How to compress a GIF
- Upload your GIF using Select files or drag and drop.
- Choose how many colours to keep and, optionally, a smaller size.
- Click Compress. Every frame is rebuilt with the new settings.
- Preview the animation and download the compressed GIF.
What makes GIFs big
A GIF stores every frame of an animation with a palette of up to 256 colours and simple LZW compression. Long animations, large dimensions and noisy, dithered colours all add up quickly, which is why a few seconds of video converted to GIF can weigh several megabytes.
How this tool compresses
The GIF is decoded frame by frame and re-encoded with a smaller, optimised palette, for example 128 or 64 colours. Fewer colours mean smaller frames and better compression. Reducing the dimensions has an even bigger effect: halving the width and height leaves only a quarter of the pixels. Frame order and display durations are kept, so the animation plays at the same speed.
Start with 128 colours for animations made from video and 64 or fewer for simple cartoons, logos and screen recordings, then check the preview. Many chat and social platforms cap GIF uploads at a few megabytes, and reducing dimensions is usually what gets you under the limit.
A better format where supported
If your GIF is going on a website, GIF to WebP usually produces a much smaller animation with better colours. Keep GIF for chat apps, email and platforms that only accept it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the animation preserved?
Yes. All frames and their timings are kept; only colours and, if selected, dimensions change.
How much smaller will my GIF be?
It depends on the content. Reducing colours typically saves a moderate amount; reducing dimensions saves the most.
Why does my compressed GIF look grainy?
With fewer colours, smooth shades are approximated. Keep more colours for photographic GIFs.
Are my files uploaded?
No. The GIF is processed entirely in your browser.