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MP4 to GIF Converter

Turn a video clip into a GIF without uploading it anywhere. Trim the range, choose frame rate and width, and download — free and private.

Free · No sign-up · Runs in your browser
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HOW IT WORKS
01

Drop a video

Drag in an MP4, MOV, or WebM file, or click to browse. It never leaves your device.

02

Trim & tune

Set the start and end time, frame rate, and output width.

03

Convert & download

Click convert, preview the GIF, and download it to your device.

Convert any video to GIF — privately, in your browser

GIFs are the universal language of bug reports, release notes, docs, and social replies — they autoplay everywhere and need no player. This tool lets you convert a video to GIF entirely in your browser: drop an MP4, MOV, or WebM and it becomes a GIF without your footage ever touching a server. It is perfect for dropping animated screen captures into GitHub, Jira, Linear, and Notion, where video embeds are limited but GIFs play inline automatically.

How it works

Your browser already knows how to decode video, so the tool plays your clip frame by frame onto a hidden canvas, captures each frame at your chosen size and frame rate, and encodes them into a GIF locally. No ffmpeg install, no upload, no waiting in a queue.

Keep the file size down

  • Shorten the clip — trim to the few seconds that matter.
  • Lower the width — 360–480px is plenty for docs and chat.
  • Drop the frame rate — 10–12fps reads as smooth for most screen content.

GIF caps colors at 256, so gradients and video can look banded — that is the format, not the tool. For a full-color product demo, ScreenBuddy for Mac and Windows supports local MP4 and GIF export after licensing.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert MP4 to GIF for free?
Drop your MP4 onto this page, set the start/end time, frame rate, and width, then click Convert to GIF. The conversion runs in your browser and the finished GIF downloads to your device without an account.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion happens entirely in your browser using the built-in video decoder and a local GIF encoder. Your file is never sent to a server, which keeps private or work footage private.
Why is my GIF file so large?
GIF stores each frame with limited compression, so size grows quickly with resolution, frame rate, and length. To shrink it, lower the width, choose 8 or 12fps, and keep the clip short.
What is the maximum clip length?
For performance and file size, conversions are capped at 15 seconds per GIF. For longer animations, trim to the highlight you actually need — short, focused GIFs look better and load faster anyway.
Which video formats are supported?
Any video your browser can play works, which covers MP4 (H.264), most MOV files, and WebM. If a file will not load, re-export it as an H.264 MP4 and try again.
When should I use a GIF instead of a video?
Use a GIF for short, silent, looping clips that need to autoplay inline — bug reports and pull requests on GitHub, Jira, and Linear, quick how-to steps in docs and Notion, and social replies. Use a video (MP4/WebM) for anything longer than about 5 seconds, anything with audio, or anything where quality and file size matter, since GIF is limited to 256 colors and compresses poorly.
MORE FREE TOOLS

Make the GIF easier to follow

Open the source recording in ScreenBuddy to add cursor emphasis, zooms, annotations, and a polished background before exporting your GIF.

Mac & Windows. No card. Record, edit, and preview free. A one-time license is required to save or export. Media processing stays on your device. Internet is required for license activation and update checks.