GIF to WebP converter
This makes a WebP out of the GIF you already have. WebP gives you the same picture in a noticeably smaller file than JPG or PNG, usually a quarter to a third smaller. Your file never leaves your computer.
Need the other direction? Convert WebP to GIF
How to convert GIF to WebP
- 1 Drop your GIF .gif file onto the page, or click to browse for it.
- 2 Set the quality, or leave the default, which keeps the file small without anything showing.
- 3 Convert. The work happens on your own machine, so how long it takes depends on your computer and the file.
- 4 Download the WebP, or add more files and do the whole set in one go.
Why convert GIF to WebP
- Substantially smaller than JPEG and PNG at matching quality.
- One format covers photos, flat graphics, transparency and animation.
- Replacing PNG for transparent graphics at a fraction of the size.
- GIF: only 256 colours per frame, which wrecks photos and smooth gradients.
GIF compared with WebP
How the two formats differ on the things that decide whether a conversion is worth making.
| Property | GIF | WebP |
|---|---|---|
| File extension | .gif | .webp |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy or lossless |
| Colour depth | 8-bit indexed, 256 colours per frame | 8 bits per channel |
| Typical file size | Larger | Depends on mode |
| Introduced | 1987 | 2010 |
| Developed by | CompuServe |
Quality and what changes
WebP stores the same content under a different set of rules, so what matters here is compatibility rather than picture quality. Convert once from the best source you have rather than through a chain of intermediate files.
- One WebP limitation to keep in mind: very large images have to be scaled down before they will save.
Questions about GIF to WebP
Is there a maximum size for WebP?
Yes, WebP is limited to 16383 x 16383 pixels. Images beyond that have to be scaled down or split before they can be written, which is a property of the format rather than of this tool.
Is my GIF file uploaded anywhere?
No. The whole thing runs inside the browser tab you already have open. Your GIF is read straight from your own disk, converted on your machine and handed back as a WebP. Nothing is sent anywhere, nothing is stored and there is no account.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no server-side limit because no server sees the file. The real ceiling is your device memory, since the input and the output both have to fit in the tab. A few hundred megabytes is usually fine on a desktop machine and considerably less on a phone.
Can I convert several GIF files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are processed one after another, then offered as separate WebP downloads or as a single ZIP. Speed depends on your own processor rather than on a queue.
Does the converter work offline?
Yes, after the page has loaded once. The engine is cached by the browser, so you can disconnect, reload and keep converting. That falls out of doing the work locally rather than being a separate mode you switch on.