ConvertWhat happens when you convert MP4 to GIF
- The MP4 is turned into an animated GIF at the frame rate and width you choose. GIF has no sound.
- GIF only has 256 colors per frame and weak compression, so short clips (a few seconds) at 480 px work best.
- Phone videos keep their orientation: portrait stays portrait. You can also shrink videos to 1080p, 720p or 480p.
- Everything runs on your device. Very long or 4K videos need a lot of memory; on phones, keep videos under about 1 GB.
MP4 vs GIF
| Feature | MP4 | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Video codecs | H.264, HEVC, AV1 | GIF (256 colors) |
| Sound | Yes | No |
| Plays on | Almost everything | Almost everything |
| Best for | Video | Simple animations |
How to convert MP4 to GIF
- Drop your MP4 files on the box above, or click it to choose files. You can add many at once.
- Adjust the options if you want. The defaults work well for most files.
- Click Download for each GIF file, or "Download all" to get a ZIP.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to convert my files here?
Yes. Conversion happens entirely in your browser. Your files are never uploaded to a server, so nobody else can see them.
Is it free? Are there limits?
It's completely free, with no sign-up, watermarks or daily limits. The only limit is your device's memory for very large files.
Can I convert many MP4 files at once?
Yes. Drop as many files as you like; they're converted one after another and you can download them all as a ZIP.
Will converting MP4 to GIF reduce quality?
GIF can only show 256 colors per frame, so smooth gradients get slightly grainy. Each frame gets its own palette and dithering to keep it as close as possible.
Is there a file size limit?
Nothing is uploaded, so there's no upload limit. The limit is your device's memory: a few GB is fine on most computers; on phones, stay under about 1 GB.
How long does it take?
Copying a stream takes seconds. Re-encoding uses your device's hardware encoder and is usually faster than real time on a computer.
Why is my GIF so large?
GIF is a 1987 image format with weak compression. Lower the frame rate or width, or keep the clip short. For long clips, MP4 or WebM is 5–10× smaller.