Convert PNG to GIF
Turn PNG, JPG, WEBP and BMP images into still GIFs; transparency is kept or placed on white
Your files stay with you. Conversion happens inside the browser; no file is ever uploaded to a server.
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How it works
Tap or click the box and choose your PNG, JPG, WEBP or BMP images; you can pick several at once, and each one becomes a separate GIF file. If your image has a transparent part with no background, first decide what happens to it. "Keep them transparent" is meant for logos and stickers: fully transparent pixels stay transparent in the GIF. "Place them on white" gives a cleaner result on images with soft, faded edges. Example: a 400×400 pixel logo PNG with a transparent background becomes a 400×400 pixel GIF, and on a web page the color behind it shows through. Then press "Convert to GIF". The result line gives the size, the number of colors used and what happened to the transparency. This page makes still GIFs; to make an animated GIF that plays several photos in order, use the GIF maker.
This tool is also known as png to gif, convert png to gif, jpg to gif, image to gif, bmp to gif, webp to gif converter, transparent png to gif.
What is GIF?
GIF is an image format in use since 1987 that can hold at most 256 colors per frame. That limit is no problem for logos, icons, flat-color drawings and screenshots, which stay sharp and small as GIFs. In photos, smooth color changes can turn into visible steps. GIF is still common today because it opens everywhere and the same file can carry an animation.
What is Transparency (image with no background)?
Transparency means some pixels of an image show whatever is behind them. PNG stores 256 levels of transparency for every pixel, so it can carry soft shadows and smoothed edges. In a GIF a pixel is either fully transparent or fully solid, with nothing in between. That is why a PNG with soft edges can show slightly jagged edges after conversion to GIF; if you do not want that, "Place them on white" blends the edge with white instead.
What is the difference between PNG and GIF?
Both use lossless compression, so lines and text do not blur. The difference is in color and transparency: PNG holds millions of colors and smooth, graded transparency, while GIF holds at most 256 colors and on-or-off transparency. On the other hand, GIF can carry animation and opens more reliably than PNG on very old systems, in some email programs and on forums. For photos, PNG or JPG stay the better choice; pick GIF when a system specifically asks for it or for a logo with few colors.
Why do colors look banded when a photo becomes a GIF?
A GIF can use at most 256 colors per frame, while a photo contains tens of thousands of shades. During conversion the tool picks the best 256 colors from the image itself and rounds every pixel to the nearest one. In smooth gradients such as sky, skin and shadows, that rounding can produce visible bands. For logos, icons, drawings and screenshots, 256 colors are usually more than enough and no difference shows.
File size also depends on the image: a flat-color logo stays as small as its PNG or smaller, but a GIF of a photo can be several times larger than the same photo as a JPG. If all you want is a smaller file, use the image compressor instead of GIF.
When does converting to GIF make sense?
This page helps when a form, an old program or a forum accepts only GIF; when you want a small logo in your email signature that looks the same in every mail program; or when an image will later become a frame of an animated GIF. For a transparent logo try "Keep them transparent", and for a soft-edged drawing that will sit on a dark background try "Place them on white", then compare the results.
If you want an animated GIF that plays several images in order, open the GIF maker instead: there you choose the frame time, the width and the loop. To turn an animated GIF back into a PNG, there is the GIF to PNG tool.
Frequently asked questions
Does converting PNG to GIF lose the transparency?
No, fully transparent areas stay transparent in the GIF. Only semi-transparent pixels (soft shadows, smoothed edges) become either fully transparent or fully solid, because GIF has no levels in between. If you want the edges to stay smooth, use "Place them on white".
Can I convert a JPG to GIF?
Yes. This page accepts JPG, PNG, WEBP and BMP files and turns each one into a separate GIF. A JPG has no transparent areas, so the transparency option does not change the result. In photos, GIF's 256-color limit can make color gradients look banded.
Can I turn several pictures into one animated GIF?
This page turns each image into a separate still GIF. For a single animated GIF that plays several photos in order, use the GIF maker; there you can set the frame time, the width and the number of loops.
Are my images uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser, on your device; the image is never sent to any server. Once the page has loaded, the conversion works even if your internet connection drops.