Convert video clips into optimized animated GIFs with a generated color palette, right in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Your video is converted locally with FFmpeg running in your browser. Nothing is
uploaded; the file never leaves your device. First use downloads the ~31 MB
engine once. Files up to 200 MB.
Leave both blank to convert the whole video. GIFs longer than about 30 seconds get
very large; trim long clips first with the
Video Trimmer.
GIFs are huge for a reason: the format dates from 1987 and is limited to 256 colors
per frame with no inter-frame compression. Where a video codec like H.264 describes
most frames as small changes from the previous one, a GIF stores every frame as a
self-contained image. A ten-second GIF can easily outweigh a three-minute MP4 of the
same content, which is also why this tool defaults to modest width and frame rate.
To get the best possible colors inside that 256-color limit, the converter runs
FFmpeg's two-pass palette pipeline in one command. The first pass
(palettegen) analyzes your frames and builds an optimal palette for the
actual content; the second pass (paletteuse) maps every frame onto that
palette. The result is dramatically better than a naive conversion, which would
otherwise force every color through a fixed web-safe palette and introduce banding.
Conversion runs locally with FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your footage never
leaves your device. If you are embedding on a site or in chat and can use video,
WebM or MP4 is far smaller: the
Video Converter
handles that.
How to Make a GIF from a Video
Select your video file (MP4, WebM, MOV, MKV, AVI, and more, up to 200 MB).
Pick a GIF width and frame rate. 640px at 15 FPS suits most uses.
Optionally enter start and end times to convert only part of the video.
Click Create GIF. The engine loads once, then conversion runs locally.
Watch the progress bar: high frame rates and wide GIFs take longer.
Click Download GIF to save the animation.
Video to GIF FAQs
Why is my GIF so much bigger than the source video?
GIF is an image format, not a modern video codec. It allows at most 256 colors per frame and stores every frame independently, with none of the inter-frame compression that makes MP4 and WebM small. A 10-second GIF regularly exceeds the size of a several-minute video of the same clip. Lower the width, reduce the frame rate, and keep the segment short.
What does the color palette step do?
Before mapping your video to 256 colors, the tool generates a custom palette from the actual frames using palettegen, then applies it with paletteuse. This preserves far more color accuracy than a fixed palette and avoids the harsh banding you see in naive GIF exports, especially in gradients and skies.
Which width and frame rate should I pick?
640px at 15 FPS is the sweet spot for chat and social embeds. Drop to 480px and 10 FPS when size is critical; use 800px or 24 FPS when the GIF must look sharp or smooth, accepting a larger file. Original width keeps source resolution, which for full-HD videos produces very large GIFs.
Should I use a GIF or a video file?
Use GIFs where they are genuinely required: no audio, autoplaying loops in contexts that only accept images. Everywhere else, video is the better choice: WebM with VP9 can be one or two orders of magnitude smaller at the same visual quality. The Video Converter on this site produces WebM and MP4.
Can I convert only part of the video?
Yes. Fill in optional start and end times in HH:MM:SS or MM:SS format, with decimal seconds allowed. Leave both fields blank to convert the entire video. As a rule of thumb, keep GIF segments under about 30 seconds or the file becomes impractically large.
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