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Video to GIF converter
Turn a short part of an MP4, MOV or WebM video into a looping GIF, in your browser. Your video is never uploaded.
Your video
Choose a video to start. It stays on your computer.
Choose your video, set the start and end of the part you want, pick a width and a frame rate, then make the GIF. For READMEs and emails, a 3 to 6 second clip at 480 pixels wide and 10 to 12 frames a second keeps the file small and still looks smooth.
A GIF still goes where video often cannot. GitHub READMEs, many email clients and some chat apps show a GIF inline and loop it, while a video file needs a click or does not play at all. That makes a short GIF of your product the easiest way to show it moving in those places.
This converter makes the GIF on your own computer. Your video is opened by the browser, each frame is drawn and encoded on the page, and the finished GIF appears here for you to save. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, so it is safe for unreleased features and private screens.
Which settings to choose
GIF files grow quickly, because every frame is stored as a full picture with its own colours. Three settings decide the size: how long the clip is, how wide it is, and how many frames it shows each second. Halving any one of them roughly halves the file.
- Length. Keep it short. Three to six seconds is enough to show one action, such as a click and its result. Longer clips are better as a video.
- Width. 480 pixels suits most READMEs and emails. Use 640 or 800 if the interface has small text that must stay readable.
- Frame rate. 10 to 12 frames a second looks smooth for interface movement. Go higher only for fast motion.
- Colours. Product screens with flat colours look fine at 128. Photos and gradients need 256.
Making a GIF that loops cleanly
A GIF loops back to its first frame, so a clip that starts and ends on the same screen loops without a visible jump. Pick a start and an end where the interface looks the same, for example before a click and after the result is closed again. Use the player above to find those moments, then press "Use current time" to set them.
Where to use the GIF
Put it at the top of a GitHub README so visitors see the product moving before they read a word. Use it in a launch email in place of a still screenshot, linked to the full film. Add it to a reply on X or a comment thread, where a short loop explains a feature faster than a paragraph.
When a GIF is the wrong choice
A GIF has no sound and only 256 colours a frame, so it is not a replacement for your launch film. Use it as a preview that leads to the film: a loop in the README or the email, with a link to the full video. If you need the GIF made from a film we build, Launch Day includes one, along with the Product Hunt gallery images. See what Launch Day includes.
Before you send a large video anywhere, the video file size estimator tells you whether it will fit the upload limit. For the shapes each platform expects, read video aspect ratios for product launches, and for muted autoplay feeds read our note on captions for muted product videos.
How to use it
- Choose your video. Pick an MP4, MOV or WebM file from your computer. It opens in the page and is not uploaded.
- Set the start and end. Type the times in seconds, or play the video to the moment you want and press Use current time.
- Pick the size. Choose a width, a frame rate and the number of colours. The line under the settings shows how many frames the GIF will have.
- Make and save the GIF. Press Make the GIF, wait for the progress bar, then download the GIF or right-click it to save.
Frequently asked questions
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. The video is opened by your browser and every frame is converted on this page, on your own computer. Nothing is sent to us or to a server, so it is safe to use with unreleased features.
Why is my GIF so large?
GIF stores each frame as a full picture, so long, wide or fast clips grow quickly. Make the clip shorter, choose a smaller width, lower the frame rate to 10, or reduce the colours to 128. Each of these reduces the size a lot.
Which video files does it accept?
Any video your browser can play. MP4 with H.264 works in every modern browser, and WebM works in most. If a file will not load, export it from your editor as an MP4 and try again.
How long can the GIF be?
The converter makes up to 300 frames, which is 30 seconds at 10 frames a second. For READMEs and emails, a clip of 3 to 6 seconds is usually best, because longer GIFs get heavy and slow to load.
Will the GIF play in email?
Many email apps show animated GIFs, but some show only the first frame. Make sure the first frame makes sense on its own, and link it to the full video.
Sources
Want it made for you? Launch Day, $449
The main film for launch day, plus the short cuts, images and posts that go out with it. Built for Product Hunt, X and LinkedIn. You see a storyboard and a private preview first, and pay only once you are happy.
See what's in Launch Day or get a free storyboard →