Video to GIF converter

Drop an MP4 or another video file, trim the part you want on a strip of thumbnails, choose a frame rate and width, and download a GIF. The video is decoded in your browser and never uploaded.

Free · no sign-up · runs in your browser

Drop a video hereor click to choose a file

MP4, MOV or WebM · up to 300.0 MB · nothing is uploaded

Frames per second
Speed
File size

Trim

The bright part of the strip becomes the GIF. Move the two sliders to set where it starts and ends.

Before

Drop a video here

After

Your new GIF appears here.

How to use it

  1. Drop your video

    Drop an MP4 or MOV file onto the box or click to choose one. It can be up to 300 MB. The file is read in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. Files that are WebM have their own page, WebM to GIF.

  2. Trim the clip

    Move the Start and End sliders under the thumbnail strip. The bright part of the strip is what becomes the GIF, and the summary shows the frame count and playing time.

  3. Set the frame rate and width

    Pick 10, 12 or 15 frames per second, a width of up to 640 px, a speed from 0.5 times to 2 times, and Balanced or Smaller file.

  4. Convert and download

    Press Convert to GIF. The result appears next to the first frame of your video with its size, and Download saves it.

Examples made with this tool

These GIFs were made by running our own test clips through the same planning, timing and GIF-writing code that the tool uses. Each card shows the video on the left, the GIF on the right, and the sizes.

  • Original
    A fox in a snowy wood turning its head, as a small looping GIFGIF
    A 1.5 second piece from the middle of an MP4, cut with the trim handles. At 10 frames per second and 320 px wide it is 15 frames.Settings usedTrim 0.5 s to 2 s, 10 frames per second, 320 px wide, speed 1×, smaller file size.MP4 173 KB (480 × 480 px) → GIF 422 KB (320 × 320 px), 15 frames
  • Original
    A corgi trotting across a lawn as a looping GIFGIF
    The first two seconds of an MP4 with Smaller file switched on. Photo-like video does not compress well as a GIF, so a short clip at a small width is the way to stay under a megabyte.Settings usedTrim 0 s to 2 s, 10 frames per second, 320 px wide, speed 1×, smaller file size.MP4 116 KB (480 × 480 px) → GIF 485 KB (320 × 320 px), 20 frames
  • Original
    A cat blinking and stretching, converted from a WebM clipGIF
    A WebM file at 15 frames per second for smoother motion. The file is bigger than the 10 fps examples because it has half as many frames again.Settings usedTrim 0.5 s to 2.5 s, 15 frames per second, 320 px wide, speed 1×, balanced file size.WEBM 55 KB (480 × 480 px) → GIF 538 KB (320 × 320 px), 30 frames
  • Original
    Sea waves rolling in, played at double speed as a GIFGIF
    Speed 2× plays the whole three seconds in one and a half. Half the playing time at the same frame rate means half the frames, so the file is the smallest of the four.Settings usedTrim 0 s to 3 s, 10 frames per second, 320 px wide, speed 2×, smaller file size.MP4 154 KB (480 × 480 px) → GIF 361 KB (320 × 320 px), 15 frames

How to convert a video to a GIF

Choose the clip first. A GIF is a poor container for long footage, so decide which two to five seconds carry the point and trim to them with the Start and End sliders. The thumbnail strip is a row of frames spread across the whole video, which makes it easy to find a gesture or a cut without scrubbing.

Then set the numbers. Ten frames per second looks choppy only on fast action; 12 and 15 are smoother and cost proportionally more bytes. Width does the most for file size: a 320 px GIF has less than half the pixels of a 480 px one. Press Convert to GIF and compare the size with the one the page shows before you decide to go bigger.

Why a GIF is so much bigger than the video

An MP4 stores a few full pictures and then only the changes between them, using lossy compression tuned to the human eye. A GIF stores a separate indexed picture of up to 256 colours for each frame, and the only trick it has for saving space is to leave unchanged pixels transparent. A short video clip of a few hundred kilobytes can easily become several megabytes as a GIF.

