OnlineFileConverter logoonlinefileconverter

Video to GIF

Turn a short MP4, MOV, or WebM into an animated GIF. Lower the width for smaller, snappier GIFs.

ToolLast updated ·Reviewed by the OnlineFileConverter team

Drop or click to select (mp4, mov, webm, m4v, avi)

First run downloads ~30MB ffmpeg engine; subsequent runs are instant. Everything stays in your browser.

About this tool

Animated GIFs are the universal language of the internet — they autoplay everywhere, loop forever, and don't need a video player. The catch is that GIF is an old, inefficient format. A 10-second clip that's 2 MB as MP4 might balloon to 15 MB as a GIF, which is why short clips at modest dimensions are the sweet spot.

This Video to GIF tool uses ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly to extract frames from your MP4, MOV, or WebM video and assemble them into a single optimized GIF. A two-pass palette generation keeps colors looking sharp without bloating the file. Everything happens in your browser — your clip is never uploaded.

For best results, trim the source video to the section you actually want before converting, and pick the smallest width that still reads well.

Why use it

  • Runs entirely in your browser — your video stays private.
  • Optimized two-pass palette generation for sharp colors.
  • Adjustable width to balance quality and file size.
  • Free with no watermark.

How to use it

  1. 1
    Upload a short video

    Drop an MP4, MOV, WebM, or AVI clip. Keep it short (under ~6 seconds) for sane GIF sizes.

  2. 2
    Pick a width

    480 px wide is a good default. Go smaller (240–360 px) for chat reactions, larger (640–720 px) for tutorials.

  3. 3
    Download the GIF

    Save the result and drop it anywhere a GIF is supported — Slack, Discord, Twitter, email, docs.

Common use cases

  • Bug reports and product feedback that need to show a click sequence.
  • Tutorial snippets for documentation and README files.
  • Reaction GIFs for chat and social.
  • Product demos embedded in landing pages or emails.
  • Showing UI animations to designers and developers.

Tips for best results

Keep clips short

GIF file size grows linearly with length. A 6-second clip is roughly 3× the size of a 2-second clip at the same dimensions.

Use a lower width

Halving the width quarters the file size. 480 px is usually enough.

Consider an MP4 instead

Twitter, Discord, and Slack now autoplay short MP4s. An MP4 of the same clip is often 10× smaller than the GIF.

Related tools

MP4 compressor →

Smaller MP4s are often better than GIFs.

MOV compressor →

For iPhone-recorded source clips.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my GIF huge?

GIFs are inefficient by design. Keep clips under 6 seconds at ~480 px wide for sane file sizes.