How do I convert a video to a GIF?

Choose the video, set the start and end, pick a frame rate and width, click Make GIF and download it. The conversion runs in your browser: nothing is uploaded and no credits are used.

Is this MP4 to GIF converter free, and is my video uploaded?

It is free, adds no watermark and needs no sign-in. Your video and the GIF stay in your browser; the tool does not upload them.

How long can the GIF be, and how big will the file be?

Up to 60 seconds of video and 400 frames per GIF. The size depends on width, frame rate, colors and how much moves in the shot: in our tests, 5 seconds at 480 px and 10 fps came to 3.5 MB, and 3 seconds at 320 px, 10 fps and 128 colors to 855 KB. For a smaller file, lower the width, frame rate or colors, or shorten the range.

Which video formats can I convert to GIF?

Any video your browser can decode. MP4 with H.264 is the safest choice; MOV and WebM depend on your browser and codec. If decoding fails, try another file.

Why does my GIF look grainy or banded?

A GIF can hold at most 256 colors. This tool picks the best 255 for the whole clip and does not dither, so smooth gradients such as skies can show bands. Choose 255 colors and a range without big color changes for the cleanest result.

Does the GIF keep the sound and the exact timing?

GIFs have no sound. Frame times are stored in hundredths of a second, so 15 fps alternates 7 and 6 hundredths to keep the total length right. Speed changes only the playback time, not which frames are captured.

Video to GIF Converter: MP4 to GIF in Your BrowserNew

Convert video to GIF without uploading it. This free MP4 to GIF converter runs in your browser: trim the clip, pick 5–20 fps and a width, download the GIF.

Free browser tool
No upload

Make a GIF in your browser

Your video never leaves your device. Nothing is uploaded.

Choose a video or drop it hereMP4, MOV or WebM. Anything your browser can play.

A GIF made on this page: a steaming cup of coffee next to a croissant — Real result (2026-10-01, Chrome): the first 3 seconds of a 1080p clip → 320 × 180, 10 fps, 128 colors, 30 frames, 855 KB, made in about 4 seconds without leaving the browser.

About video to GIF on Cicadas

Turn a video clip into an animated GIF: choose an MP4, MOV or WebM your browser can play, set the start and end, pick a frame rate, width, speed and number of colors, then download the GIF. Your video is decoded and the GIF is made on your device; nothing is uploaded. The tool is free, adds no watermark, needs no account and uses no credits.

Why use Cicadas for video to GIF

Trim the clip and choose the GIF settings

Set a start and end time (up to 60 seconds and 400 frames per GIF), then pick 5, 10, 15 or 20 fps, a width from 320 to 800 px, 0.5× to 2× speed and 255, 128 or 64 colors.

Smaller GIFs from one shared palette

One palette of up to 255 colors is built from 24 frames across the clip. After the first frame, only the pixels that changed are stored, so still backgrounds add little to the file. You see the file size before you download.

Convert MP4 to GIF with no upload

No account, upload or credits: your browser decodes the video and encodes the GIF on your device. The GIF lives only on this page, so download it before you leave or refresh.

How to use video to GIF

01
Choose an MP4, MOV or WebM file that your browser can play.
02
Set the start and end (or use the player's current time), pick the frame rate, width, speed and colors, then click Make GIF.
03
Check the preview and file size, then download the GIF. For a smaller file, lower the width, frame rate or colors.

What you can make

Choose a video, then finish it in the tool above.

“Turn the best three seconds of a product video into a looping GIF for a README or an email.”
“Make a 480 px, 10 fps GIF from a short screen recording to show a bug or a feature.”
“Loop a 5-second AI clip as a GIF preview for a post, a chat or a slide.”

Video to GIF FAQ

Tested on Cicadas · reviewed 2026-10-01

Tested on 2026-10-01 in Chrome with three of our own clips: 5 s of a 1080p clip at 480 px, 10 fps became 3.5 MB (50 frames, about 8 s to make); 5 s at 640 px, 15 fps, 128 colors became 7.0 MB (75 frames); 4 s of a vertical 720 × 1280 clip at 320 px became 4.2 MB on a phone-sized screen. Each file was decoded again with ffprobe and Pillow, and with the same width, frame rate and colors (no dithering) ffmpeg's palette method made files 4–13% larger. The encoder is our own code; decoding depends on your browser's codec support.

Updated Oct 1, 2026 · How we test

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