How to Convert a Video to GIF (Small, Sharp, Free)

To convert a video to a GIF, open the free Video to GIF tool, drop in your clip, trim it to the few seconds you want, set the frames per second and width, and press Export GIF. For a small, sharp GIF, keep it under about six seconds, around 10–15 fps and 320–480 px wide. It runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

Why are GIFs so much bigger than videos?

A video file stores mostly the changes between frames, using modern compression. A GIF stores each frame as an image with at most 256 colours, and its compression is decades old. That's why a 5-second GIF can be larger than a 30-second MP4. The good news: three settings control almost all of the size, and the tool lets you set each one.

1. Length. Every extra second adds frames.
2. Width. Doubling the width roughly quadruples the pixels in each frame.
3. Frame rate. 20 fps has twice as many frames as 10 fps.

How do I make a GIF from a video?

1. Add the video. Open Video to GIF and drag in an MP4, MOV, WebM or MKV file, or click to choose one. Export is already set to GIF.
2. Trim it. On the Trim tab, set the start and end. Use Set to playhead to mark the exact moments while the video plays.
3. Crop it (optional). On the Crop tab, choose 1:1 square for chat apps or a free shape to cut away borders.
4. Pick the frame rate and width. In Export settings, set Frames per second (5–20) and Width (240–720 px).
5. Export GIF. Press Export GIF. A preview appears; press Download to save it.

What settings give the best GIF?

Use	Length	Width	Frames per second
Chat reaction	1–3 s	320 px	10–12
Tutorial step on a website	3–6 s	480–640 px	10–15
Product loop	2–4 s	480 px	12–15
Smooth motion (very short)	1–2 s	320–480 px	20

Clips with flat colours and little motion (screen recordings, cartoons, text) make the smallest, cleanest GIFs. Busy, colourful footage with lots of movement makes large GIFs that can look grainy.

Tips for sharper, smaller GIFs

• Trim tightly. Cut out the lead-in and the ending. Loops look best when the last frame flows into the first.
• Crop away empty space. Fewer pixels means a smaller file.
• Speed it up a little. In Speed & sound, 1.25× or 1.5× makes a short clip feel snappier and uses fewer frames for the same moment.
• Lower the width before lowering the frame rate. A slightly smaller GIF usually looks better than a choppy one.

When should I use MP4 instead of GIF?

GIFs are perfect for chat apps, emails and documentation that don't play video. But if the platform plays video (Twitter/X, Slack, WhatsApp, Instagram, most websites), a short looping MP4 looks better and is often 5–10 times smaller. In the Video Editor choose MP4, trim it, and set the quality to Small file.

GIFs also have no sound. To keep the audio separately, use Video to MP3.

Is it private?

Yes. The conversion runs with FFmpeg inside your browser. Your video is never uploaded, and the GIF has no watermark. The first conversion loads the video engine (about 31 MB), which your browser then caches.

Troubleshooting

• The GIF looks blotchy. GIFs are limited to 256 colours, so gradients and skin tones can band. Try a shorter clip or a smaller width, or use MP4.
• It's still too big. Cut the length first, then reduce the width to 320 px and the frame rate to 10.
• The video won't preview. The export usually still works because FFmpeg reads the file directly.

Ready? Make your GIF now. For other edits, see how to edit videos in your browser.