Free tool · Convert
PNG to GIF
Convert a PNG image to GIF format.
Convert a PNG image into a static GIF. GIF only supports 256 colours, so this reduces your image’s colour palette using an in-browser encoder - a good fit for flat-colour graphics and logos, though photos or images with smooth gradients will show visible banding.
- Files never leave your device
- Runs entirely in your browser
- Free, no account needed
How to use PNG to GIF
Two steps, and nothing to install.
Drop your PNG file
Add the image. It is read directly from your device rather than uploaded.
Download the GIF
Save the static GIF, reduced to a 256-colour palette with binary transparency.
More free tools
Free, private, and no sign-up on any of them.
How this works in your browser
The conversion has two distinct steps, and each one throws something away. First the colour palette: GIF holds a table of at most 256 colours and stores each pixel as an index into it, so the encoder picks a representative palette and maps every pixel to the nearest entry. Second the transparency: PNG stores 256 levels of opacity per pixel, GIF stores one bit, so each pixel becomes either fully visible or fully invisible with nothing in between. That second step is what makes anti-aliased edges look jagged, since the soft blend PNG used to smooth a curve has no way to survive. The resulting indexed image is then LZW-compressed, which is efficient on flat colour and inefficient on detail.
PNG to GIF vs. upload-based online tools
| Feature | PNG to GIF (in-browser) | Upload-based online tools |
|---|---|---|
| File upload required | No - never leaves your device | Yes - file is sent to a server |
| Processing queue | None - starts instantly | Often, especially at peak times |
| Watermark on output | Never | Common on free plans |
| Usage limits | None - free, unlimited use | Often capped per day or file size |
| Works offline once loaded | Yes, for most tools | No - requires a live connection |
| Account required | No | Often, for anything beyond a trial |
Who uses PNG to GIF
Legacy system compatibility
Supply GIF to older platforms, forums and applications that will not take a PNG.
Animation frame preparation
Produce GIF frames for assembly into an animation elsewhere.
Strict format requirements
Meet an upload or submission spec that names GIF and accepts nothing else.
Frequently asked questions
What it can and cannot do, and what happens to your files.
What happens to transparency?
GIF supports only fully transparent or fully opaque pixels, no partial transparency, so any partially transparent edges in your PNG are rounded to one or the other.
Will colours look different?
For flat-colour graphics, usually not noticeably. For photos or gradients, GIF’s 256-colour limit can introduce visible banding.
Does this create an animated GIF?
No, this produces a single static frame from your still image.
Why do the edges of my logo look jagged now?
PNG anti-aliases edges using partial transparency, blending each edge pixel gradually into the background. GIF has no such thing, so every one of those pixels is forced to either fully visible or fully invisible. The smooth curve becomes a staircase. Designing with a hard edge in mind, or keeping the PNG where you can, avoids it.
Is GIF a good choice for a logo?
Only where it is required. For flat colour the palette limit costs you nothing, but PNG handles the same artwork with cleaner edges and genuine partial transparency. Convert to GIF when a platform demands it, not as an improvement.
Will the file be smaller than the PNG?
For simple flat-colour graphics, sometimes slightly. For anything detailed or photographic, usually not. Neither format is chosen for size in modern use, which is what WEBP and AVIF are for.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
No. Quantisation and encoding both happen inside your browser tab.
Convert PNG to GIF - free and instant.
Files never leave your device. No upload, no account, and free for unlimited use.
Also see: GIF to PNG