Convert GIF animations to MP4 video for up to 90% smaller file sizes with better quality.
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Max file size: 10MB · Max 2 files at once
GIF animations are convenient but incredibly inefficient. A 5-second GIF can easily be 10MB, while the same animation as MP4 would be under 1MB. ConvertFile converts your GIFs to MP4 on our secure server, giving you dramatically smaller files with smoother playback.
Select or drag and drop your GIF file
Preview the animation
Click Convert and download your MP4
GIF was created in 1987 and is limited to 256 colors per frame with no modern compression. A typical animated GIF stores each frame as a separate image, resulting in enormous file sizes. The same animation encoded as H.264 MP4 is typically 90% smaller.
MP4 also supports millions of colors, smoother frame rates, and better compression. Social media platforms like Twitter and Imgur already convert uploaded GIFs to MP4 internally because the format is so much more efficient. Converting to MP4 saves bandwidth, loads faster, and looks better.
| Aspect | GIF | MP4 |
|---|---|---|
| Color Depth | 256 colors per frame | Millions of colors (24-bit) |
| File Size (5s animation) | 5-15 MB | 0.5-1.5 MB |
| Compression | LZW (per frame) | H.264 (inter-frame) |
| Transparency | Binary (on/off) | No |
| Browser Support | All browsers | All modern browsers |
| Best For | Simple animations, memes | All video content, web performance |
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was created by CompuServe in 1987. It supports animation by storing multiple frames in a single file, with each frame limited to a palette of 256 colors. GIF uses LZW compression, which is lossless but inefficient for photographic content. Despite its technical limitations, GIF remains popular for short animations, memes, and reaction images because of its universal support.
MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is the most widely used video container format. It typically uses H.264 video compression, which achieves excellent quality at small file sizes by encoding only the differences between frames rather than storing each frame independently. MP4 supports millions of colors, audio tracks, subtitles, and metadata. It is supported by all modern browsers, operating systems, and devices.
Your GIF files are processed on our secure server and temporarily stored for you to download. All uploaded files are automatically deleted within 1 hour. We do not access, analyze, or share your files with any third party.
Typically 80-90% smaller. A 10MB GIF usually becomes a 1-2MB MP4 with better visual quality. The exact savings depend on the animation content and number of frames.
Yes. MP4 supports millions of colors instead of GIF's 256-color limit, so gradients and photographs look much smoother. The animation will also play more smoothly at consistent frame rates.
Yes. All major social media platforms support MP4 video. In fact, platforms like Twitter and Imgur already convert GIFs to MP4 internally for better performance.
GIF does not support audio, so the MP4 output will be a silent video. If you need to add audio, use a video editor after conversion.
Files are temporarily stored for download and automatically deleted within 1 hour. We do not keep copies beyond this period.
GIF supports binary transparency (pixels are either fully transparent or fully opaque). MP4 does not support transparency, so transparent areas will be rendered with a solid background color.
GIF files up to 50MB are supported. Larger GIFs benefit the most from MP4 conversion due to the dramatic file size reduction.
Yes. ConvertFile also has an MP4 to GIF converter, though the GIF will be larger and limited to 256 colors per frame.