How to use
- Drop a GIF file onto the box at the top, or click it to choose one. The original's file size, dimensions, number of frames and length appear right away.
- If you have a target size, choose 1 MB, 3 MB, 5 MB, 8 MB or 15 MB. It starts from the settings below and lowers them as much as needed until the file is under the target.
- To decide for yourself, leave the target at "No limit" and choose the width, number of frames, number of colors and how much tiny change to ignore. The width and the number of frames have the biggest effect on file size.
- Click "Shrink" and wait for the progress bar to finish. When it is done you see a preview and how many percent smaller the file is. If you like it, save it with "Download GIF".
- If the result is bigger than the original, you are told. In that case, try again with lower settings or just keep using the original.
About GIF Compressor
GIF is an old format designed to share moving pictures simply, and files get big easily. Chat apps and community sites limit how big an upload can be, so it is common to get a GIF you like and be unable to post it. This tool reads your GIF in your browser, unpacks it frame by frame, lowers the size, frames and colors, and builds it again. There is no upload or download wait, and it shows right away how much smaller the result is than the original.
There are four ways to reduce the size. The first is to reduce the width: halving the width cuts the picture area to a quarter, so the file shrinks a lot. The second is to thin out the frames: halving them makes the motion look slightly choppier but nearly halves the size. The third is to reduce the number of colors. The fourth is to leave barely visible color changes as they were in the previous frame, which works well on photo-like GIFs that shimmer slightly. If balancing all four is hard, just set a target size: the combinations with the best quality are tried first, and the first one that gets under the target is used.
Rebuilding the GIF reduces its colors, so quality can drop a little, and shrinking an already shrunk GIF lowers it more. Your original is left untouched, so if you do not like the result, start again with other settings. A GIF with a huge number of frames or a big picture may not open because of your browser's memory limit, and a GIF with a transparent background keeps its transparency. The result is sometimes bigger than the original, which is common with GIFs that were already well compressed.
Frequently asked questions
Where does my GIF go?
Nowhere. Your browser only reads the file, and the smaller GIF is made in the same place and downloaded directly.
The result is bigger than the original.
A GIF that is already well compressed can actually get bigger when rebuilt. In that case lower the width or the number of frames further, or keep using the original. This tool does not hide it; it tells you under the result.
How does it shrink the file when I choose a target size?
It starts from the settings you chose, then lowers the size, frames, number of colors and the tolerance for color changes one step at a time, and uses the first combination that gets under the target. With a generous target there is little quality loss; with a very small one the drop is noticeable. If the target cannot be reached, you are told.
Does reducing frames make the GIF shorter?
No. The time the removed frames were on screen is added to the frames that remain, so the total playing time stays almost the same. The motion is just a little less smooth.
It will not open, or I get an error.
The file may not be a GIF, it may be damaged, or it may have so many frames and such a large picture that it exceeds your browser's memory. Try shortening it with another tool first.
What happens to a transparent background?
Transparent areas stay transparent. A transparent GIF cannot use the optimization that stores only the changed parts, so it may shrink less.