GIF to WebP
A far more efficient replacement — never uploaded.
How it works
Three steps, and nothing leaves your device.
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1
Drop the GIF in
It is decoded in the page; nothing is sent anywhere.
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2
The first frame is encoded as WebP
Full colour, and real transparency.
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3
Download the WebP
Smaller, and no longer capped at 256 colours.
WebP fixes both of GIF's limitations
- The 256-colour cap is gone from here on. WebP stores full colour, so anything you edit or re-export afterwards is no longer limited. The banding already baked into the GIF stays — nothing can invent the discarded colours — but the ceiling is lifted.
- Transparency stops being all-or-nothing. GIF gives one bit per pixel, which is why cut-outs from GIFs have jagged edges. WebP has a full alpha channel with 256 levels, so future edits can have smooth ones.
- This produces a still, not an animation. WebP does support animation, but this converts the first frame only. If you need the motion kept, this is not the right tool.
- It is usually much smaller. For the same still picture WebP compresses far better than GIF, which is why the web has largely moved on from GIF for anything that is not a meme.
Frequently asked questions
Does the animation survive?
No. This converts the first frame to a still WebP.
Will the banding go away?
No. Colours the GIF discarded are gone. WebP removes the limit for future edits.
Is transparency kept?
Yes, and upgraded from on/off to 256 levels.
Is my image uploaded?
No. It is converted in your browser.