APNG maker (animated PNG)

How it works

Tap or click the box and choose your images. There are two paths. If you pick several images (PNG, JPG, WEBP), each one becomes a frame and the order you pick them is the frame order; the canvas takes the size of the first image with its long side capped at 1600 pixels, images of other sizes are fitted into the middle without cropping and the empty border stays transparent. If you pick only GIF files, each GIF is converted to its own animated PNG; frame times and loop count come straight from the GIF and the frame-time setting is not used. "Full color" writes every pixel with 16 million colors and 256 levels of transparency; "256 colors" gives a smaller file with simplified gradients. Example: a 512×512 sticker with a transparent background and 12 frames at 0.1 s plays for 1.2 seconds and keeps soft edges in full color. The result line shows frames, size, total duration and file size. The output ends in .png; an old program that does not know APNG simply shows the first frame.

This tool is also known as apng maker, gif to apng, make animated png, create apng online, animated png from images, apng creator.

What is APNG (animated PNG)?

APNG (Animated PNG) is an animation format that stores several frames in one .png file. The start of the file is an ordinary PNG; the extra frames, their timing and the loop count live in additional chunks (acTL, fcTL, fdAT). Browsers and apps that understand APNG play the animation, while older programs show only the first frame as a still image, so the file never looks broken. Current Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge all play APNG, and LINE's animated stickers and Discord stickers use the format.

What is 8-bit transparency (alpha channel)?

8-bit transparency means every pixel can take one of 256 levels between fully visible and fully transparent. GIF only has two: a pixel is either shown or not. The difference is most visible on round edges and shadows: a sticker with a transparent background gets jagged or white-haloed edges as a GIF, while as an APNG its edges stay smooth and clean on any background. On this page, the full-color setting keeps all 256 levels.

What is the difference between APNG and GIF?

Both are animations, but GIF allows at most 256 colors per frame and on/off transparency, while APNG carries 16 million colors and 256 levels of transparency. Smooth gradients and transparent edges therefore look clean in APNG and banded or jagged in GIF. In return, a full-color APNG is usually bigger than a GIF and does not play everywhere: browsers play it, but some chat apps and older programs only show the first frame. Use GIF when the animation has to play everywhere, APNG when quality and soft edges matter.

Where APNG plays and where it stays on the first frame

All current browsers, including phone browsers, play APNG, so an APNG placed on a web page as an image moves for every visitor. LINE's animated stickers are APNG, and Discord accepts APNG stickers. WhatsApp, most email programs, older photo viewers and some social media uploads do not understand APNG and show only the first frame. The file does not look broken, it just stands still, so it is good practice to make the first frame meaningful on its own.

The file extension stays .png; the .apng extension is rare and some upload forms reject it. If the place you are sharing to does not accept APNG, build a GIF from the same frames with the GIF maker, or convert the finished APNG with the APNG to GIF tool.

Full color or 256 colors?

Full color is the right choice for stickers on a transparent background, logo animations with shadows and short animations made from photos: edges stay soft and gradients stay smooth. The price is file size; a large animation with many frames can reach several megabytes. When converting from GIF, full color does not add quality — the GIF's colors were already limited to 256 — it can only make the file larger, and the result line says so when that happens.

256 colors usually shrinks the file noticeably and still keeps the transparency levels in the palette; on flat illustrations, emoji and interface animations the difference is rarely visible. If a platform has a size limit (for example a few hundred kilobytes for a sticker), try 256 colors first; if that is not enough, reduce the dimensions or the number of frames.

Frequently asked questions

Does converting a GIF to APNG improve quality?

No. Colors or soft edges that the GIF never had do not come back; frames and timing are carried over unchanged. The benefit is having the animation in a PNG container, which some platforms require. With full color the file can come out larger than the GIF; choose 256 colors in that case.

Why does an APNG file end in .png?

Because APNG is a backward-compatible extension of PNG: the start of the file is a normal PNG. Programs that know APNG play the animation, programs that do not show the first frame. The .apng extension exists but few places accept it; .png is the safest name.

How many images can I use, and do different sizes matter?

There is no fixed number; the limit is your browser's memory, and the tool tells you before starting if a job will not fit. If sizes differ, the canvas takes the size of the first image and the others are fitted into the middle without cropping, leaving a transparent border. Images of the same size give the cleanest result.

Are my images uploaded anywhere?

No. Images and GIFs never leave your device; decoding the frames and writing the APNG happen inside your browser, and the page keeps working offline after it loads.

How do I make an APNG for a Discord sticker?

Choose "Discord sticker" under "Where will you use it?". Discord asks for stickers at 320×320 pixels and no more than 512 KB; the tool fits every frame into that square without stretching it, leaves the empty edges transparent and adds -discord to the file name. The result line says plainly whether the file is under or over the 512 KB limit. If it is over, try "256 colors" or use fewer frames; an animated GIF keeps its frames and timings while being brought to the same size.