is this video to GIF converter free?

Yes. The tool is free and needs no signup.