How do I turn a video into a GIF?

Drop the video above, set the start time and clip length (up to 15 seconds), choose the smoothness (fps) and width, and click Create GIF. The conversion runs on your device with a two-stage colour-palette pass, so the GIF comes out with noticeably better colours than quick converters.

Why are GIF clips capped at 15 seconds?

GIF is a spectacularly inefficient format — each frame is stored like an image, so file size explodes with length. 15 seconds at 480px is already several megabytes. For longer clips, a compressed MP4 (see our Video Compressor) is dramatically smaller and higher quality.

What settings make the smallest GIF?

Lower the width to 320px, the smoothness to 10 fps and keep the clip short — each change multiplies into the size. The tool flags your GIF if it exceeds 8 MB, the limit some platforms enforce.

Why does my GIF look grainy?

GIF only allows 256 colours per frame, so gradients (skies, sunsets) show some dithering — that’s the format, not the tool. We generate an optimised palette from your actual clip to squeeze the most out of those 256 colours; footage with fewer distinct colours converts cleanest.

Is my video uploaded anywhere?

No. The conversion runs on FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly in your browser — the video and the resulting GIF stay on your device. The engine downloads once (~31 MB) and is then cached.

What are good uses for video GIFs?

Reaction clips for chats, short product demos for docs and README files, bug reproductions for issue trackers, tutorial snippets for wikis — anywhere autoplaying, soundless, universally-supported animation beats embedding a video player.

Which input formats work?

MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI and MKV, up to 500 MB. You choose which 15-second (or shorter) window of the video becomes the GIF — you don’t need to trim the video beforehand.

Video to GIF Converter

Turn a video clip into a high-quality GIF — pick the moment, fps and size, all in your browser.

Files never leave your device Instant — no upload waitFree, no sign-up

Choose a video or drag & drop it hereMP4, MOV, WebM… · pick up to 15s · converted on your device

or import from

The best moment of your video, as a GIF

Pick the second where it happens, set a length, and get a looping GIF that plays everywhere — chats, docs, issue trackers, forums — with no player, no sound, no compatibility worries. Conversion runs on your device via FFmpeg-in-the-browser:your video is never uploaded.

Why these GIFs look better

GIF is limited to 256 colours, and cheap converters use the same generic palette for every video — that’s where the banding and muddy colours come from. This tool does it properly: a two-stage palette pass first analyses your clip to build an optimal 256-colour palette, then renders the GIF with it. Same format, noticeably better colours.

Size is a dial, not a surprise

Three controls decide the file size: length (capped at 15 seconds — GIFs grow brutally fast), smoothness (10/15/20 fps) and width(320/480/640 px). The defaults — 3 seconds, 15 fps, 480 px — make a crisp, chat-friendly GIF. If the result tops 8 MB (a common platform limit), the tool flags it and tells you which dial to turn down.

GIF or video?

Honest guidance: for clips longer than ~15 seconds or footage with lots of colour gradients, a compressed MP4 is far smaller and sharper — that’s what theVideo Compressor is for. GIFs win when you need guaranteed autoplay-anywhere: reactions, demos, bug reproductions. Need just the sound instead? UseVideo to MP3.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I turn a video into a GIF?
Drop the video above, set the start time and clip length (up to 15 seconds), choose the smoothness (fps) and width, and click Create GIF. The conversion runs on your device with a two-stage colour-palette pass, so the GIF comes out with noticeably better colours than quick converters.
Why are GIF clips capped at 15 seconds?
GIF is a spectacularly inefficient format — each frame is stored like an image, so file size explodes with length. 15 seconds at 480px is already several megabytes. For longer clips, a compressed MP4 (see our Video Compressor) is dramatically smaller and higher quality.
What settings make the smallest GIF?
Lower the width to 320px, the smoothness to 10 fps and keep the clip short — each change multiplies into the size. The tool flags your GIF if it exceeds 8 MB, the limit some platforms enforce.
Why does my GIF look grainy?
GIF only allows 256 colours per frame, so gradients (skies, sunsets) show some dithering — that’s the format, not the tool. We generate an optimised palette from your actual clip to squeeze the most out of those 256 colours; footage with fewer distinct colours converts cleanest.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs on FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly in your browser — the video and the resulting GIF stay on your device. The engine downloads once (~31 MB) and is then cached.
What are good uses for video GIFs?
Reaction clips for chats, short product demos for docs and README files, bug reproductions for issue trackers, tutorial snippets for wikis — anywhere autoplaying, soundless, universally-supported animation beats embedding a video player.
Which input formats work?
MP4, MOV, WebM, AVI and MKV, up to 500 MB. You choose which 15-second (or shorter) window of the video becomes the GIF — you don’t need to trim the video beforehand.