Convert WebP to GIF
Output is typically roughly 2.6× larger.
- Files stay on your device
- Free, no sign-up
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Will converting WebP to GIF make the file smaller?
Usually, yes. A 12-megapixel photo is around 2.1 MB as WebP and around 5.5 MB as GIF — roughly 2.6× larger. Because GIF is lossless the result depends entirely on the image content — flat colour and text compress far better than photographic detail.
Does converting WebP to GIF lose quality?
No. GIF is lossless, so every pixel decoded from your WebP file is stored exactly. Both formats are lossless, so the conversion is pixel-for-pixel identical.
Is transparency preserved when converting WebP to GIF?
Yes. Both WebP and GIF support an alpha channel, so transparent and semi-transparent pixels carry across unchanged — a logo with a cut-out background stays cut out, and soft drop shadows keep their gradient rather than picking up a white halo. Because GIF is lossless, the alpha channel is stored exactly as it was.
What happens to an animated WebP?
Only the first frame is converted. Every conversion here decodes one frame onto a canvas and re-encodes it, so the result is always a still image — that applies to GIF as much as to any other target. To shrink an animation while keeping the motion, a video file (MP4 or WebM) is usually around a tenth of the size of the equivalent WebP, and needs an encoder we do not ship yet.
Why does GIF look posterised?
GIF allows a maximum of 256 colours per frame. A photograph contains far more, so the encoder has to pick a palette and approximate everything else, producing visible banding in skies and skin tones. For still images use PNG or WebP; for animation use WebP or MP4, both of which are dramatically smaller and full-colour.
How many colours will the GIF have?
Up to 256, chosen from your image. The encoder builds a palette that fits the picture rather than using a fixed one, which is the best GIF can do — but a photograph contains far more than 256 colours, so skies and skin tones will show visible banding. Fully transparent pixels are preserved as GIF's single transparent index; partial transparency cannot be, because the format has no alpha channel, only on or off.
How it works, and more about webp to gif
How it works
- Add your WebP file. Drag a WebP file onto the drop zone, or click to browse. You can select several at once.
- Choose your settings. GIF is lossless, so there is nothing to configure — the output matches the input pixel for pixel.
- Download the GIF. Conversion runs on your device as soon as each file is added — no upload, no queue. Download each result when it is ready.
WebP and GIF side by side
| WebP | GIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | WebP | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes — alpha channel | Yes — alpha channel |
| Animation | Yes | Yes, in the format |
| Browser support | All modern browsers — Chrome 32+, Firefox 65+, Safari 14+ (2020), Edge 18+ | Universal — every browser since 1987 |
| Typical 12 MP photo | ~2.1 MB | ~5.5 MB |
| Usually used for | Web images where page weight matters and modern browsers are the audience | Short looping animations, reaction clips and email-safe motion |
On a typical 12-megapixel phone photo, the GIF output comes out roughly 2.6× larger than the WebP original. These are order-of-magnitude figures for one kind of image — your own results will vary a great deal, because flat colour, text and line art behave nothing like photographic detail.
What this tool actually produces
Not estimates. Each row below was produced by running the file through this page in a real browser and measuring the result, at the default quality of 82.
| Test image | WebP in | GIF out | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth gradient 1600 × 1200, broad tonal transitions — where banding and blocking show | 175 KB | 572 KB | +227% |
| UI screenshot 1440 × 900, dense text on flat panels — the hardest case for JPEG | 44 KB | 55 KB | +24% |
| Line-art diagram 1200 × 800, hard edges and large flat areas | 12 KB | 15 KB | +19% |
| Logo with transparency 512 × 512, flat colour on a transparent background | 7 KB | 13 KB | +85% |
Every test image got larger. That is expected for this pair rather than a fault: GIF is not the efficient choice for content that already suits WebP, and you are converting for compatibility or for editing headroom, not to save space. Measured in Chrome 150.0.7871.46; other browsers encode slightly differently.
What to watch out for
- Maximum 256 colours per frame — photos look visibly posterised
- Binary transparency only, producing jagged edges
- Enormous files compared with WebP or MP4 for the same animation
- Animation is lost. Only the first frame is converted — every conversion here decodes a single frame onto a canvas and re-encodes it, so the result is a still image whatever the target format. To shrink an animation and keep the motion, a video file is typically around a tenth of the size of the equivalent WebP.
About the two formats
WebP is the pragmatic modern choice for the web: roughly 25–35% smaller than JPEG at comparable quality, with transparency and animation that JPEG lacks, and — since Safari 14 in 2020 — support in every browser that matters. It is the format to reach for when you want smaller pages without worrying about fallbacks.
GIF survives entirely on momentum. It is capped at 256 colours per frame, has only on/off transparency, and produces files several times larger than a modern video or WebP animation of the same clip. It remains useful only because it autoplays and loops in places that block video, such as some email clients and chat apps.
Other conversions
Everything runs on your device — nothing is uploaded, so there is no size limit, no queue and no copy left on a server afterwards. There is more on how browser-based conversion works if you want the detail. Otherwise, browse every image tool, or convert GIF back to WebP.