GIF (.gif)
Legacy format supporting animation and indexed colour — largely superseded by WebP and APNG.
- Extension
- .gif
- MIME Type
- image/gif
Last updated
What Is a GIF File?
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was introduced by CompuServe in 1987. It uses lossless LZW compression but is limited to a palette of 256 colours per frame, making it unsuitable for photographs. Its enduring relevance comes from animation support.
Key Limitations
- 256 colour limit — any image with more than 256 unique colours will show visible colour banding
- No alpha transparency — GIF supports only 1-bit transparency (a pixel is either fully transparent or fully opaque — no partial transparency)
- Large file size for animation — an animated GIF stores every frame as a full image; a 5-second animation at 24 fps can easily exceed 5 MB
When to Use GIF
The honest answer in 2024: almost never for new content.
- Animation → Use WebP animation (25–35% smaller, full colour, alpha support) or MP4 video
- Simple flat-colour graphics with transparency → Use PNG (lossless, full alpha)
- Existing GIF content → Keep as-is if already embedded; convert to WebP if optimizing
GIF File Size Problem
A 480×270, 3-second animation at 15 fps stored as GIF: ~4–8 MB The same animation as WebP: ~600 KB–1.5 MB The same animation as MP4 (H.264): ~200–400 KB
GIFs are 5–20× larger than modern equivalents for animation.
Tools for GIF files
- Compress Image
Compress JPEG, PNG, and WebP images online without losing visible quality. Reduce file sizes instantly — no upload, runs in your browser.
- Resize Image
Resize images online to exact pixel dimensions or a percentage. Works on JPG, PNG, and WebP. No upload — runs entirely in your browser.
- WebP Converter
Convert images to WebP format online, or convert WebP to JPG/PNG. Reduce file sizes by up to 30% — free, private, and browser-based with no upload required.