What happens when you convert GIF to MP4
- Every frame of the animation is encoded as H.264 video, keeping the GIF's own timing. GIF has no sound, so the MP4 is silent, and the width and height are rounded down to even numbers, which the video codec requires.
- Video has no transparency, so transparent areas of the GIF are filled with a solid colour. A still image makes a video of a single frame.
How to convert GIF to MP4 online
- Press "Choose GIF files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- Adjust the settings if you need to: resolution and quality control the size of the result. The defaults suit most people.
- Press "Convert to MP4". The first audio or video conversion downloads the converter engine, about 32 MB, which your browser then keeps for next time.
- Save each MP4 with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert GIF to MP4?
GIF files usually come from short looping animations, reactions and simple graphics. People convert them to MP4 because MP4 with H.264 plays on every phone, laptop, smart TV and website, and it is what YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp expect.
In short, GIF is good at what it was made for, and MP4 is the more practical choice when the file has to play, upload or edit somewhere else. GIF opens and animates in every browser, while MP4 plays in every browser, phone and smart TV.
How to convert GIF to MP4 on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your GIF files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each MP4 is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the GIF files from Finder onto the drop zone and the MP4 files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose GIF files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted MP4 appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Video.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose GIF files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The MP4 is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for GIF to MP4
Short animations are small, so the defaults suit almost every GIF. Resolution only shrinks: a 480 pixel wide GIF stays 480 pixels wide at Keep original, and choosing 1080p does not enlarge it.
Quality decides how much detail the encoder keeps. Standard is fine for sharing; choose High for pixel art or text, where compression blur is easy to see. Either way the MP4 is usually a small fraction of the size of the GIF, because video codecs store only what changes between frames.
GIF vs MP4: the differences
| GIF | MP4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graphics Interchange Format | MPEG-4 Part 14 video |
| Type | image | video |
| Created by | CompuServe | the Moving Picture Experts Group |
| First released | 1987 | 2001 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Transparency | Yes | n/a |
| Animation | Yes | n/a |
| Vector or raster | Raster | n/a |
| Colour | 256 colours per frame from a palette | n/a |
| Usually contains | n/a | H.264 or H.265 video with AAC audio |
| In a browser | opens and animates in every browser | plays in every browser, phone and smart TV |
| Common uses | short looping animations, reactions and simple graphics | phone videos, YouTube uploads, social media and streaming |
| MIME type | image/gif | video/mp4 |
About GIF and MP4 files
What is a GIF file?
GIF stores each frame with a palette of at most 256 colours, so photos turn grainy and animations get large fast. Transparency is on or off per pixel, with no soft edges.
What is an MP4 file?
MP4 is the most widely supported video format, and H.264 video with AAC audio inside it plays on essentially every device made in the last fifteen years.
GIF to MP4 not working? Common problems
- The conversion is slow. Audio and container changes take seconds, but re-encoding video runs on your own processor. Lower the resolution to 720p, close other tabs, and keep the device plugged in.
- The tab stops or reloads on a very large file. Browsers limit how much memory one tab can use, around 2 GB and less on phones. Split long recordings or convert them on a computer.
- The MP4 will not play on an old device. Try the other formats offered for GIF, or choose 720p, which older players handle more reliably.
Convert GIF to MP4 with ffmpeg
This converter runs ffmpeg inside your browser. If you would rather use the ffmpeg command line on your own computer, this command produces an equivalent MP4 with the same kind of settings:
ffmpeg -i input.gif -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset veryfast -c:a aac -b:a 128k -movflags +faststart output.mp4Replace input.gif with the name of your file. For a whole folder of GIF files, run the command in a loop, or drop them all on the converter above, which processes them one after another.
GIF to MP4 converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting GIF to MP4?
A little, because MP4 is lossy. At the default setting the difference is hard to see, and the file is much smaller.
Why is the MP4 a different size from the GIF?
The MP4 is usually far smaller, because lossy compression discards detail the GIF kept.
Are my GIF files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using ffmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several GIF files to MP4 at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an MP4 file?
MP4 plays in every browser, phone and smart TV. MP4 is common for phone videos, YouTube uploads, social media and streaming.
Is this GIF to MP4 converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert GIF to MP4 on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Long HD videos convert more slowly on a phone than on a computer.