GIF to ICO Converter

GIF to ICO Converter

This tool turns a GIF image into a Windows ICO icon at the icon sizes you pick. Read one thing first: ICO is a static icon format, so if your GIF is animated, the icon is built from a single frame — the animation does not carry over. It is also a tiny target: at 16–48 px, anything but a simple logo or single glyph becomes an unreadable smudge. This conversion is worth doing when you want to turn an existing GIF logo or badge into a favicon, a folder icon, or a shortcut icon. If your artwork is already a PNG, PNG to ICO is the cleaner favicon path, because PNG carries smooth alpha edges that GIF cannot.

GIF Format at a Glance

ICO Format at a Glance

How to Convert GIF to ICO

1. Upload Your GIF File: Drag and drop the GIF onto the page or click "+ Add Files" to browse. Each file is processed on its own.
2. Pick the Icon Size (Preset): Open Advanced Options and set the Image resolution Preset to the size you want — the list offers 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, 180, 192, and 256 px. Pick 256 for a crisp modern favicon, or 16/32/48 to match a legacy icon slot.
3. Check the Shape Before Converting (Optional): The preset list is the whole option set on an ICO target — no frame picker, no background-colour control, and no quality preset, colour palette or bit depth. That preset sets the icon's height and the width follows your GIF's aspect ratio, with nothing cropped or padded, so a wide banner GIF at 256P comes out wider than the 256 px an ICO directory entry can declare. Crop it square first, or pick 128P.
4. Convert and Download: Click "Convert" and download your ICO. No sign-up, no watermark.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my animated GIF — does the icon move?

No. ICO is a static format, so a multi-frame GIF is reduced to one still frame and the animation is lost. By default the first frame is used, which is also the frame most browsers show for a favicon even when an animated source is supplied; only Firefox renders animated favicons, and that requires keeping the file as a GIF rather than an ICO. There is no frame-selection control on this page, so the first frame is always what you get — to build the icon from a later moment, extract that frame in an image editor and convert the still instead.

Why does my GIF look blurry or jagged as an icon?

Two reasons. First, size: an ICO is shown at 16, 32, or 48 pixels for most uses, so a detailed picture collapses into a few pixels — this is a property of the target size, not the conversion. Pick this conversion only when the visual survives being shrunk to a thumbnail. Second, edges: GIF stores binary transparency (a pixel is either fully opaque or fully clear), so curved or anti-aliased outlines come across with a hard, stair-stepped edge rather than the smooth fade a PNG-sourced icon would have.

What icon sizes can I export?

You can choose 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 128, 180, 192, or 256 pixels. The Windows-standard set is 16, 32, 48, and 256 px, which together cover desktop icons, list views, and high-DPI displays for the vast majority of cases. 256 px is the largest the ICO format supports.

Will the icon keep my GIF's transparent background?

Yes, within GIF's limits. ICO supports transparency and the conversion preserves it — there is no background-colour control on this page that could flatten it against a solid tile. But because GIF transparency is on/off with no partial alpha, soft or feathered edges that looked fine in the GIF will land with a hard edge in the icon. If you want a solid background instead, paint it into the GIF before converting.

Should I use GIF to ICO or PNG to ICO for a favicon?

If you already have the artwork as a PNG, PNG to ICO is the better route: PNG carries an 8-bit alpha channel, so rounded logos and anti-aliased glyphs get smooth, clean edges at small sizes. Use GIF to ICO when the logo you want only exists as a GIF. If you would rather pull a clean still out of the GIF first and then make the icon, convert it with GIF to PNG and feed that into PNG to ICO.

Can one ICO file hold several sizes so Windows picks the right one?

The ICO format itself can bundle several images at different sizes and color depths in one file, and Windows and browsers pick the closest match for each context. This converter writes the single Preset size you choose, which is enough for most favicon, folder, and shortcut uses; to assemble a true multi-size .ico, combine several exported sizes in an icon editor.

What icon size is best for a browser favicon?

It depends on where it appears:

• 16×16 still shows in some browser tabs, address bars, and bookmarks.
• 32×32 is the classic favicon size and a safe default.
• 48×48 and a 256×256 source scaled down cover high-DPI displays and larger UI.

Exporting at 256 px gives browsers the most detail to scale from; 32 px is the pragmatic minimum for a single-size favicon.

Does the icon use 8-bit alpha or a 1-bit transparency mask?

At 32-bit color the ICO carries an 8-bit alpha channel for smooth transparency (Windows XP and later); below 32-bit it falls back to a 1-bit on/off mask. Either way, because GIF only stores binary transparency to begin with, soft or feathered edges still come across hard in the icon.

How is my file handled, and is it kept private?

Your GIF is uploaded over an encrypted connection, converted on our servers, and deleted automatically a few hours after conversion — no sign-up, no watermark, and your file is never shared or made public. If you need a smaller .ico, the size preset is the only lever the page gives you — a 48 px icon costs a small fraction of the bytes a 256 px one does.