GIF Maker

Create animated GIFs from images or convert videos to GIF, all in your browser.

Free to use. Runs in your browser.

Drop images or upload a video to create animated GIFs instantly, everything runs in your browser using Web Workers.

Your files never leave your device. Zero server processing.

Drop images here or click to upload

PNG, JPG, WebP, BMP, GIF, Max 20 MB each

How GIF Animation Works

A GIF is a flipbook. A series of still images displayed in rapid succession to create movement. Each frame has a configurable delay time, typically 50-200 milliseconds. Lower delay means smoother, faster playback. Higher delay means a slideshow effect.

GIFs use a palette of up to 256 colours per frame, which is why they work brilliantly for simple graphics, text animations, and screen recordings, but look grainy for complex photographic content. The format uses LZW compression to keep file sizes manageable.

This tool uses gif.js with Web Workers to encode GIFs in your browser after the page has loaded. Web Workers move the CPU-intensive encoding into background threads, which helps the page stay responsive with larger frame sets.

GIF vs Other Animated Formats

Feature	GIF	Animated WebP	MP4 Video
Colours	256 per frame	16.7 million	16.7 million
File size (5s clip)	2-10 MB	0.5-2 MB	0.2-1 MB
Transparency	Yes (1-bit)	Yes (8-bit alpha)	No
Auto-plays in chat	Everywhere	Some platforms	Depends on client
Platform support	Universal	Modern browsers	Universal
Works well for	Chat, social, simple loops	Web pages	Long content, high quality

Bottom line: GIF is widely supported by browsers, chat apps, and email clients. It is usually bigger and lower quality than modern alternatives, but it remains practical when broad compatibility matters.

Frame Rate and Delay Cheat Sheet

Frame Delay	Effective FPS	Feel	Works Well For
50ms	20 fps	Smooth video	Screen recordings, tutorials
100ms	10 fps	Natural animation	Most GIFs, good default
200ms	5 fps	Snappy, punchy	Reaction GIFs, memes
500ms	2 fps	Slideshow	Before/after comparisons
1000ms	1 fps	Slow reveal	Step-by-step demos

Tips for Smaller GIF Files

Reduce dimensions

A 480px-wide GIF is typically 4x smaller than a 960px one. For messaging and social media, 480px is plenty. Only go larger for presentations or tutorials.

Use fewer frames

Every frame adds to file size. A 3-second GIF at 10 fps (30 frames) is much smaller than the same clip at 24 fps (72 frames). Most GIFs look fine at 10-15 fps.

Lower the quality slider

Quality controls colour quantisation. Lower quality means fewer colours and smaller files. For most content, a quality of 10-15 offers a solid balance between appearance and size.

Keep backgrounds simple

Solid or near-solid backgrounds compress far better than complex photographic backgrounds. A screen recording on a plain desktop wallpaper produces a much smaller GIF than one with a busy background.

Planning for Platform Limits

Platform file-size limits and GIF handling rules change over time. Check the destination app before sharing, and use these practical planning notes when creating a GIF:

Social feeds: keep clips short and check whether the platform converts GIFs to video

Chat apps: smaller GIFs load faster and are less likely to be rejected

Workspaces: preview behaviour can differ from upload limits, so test before sending widely

Email: small, short loops are more reliable than large animated attachments

Messaging apps: compression may change colour, sharpness, and playback quality

Documentation: prefer short, focused loops for readmes, docs, and issue reports

Related Tools

Image Compressor

Compress frames before creating GIFs

Image Resizer

Resize frames to target dimensions

Image to WebP

Convert to modern WebP format

AVIF Converter

Convert to next-gen AVIF format

Image to PNG

Convert frames to lossless PNG

Metadata Remover

Strip EXIF data from images

How to use this tool

Upload images (drag-and-drop supported) or switch to Video mode and upload a video file.

Adjust frame delay, output width, and quality settings to your preference.

Click 'Create GIF' to generate and download your animated GIF.

Common uses

Create animated GIFs from a series of images
Convert short video clips to GIF format
Make product demos and tutorials as GIFs
Create memes and social media content
Design animated banners and illustrations
Share screen recordings as lightweight GIFs

Share this tool

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the GIF Maker work?

Upload images or a video, configure frame delay and quality, then click Create GIF. The tool uses gif.js with Web Workers to encode the GIF entirely in your browser, no files are uploaded to any server.

What image formats can I use?

You can upload PNG, JPG, WebP, BMP, and GIF images. All images are automatically resized to match the output width you set.

Can I convert a video to GIF?

Yes. Switch to the Video to GIF tab, upload an MP4/WebM video, set start time and duration, and the tool captures frames using the Canvas API and encodes them as a GIF.

Is there a file size limit?

Images up to 20 MB each and videos up to 100 MB. The output GIF size depends on dimensions, frame count, and quality settings.

How can I reduce the GIF file size?

Lower the output width (480px is usually enough), increase the quality number (lower colour count), increase frame delay (fewer fps), or use fewer frames.

Is my data private?

100% private. All processing happens in your browser using Web Workers. Your images and videos never leave your device.

What frame delay should I use?

100ms (10 fps) gives smooth animation for most content. 200ms (5 fps) works for slideshows. 50ms (20 fps) creates very smooth but large files. Most social media GIFs use 80-150ms.

Why is my GIF file so large?

GIF files grow quickly with more frames, larger dimensions, and more colours. A 10-second video at 480px and 10 fps can easily be 5-10 MB. Reduce width, use fewer frames, or increase the quality number to shrink it.

Can I reorder frames?

Yes. In image mode, hover over any frame thumbnail to see the reorder arrows. Click left or right to swap frame positions. This lets you arrange your animation exactly as you want.

What video formats are supported?

MP4, WebM, and OGG video files up to 100 MB. MP4 is the most common format and works in all modern browsers. QuickTime (.mov) is also supported.

Why does encoding take a while?

GIF encoding involves colour quantization and LZW compression for every frame. The gif.js library uses Web Workers to run this in background threads. Larger dimensions and more frames take longer.

Can I use this GIF on social media?

Yes. GIFs work on Twitter/X, Discord, Slack, Reddit, and most messaging apps. Some platforms (like Instagram) don't support GIF uploads, you'd need to convert to MP4 for those.

Results are for general informational purposes only and should be checked before use. They are not professional advice. See our Disclaimer and Terms of Service.