Convert an MP4 video clip to an animated GIF - perfect for chat, social media, or embedded examples in docs.
Drop one or many - all convert to GIF (animated). Per-row progress, batch convert, ZIP download.
MP4 to GIF is the conversion for sharing short clips where the recipient won't have a video player open: Slack chats, GitHub issues, README files, email signatures. GIFs autoplay in places MP4s don't and need no plugin or special embed. The trade-off is size and color quality - GIFs are 5 to 10 times larger than an equivalent MP4 at much worse quality.
We use FFmpeg's two-step palette generation in a single filter graph: compute an optimal 256-color palette from the input, then dither the video against that palette. Output is 480px wide at 15fps - a sweet spot between file size and watchability. The FFmpeg wasm engine downloads ~22 MB on first use; cached afterwards.
Despite the format's age, GIF still has the unique property of being treated as an "image" by every platform. That means it embeds in places where MP4 cannot: email signatures (most clients block embedded videos but allow images), inline in product page descriptions on legacy ecommerce platforms, in chat clients that don't support video embeds, and crucially in any context where MP4 would be flagged as a "video" needing user permission to play. For short demo clips and reaction shots, GIF's ubiquitous-image status outweighs its terrible compression.
The 480px / 15fps defaults aren't arbitrary. They're roughly what major GIF hosts (Giphy, Tenor, Imgur) use for their hosted versions. Wider than 480px doubles the file size with little visible benefit on chat-app rendering sizes (most chat apps cap GIF display at 400-500px wide anyway). Higher than 15fps similarly bloats the file with motion smoothness most viewers don't notice. If you need pristine smoothness for a UI demo, consider WebM or MP4 + inline embed instead.
A subtle gotcha: GIF's 256-color palette means natural video with lots of color variation (sunsets, photo-realistic scenes, anything with gradients) shows banding and color shifts. Animations with limited color (screen recordings, UI demos, line-art animation) survive the conversion looking very close to the source. If your output GIF looks awful, the input was probably color-rich content; consider WebM or MP4 instead.
Cut a 2-3 second clip of a memorable scene, convert, and have it in Slack or Discord in seconds. GIFs autoplay inline; MP4s sometimes require a click.
Show a UI issue in a GIF so engineers can see the problem without downloading and playing a video. GitHub, Linear, and Jira all render GIFs inline.
Embed a short feature demo on a landing page or in a help-center article. GIF inlines in places where embedded video gets stripped.
Show a 5-step product flow as a GIF in your documentation. Readers don't need to click play; the animation runs as they scroll.
Small (under 200 KB) animated GIFs work in most email signatures. Most email clients strip MP4 from signatures entirely.
Convert a movie or show clip to GIF for sharing in chat. Universally accepted, plays everywhere without a player.
MP4 is the most widely supported video container, based on the ISO Base Media File Format. It can carry H.264, H.265 and AV1 video with AAC, MP3, or Opus audio.
Animated GIF is the classic short-loop image format. Plays in every browser and chat app, but is heavy and lossy compared to modern video formats like MP4 or WebM.
Drag a MP4 onto the converter above, or click the box to pick one from your device.
We've preselected GIF as the output format. Change it from the dropdown if you want a different target.
Click Convert and wait for the progress bar to finish. Download the GIF when it's ready.
Convert an animated GIF to MP4 for smaller files, smoother playback, and uploads that don't get rejected.
Convert an MP4 to WebM for smaller file sizes and open-source-friendly web delivery.
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