MP4 to GIF Converter

Convert MP4 to GIF online, free. This MP4 to GIF converter turns a short clip into a looping GIF that plays anywhere without a video player. Pick a frame rate — 10 FPS is the default — and a quality preset, or switch File Compression to Max file size and cap each GIF at an exact size. Click Convert and download the GIF.

How to convert MP4 to GIF

1. Upload the MP4: Drag a .mp4 or .m4v file onto the page or click Add Files. Several clips can go in one job; each becomes its own GIF.
2. Set the frame rate and quality: Framerate is 10 FPS by default. File Compression starts on the Quality preset High; choose Custom to set the quality percentage and frame size yourself, or Max file size to cap the GIF at a size.
3. Convert and download: Click Convert and download each GIF.

Framerate

Framerate is the number of GIF frames written per second of video. The list offers 1, 2, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 50 FPS, from 1 FPS (Slideshow) to 50 FPS (Max Speed). The default, 10 FPS, is enough for reaction clips and screen recordings; 15 to 25 FPS gives smoother motion and a proportionally larger file; 50 FPS doubles the frames of a 25 FPS GIF for a difference few viewers notice. The control is hidden under Max file size: there the GIF is written at the source rate or 10 FPS, whichever is lower.

Quality preset and Custom

The Quality preset ladder runs Highest, Very High, High (Recommended), Medium, Low, Very Low and Lowest; High is the default and corresponds to 90 on the encoder's 1–100 quality scale. A lower rung lets the encoder simplify the colours in each frame and produces a smaller file. Custom replaces the preset with two controls: Image quality (%), a slider from 1 to 100 that starts at 80, and Image resolution — Keep original by default, or a percentage, a preset height from 4320p down to 16p with "Use as max resolution" ticked so a smaller source is never upscaled, or a width, a height or both in pixels or percent. The Colors group that also appears in Custom mode belongs to the GIF-to-GIF route; the video encoder builds its own palette for each frame.

Max file size

Max file size asks for a ceiling and lets the converter find settings that fit under it. The Size limit dropdown offers Custom size % (the default: a slider from 1 to 500 % of the source video's size, starting at 350 % because a GIF is normally several times larger than its MP4), Custom size value (a figure in KB or MB; 8 MB is pre-filled), and three presets labelled Discord (20 MB max), Email (25 MB max) and Forum (2 MB max). Each file gets its own target. The converter runs several encodes, lowering quality, colours and width as needed; when the ceiling cannot be reached without dropping below its quality floor, it delivers the smallest acceptable GIF and says so in the result's notes. An estimate of the GIF's natural size against the cap appears under the dropdown before you convert.

When to convert MP4 to GIF

• A clip must autoplay silently where video is not embedded: a README, a documentation page, an email signature, a forum post.
• A reaction or meme has to be pasted into chat as one looping file.
• A short screen recording of a UI interaction replaces a stack of screenshots.

What to expect

GIF is an old format: each frame holds at most 256 colours and nothing is shared between frames, so a GIF is normally many times larger than its MP4 and shows banding in gradients and dark scenes. Keep clips to a few seconds, 10 to 15 FPS and 480 px or less. Audio is dropped, because GIF has no sound. For full colour at a similar size, animated WebP is the alternative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trim the video on this page?

No. There is no Trim control on the MP4 to GIF page. Cut the section you need with the Video Cutter or Trim MP4, download it, and convert that clip.

Why is the GIF larger than the MP4?

H.264 in an MP4 stores only the differences between frames and uses millions of colours; GIF stores every frame in full with a palette of 256 colours and older, weaker compression. The same clip is often ten times larger as a GIF. Lower the frame rate, reduce the width under Custom — halving it cuts the pixels per frame to a quarter — or set a Max file size.

How do I keep the GIF under a size limit?

Switch File Compression to Max file size and choose Custom size value, or one of the Discord, Email and Forum presets. If the limit cannot be met at acceptable quality, the result is marked as the smallest version the converter could produce.

Can I combine several clips into one GIF?

No. Each uploaded video becomes a separate GIF. Join the clips into one MP4 first, then convert that file here.

Does XConvert keep my files?

Files are processed on our servers and deleted automatically after a few hours.

Related tools

• GIF to MP4 — the reverse direction, for a much smaller file with the same frames
• Compress GIF — shrink a GIF you already have
• MP4 to WebP — animated WebP: full colour, usually far smaller than GIF
• MOV to GIF — the same tool for iPhone and camera .mov clips
• Video Cutter — trim the clip before converting

References

• GIF89a specification: https://www.w3.org/Graphics/GIF/spec-gif89a.txt
• gifski GIF encoder: https://gif.ski/