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PNG to GIF converter

Save PNG images as GIFs with their transparency kept, or combine several PNGs into one animated GIF.

Drop PNG images here

or paste with Ctrl+V. Your images stay on your device.

A GIF holds up to 256 colors. Fewer colors make smaller files.
Dithering
Transparent areas

Processed on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and there's no sign-up or watermark.

How to convert PNG to GIF

  1. Drag PNG files onto the box above or click Choose images. You can also paste a copied image with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
  2. Each PNG is saved as a GIF right away. Pick fewer colors for a smaller file, and choose whether transparent areas stay transparent or get a white or black background.
  3. To make an animation, add two or more images in the order you want them to play, choose how long each frame shows, then click Make animated GIF.
  4. Download the GIFs one at a time, all of them in a ZIP, or the single animated GIF.

Why convert PNG to GIF?

PNG is the better format for still images: it’s lossless, holds millions of colors and supports smooth transparency. GIF is older and more limited, but it plays animations almost everywhere, which is why it’s still in use. Common reasons to convert:

  • You want an animation. A few PNG frames, such as the steps of a tutorial, a sprite sheet cut into frames or a short slideshow, become one looping GIF.
  • A site or app asks for a GIF. Some forums, chat apps and upload forms take animated images only as GIF, and plenty of older software reads GIF but not animated PNG.
  • Consistency. If the rest of a set is GIF, a converted PNG fits in.

What changes when a PNG becomes a GIF

Colors. A GIF frame has a palette of at most 256 colors. When a PNG has 256 colors or fewer, as many logos, icons and pixel art images do, every color is kept exactly. When it has more, the converter picks the 256 colors that best represent the image and, with dithering on, mixes them in a fine pattern to imitate the rest.

Transparency. GIF transparency is on or off for each pixel. Hard-edged shapes come through unchanged, but a soft drop shadow or anti-aliased edge loses its partial transparency. Setting a white or black background blends those edges into that color first, which looks cleaner when you know where the GIF will be shown.

Quality settings. Fewer colors mean smaller files, and 64 or even 32 colors is often plenty for simple graphics. Dithering helps photos and gradients but adds file size and texture, so turn it off for flat-color artwork.

Making an animated GIF

Add the frames in the order they should play, then choose the frame time: 0.1 seconds for smooth motion, 0.5 to 2 seconds for a slideshow. The animation loops forever. Each frame gets its own palette, so a frame full of blues doesn’t have to share colors with a frame full of reds.

To keep files a sensible size, animations are at most 1080 pixels on the longest side; larger frames are scaled down and a note says so. If you have a single image made of several frames in a grid, the image splitter can cut it into separate frames first.

To go the other way and get a still image back from a GIF, use GIF to PNG. For photos, where a 256-color limit shows, PNG to JPG gives a much smaller file.

PNG vs GIF at a glance

Feature PNG GIF
Colors Millions Up to 256 per frame
Transparency Full, including soft edges On or off per pixel
Animation APNG, with patchier support Yes, supported almost everywhere
Compression Lossless Lossless within its 256 colors
Good for Still graphics, screenshots, editing Short, simple animations

Questions and answers

Can I make an animated GIF from PNG images?

Yes. Add two or more PNGs, choose how long each frame stays on screen, and click Make animated GIF. Frames play in the order you added the files and loop forever. Every frame takes the size of the first image; images with a different shape are centered on transparent space.

Does PNG to GIF keep transparency?

Yes, with one limit: a GIF pixel is either fully transparent or fully opaque. Pixels that are more than half transparent become transparent and the rest become solid, so soft shadows and smooth edges turn hard. If you know the background the GIF will sit on, choose White or Black under Transparent areas to blend the edges into it instead.

Why does my GIF look grainy or have fewer colors?

A GIF frame can hold at most 256 colors. Images with more, like photos and gradients, are reduced to 256, and dithering mixes nearby colors in a fine pattern so gradients don't turn into bands. If you see a grain you don't want, set Dithering to Off. Logos and graphics with 256 colors or fewer keep their exact colors.

Is the GIF smaller than the PNG?

Usually not. PNG compresses better than GIF, so the same image often gets larger as a GIF. Choosing 64 colors or fewer makes the file noticeably smaller. The size change is shown with every result.

Can I convert an animated PNG (APNG) to an animated GIF?

Not yet. An animated PNG gives you a GIF of its first frame only. To build an animation, add each frame as a separate PNG.

Are my images uploaded to a server?

No. Your browser does the conversion, so the files stay on your device. There's no account to create and no watermark.

Does it work on phones, Windows and Mac?

Yes. Use a current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on a computer or phone. You don't need to install an app.