How to Convert a Video to a GIF (Small and Sharp)
Turn the best few seconds of an MP4, MOV or WebM into a looping GIF: choose the start, length, frame rate and width for a small, sharp result. Free, no upload.
3 min read ·
To convert a video to a GIF, open Video to GIF, add the video, pause at the moment the GIF should begin and press Use current position, then set the Length (a few seconds), Frames per second and Width. Press Make GIF and download it. Short clips at 10 frames per second and 480 pixels wide give a GIF that's small and still looks good.
Convert a video step by step
- Open Video to GIF.
- Add the video — MP4, WebM or MOV — or paste a direct link to a video file.
- Play the video and pause where the GIF should start. Press Use current position (or type a time such as 0:12.5).
- Drag the Length slider — up to 20 seconds.
- Choose Frames per second:
- 5 (small file) — slideshows, slow movement.
- 10 (standard) — most GIFs.
- 15 (smooth) — sport, dancing, fast motion.
- 24 (cinematic) — the smoothest, and the biggest.
- Choose the Width: 240, 320, 480, 640 or 800 pixels.
- Under GIF output, adjust colours, looping, dithering and per-frame colours if you need to.
- Press Make GIF, check the result, and download it.
How big will my GIF be?
GIF is an old format: it compresses far less than video. A rough guide for a typical clip:
| Length | 10 fps, 320 px | 10 fps, 480 px | 15 fps, 640 px |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 s | ~0.3 MB | ~0.7 MB | ~2 MB |
| 5 s | ~0.8 MB | ~1.8 MB | ~5 MB |
| 10 s | ~1.6 MB | ~3.5 MB | ~10 MB |
Busy, colourful or shaky footage is bigger; static backgrounds and screen recordings are much smaller.
Making a GIF look good
- Start and stop on movement — a GIF that loops from a pause back into action feels natural.
- Dithering smooths gradients like skies and skin, but makes the file bigger.
- Separate colours for each frame keeps true colours when the scene changes a lot (a cut between two shots).
- Fewer colours (64 or 32) suit cartoons, text and screen recordings — and shrink the file.
Make it loop perfectly
GIFs repeat forever by default. For a seamless loop, pick a clip where the end looks like the start — a spinning wheel, a wave, a nod. Or make a boomerang that plays forwards and backwards with the Boomerang GIF maker — it always loops smoothly.
After converting
- Trim a few frames at either end with Cut GIF.
- Shrink it under a limit with the GIF Compressor.
- Add a caption with Add Text to GIF.
When a GIF isn't the best choice
If the platform accepts video, a short MP4 is a fraction of the size and full colour — and it can have sound. Social networks often turn uploaded GIFs into videos anyway. GIF to MP4 converts the other way when you need it.
Privacy
Frames are taken from the video by your browser, and the GIF is built on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and there's no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
My video won't open — why?
The browser must be able to play the video. Some files (HEVC from iPhones on some Windows PCs, for example) don't play in every browser; convert them with Convert to MP4 first.
Can the GIF have sound?
No — GIFs never have sound. Use a short MP4 if sound matters.
Can I make a GIF from a longer part?
Up to 20 seconds per GIF. For more, split the video into parts and make several GIFs.