That is not a flaw in the converter; it is the format. The levers that work are a shorter clip, a lower width, fewer frames per second and the Smaller file switch, which uses fewer colours. When the result is still too heavy, the GIF compressor on this site can aim for a target such as 512 KB.

Frame rate, speed and timing

GIF delays are whole hundredths of a second, so 12 frames per second cannot be stored exactly as 8.33 hundredths per frame. The tool rounds against a running total, which gives a mix of 8 and 9 hundredths, and the clip lasts exactly as long as the plan says instead of drifting. Speed changes how much of the video each frame covers, not the frame rate.

Exports are capped at 300 frames and 30 seconds of playing time. At 10 frames per second that is a 30 second clip; at 15 it is 20 seconds. When a trim is over the cap the page shows the numbers and a button that shortens the clip to fit.

Other tools for the same clip

Once you have a GIF, these browser tools handle what usually comes next.

What people convert videos to GIFs for

  • A reaction or a highlight

    Cut a few seconds from a longer clip and share it where video will not autoplay.

  • A product or app demo

    Trim a screen recording to the one click that matters and put the GIF in a README or a help article.

  • A short loop for a message

    A two second wave or a thumbs up, small enough to send in a chat.

  • A slower or faster version

    Use 0.5 times or 2 times to slow a move down for a tutorial or speed up a long pour.

  • An MP4 you can embed

    Some places accept GIF but not video. Converting gives you a file they take.

How this tool works and its limits

This is what the converter does with your video, and where it stops.

  • Your video never leaves your device. It is decoded and the GIF is encoded in your browser, with no upload and no account.
  • MP4, MOV and WebM files up to 300 MB are accepted. Whether a particular file opens depends on its codec and on your browser: decoding uses WebCodecs, with one fallback attempt through a video element.
  • Exports are capped at 300 frames and 30 seconds of playing time. If your trim goes over, the page tells you the numbers instead of cutting it silently.
  • Frame rates are 10, 12 and 15 per second, widths go up to 640 px, and speed goes from 0.5 times to 2 times. The height follows the video's own shape, including iPhone rotation.
  • There is no sound: GIF cannot carry audio. The GIF has at most 256 colours per frame and no partial transparency, so gradients can show banding.
  • A GIF of live footage is large. Use a short clip, a small width and Smaller file, or run the result through the compressor.
  • We built and tested the tool in current Chrome. Browsers that cannot decode video frames are told so by the notice above the tool and the check below.

Does your browser support this?

This list is checked against the browser you are using right now, by asking it directly. It is not a guess from the browser name.

  • Video decoding (WebCodecs): checking
  • Background encoding (Web Workers): checking

Questions, answered

How do I convert a video to a GIF?

Drop the video above, trim it with the Start and End sliders, pick a frame rate and width, and press Convert to GIF. Download saves the file. Everything happens in your browser.

How do I convert an MP4 to a GIF?

Use the same steps. MP4 is the most common input and works wherever your browser can decode the video inside it, which for most phone and screen recordings it can.

Is the video uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is opened and decoded on your device and the GIF is encoded in a background thread of your own browser. No upload happens, and no account is needed.

Why is my GIF so much bigger than the video?

A GIF stores each frame as a separate picture of up to 256 colours, while a video stores mostly the changes between frames in a much more efficient way. Shorten the clip, reduce the width or frame rate, or switch on Smaller file.

What is the best frame rate and width for a GIF?

For most clips 10 to 12 frames per second at 320 to 480 px is a good balance. Use 15 for fast motion and 640 only when the picture needs the detail.

Why does the tool say it cannot decode my video?

The codec inside the file is not one your browser can decode, which happens with some HEVC and other less common formats. Try Chrome or Safari, or re-export the video as H.264 MP4 first.