Video to GIF — Free, Browser-Based, ffmpeg-Powered
Convert MP4, WebM, MOV, and other video formats to GIF directly in your browser. Trim the clip, scale resolution, set frame rate. No upload, no watermark — all powered by ffmpeg.wasm.
How to convert MP4 to GIF in your browser
- Drop your video. Drag and drop one MP4, WebM, MOV, or other ffmpeg-supported video into the upload area. First-time use loads ffmpeg.wasm (~25 MB, cached after).
- Trim the clip. Use the time-range slider to select the GIF start and end. Keep clips under 10 seconds for reasonable file size (GIFs are big).
- Set resolution and frame rate. Scale to 480p / 360p / 240p (smaller = much smaller GIF) and pick 10/15/24 fps. 15 fps is the sweet spot for most use.
- Convert and download. Click Convert. Processing time varies (5–60 seconds depending on length and resolution). Click Download for the final looping GIF.
Use Cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Are videos uploaded to a server?
No. Conversion runs in your browser using ffmpeg.wasm — a WebAssembly port of ffmpeg. Your video never leaves your device.
Why is the GIF so large?
GIF is an old format with no modern compression. To keep size down: trim to <5 seconds, scale to 480p or smaller, and use 10–15 fps.
What video formats are supported?
Anything ffmpeg supports: MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI, MKV, FLV, and more. For MOV from iPhone, conversion works directly.
What is the maximum video length?
No hard limit, but >30 seconds at 480p often produces 20+ MB GIFs. For longer clips, consider exporting to WebM instead.
Does the GIF loop?
Yes. All output GIFs loop infinitely by default.
Will it work on mobile?
Yes on modern iPhones/Android. ffmpeg.wasm needs ~500 MB free RAM — older devices may struggle with longer clips.
Frame rate, length and why GIFs get so large
GIF has no modern video compression — every frame is stored as its own palettized image, so file size scales almost linearly with frame count. That single fact explains every GIF size decision below.
| Frame rate | Smoothness | Relative size | Right for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 fps | Visibly stepped | 1× | Slideshow-like clips, long captures, chat-size files |
| 10 fps | Readable motion, the common default | ~2× | Screen recordings, UI demos, reaction clips |
| 15 fps | Fairly smooth | ~3× | Short action clips where motion matters |
| 20 fps | Smooth | ~4× | Very short clips only — size climbs fast |
- GIF is capped at 256 colors per frame. Gradients and video footage band visibly; flat UI, text and line art survive nearly untouched — which is why screen recordings make far better GIFs than camera video.
- Halving the output width cuts the size to roughly a quarter, and is almost always a better trade than dropping frame rate when a GIF is too big.
- Keep clips under about 10 seconds. A 30-second GIF at 10 fps is 300 stored frames and will usually be larger than the source video file.
Related tools
More free, in-browser tools from the Video & Audio set — every one runs locally, with no sign-up and no upload.