myriadfile

Video to GIF converter

Pick a few seconds of any video and turn them into a looping GIF for chats, docs and bug reports. No watermark, and your video never leaves your device.

Runs on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
RunsIn your browser
UploadsNone
CollectionVideo tools
Drop a video hereor choose a file: MP4, WebM, MOVor paste with Ctrl V / ⌘ V

Video to GIF

Good to know
  • Your browser decodes the video, so MKV and HEVC (H.265) files may not open in Chrome or Firefox. MP4 (H.264) and WebM work everywhere.
  • GIFs are limited to 256 colours per frame, so gradients can show banding.
  • The vertical converter plays the clip and records it in real time.

Making GIFs that look good and stay small

A GIF stores every frame as a full picture with its own palette of at most 256 colours. That is why GIFs get big quickly and why gradients sometimes band. The three things that control size are how many frames you include (clip length × frame rate), how large each frame is (width), and how many colours each frame uses.

For most uses a 2–6 second clip at 10–15 fps and 480 px wide is the sweet spot: smooth enough to read, small enough to share. Screen recordings with flat colours compress especially well.

How to convert video to GIF

  1. Load your video. Drop an MP4, WebM or MOV. It plays in the preview; nothing is uploaded.
  2. Set start and end. Type times in seconds, or play the video and use “Start = current time” and “End = current time”.
  3. Choose frame rate, width and colours. The estimate under the buttons updates as you change settings.
  4. Make the GIF and download. Progress shows each frame being encoded. Preview the result, then download.

Settings explained

Frames per second
GIF stores delays in hundredths of a second, so 10, 20 and 25 fps are exact; 15 fps plays at about 14.3.
Width
Height follows the video’s aspect ratio. Original keeps full size but makes large files.
Colours
256 gives the best quality. 64 or 32 shrink files noticeably, especially for screen recordings.
Speed
2× makes a long action fit in a short GIF; 0.5× gives slow motion.
Loop
Forever is standard. “Play once” stops on the last frame.

Best settings for common destinations

UseSuggested settings
Chat (Slack, Teams, Discord)10–12 fps, 480 px, 128–256 colours, under 6 s
GitHub issue or README10 fps, 640–800 px for screen recordings, 64–128 colours
Email8–10 fps, 320–480 px, keep it under about 1 MB

Platforms change their upload limits, so check the destination’s current limit if a GIF is rejected. More detail is in our guide to GIF settings for Slack and GitHub.

Troubleshooting

“This browser cannot decode this video’s codec”
MKV and HEVC (H.265) files often do not play in Chrome or Firefox. Convert to MP4 (H.264) first, or try Safari for HEVC.
The GIF is too big
Shorten the clip, lower fps to 8–10, reduce width to 320–480 px, and try 64 colours.
Colours look blotchy
Use 256 colours. GIF cannot show smooth gradients perfectly.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a watermark?

No, never.

Is there a length limit?

No hard limit, but GIFs over 15 seconds become very large. Consider sharing a short MP4 instead.

Does the GIF have sound?

No. The GIF format has no audio.

Can I make a GIF from a screen recording?

Yes. Screen recordings make some of the smallest, sharpest GIFs.

Is my video uploaded?

No. Your browser plays and processes the video locally. Nothing is sent to a server, so even long or private recordings stay on your device.

Sources