Examples
Before
AfterHow to use the GIF compressor in three steps
Everything runs on your device, so the file never leaves it.
- 1
Add your GIF
Click the picker or drop the file on the big preview area. The options you chose earlier stay set when you pick the next file, so a batch of similar GIFs goes quickly.
- 2
Pick a level or a target size
Set Compression to Light, Medium or Strong, then Colors and Size if you want more. Or choose a target from 256 KB to 8 MB and let the GIF compressor try up to six combinations of compression, colors and dimensions.
- 3
Check the numbers, then download
The result shows the size before and after, the percentage saved and the pixel size. Download it, or start over with other settings. A 19.9 MB GIF took 13 seconds on Medium and about 30 seconds with a target size in our Chrome test.
Compress GIF files four ways: pick by what you can spare
Each setting gives up something different, so choose by what your GIF can lose.
| Compression level | Fewer colors | Smaller size | Target file size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Setting | Light, Medium or Strong | 256, 128, 64 or 32 | Original, 75% or 50% | 256 KB to 8 MB |
| Gives up | Fine detail; can add slight noise | Smooth gradients | Pixel dimensions | Stronger compression, fewer colors, then pixel dimensions |
| Good for | Video clips turned into GIFs | Simple graphics and stickers | GIFs larger than where they are shown | A hard upload limit |
| Frames and timing | Kept | Kept | Kept | Kept |
| Who picks the strength | You | You | You | The tool, step by step |
Settings to compress a GIF without wasting quality
Change one thing at a time and read the before and after line.
- Start with Medium. On a 19.9 MB video GIF it saved 38 percent in 13 seconds; move to Strong only if the file is still too big for where it has to go.
- Combine Strong with 64 colors for the biggest drop: the same GIF fell to 7.11 MB, a 64 percent saving.
- Use Size 50% when the GIF is much wider than the place it will be shown. Fewer pixels cut weight without touching colors, and the pixel size appears in the result so you can see the effect.
- Choose a target at or just under your limit: 256 KB, 512 KB, 1 MB, 2 MB, 5 MB or 8 MB. The tool stops as soon as the file fits, so it does not squeeze harder than needed.
- Expect smaller dimensions on tight targets. A 640 px wide GIF squeezed to 256 KB came out about 100 px wide, so check the pixel size in the result.
- Try Light on small or simple GIFs. A 34 KB GIF dropped 13 percent, and a transparent sticker dropped 41 percent in our tests, so even tiny files can shrink.
- If the tool says it kept your original, that GIF is already tight at those settings; try Size 50% or fewer colors.
Frequently asked questions
No. Your browser compresses the GIF on your device and the file is never sent to our server.
It depends on the GIF. In our tests a 19.9 MB video GIF dropped 38 percent on Medium and 64 percent on Strong with 64 colors, while a 34 KB GIF dropped 13 percent. Simple graphics and long video clips respond differently, so read the before and after line.
Switch to Target file size and choose 1 MB. The GIF compressor makes up to six tries with stronger compression, fewer colors and then a smaller size, and stops at the first that fits. A 19.9 MB test GIF reached 871 KB, at 201 by 113 px, so a tight target costs pixels.
After six tries it gives you the smallest version it made and says it could not reach the target. Pick a larger target, or lower the size first and compress again.
It can lose some detail. Lossy compression can add slight noise, fewer colors flatten gradients and a smaller size means fewer pixels. Compare the preview with your original before you download, and step back one level if it looks rough.
No. Every frame and its timing stay as they are, and the loop is unchanged. This tool has no frame rate setting, so it never drops frames.
Compression level changes how precisely the colors in each frame are stored, while Size changes the pixel dimensions. Level keeps the GIF the same size on screen; Size makes it smaller on screen. You can use both together.
A transparent sticker compressed 41 percent in our test. Look at the result on a light and a dark background before you use it, since fewer colors can change edges.
If the compressed version would not be smaller, the tool keeps your original and says so. Try Strong, fewer colors or a smaller size.
A 115 MB 1080p GIF went to 62 MB on Medium in 63 seconds in our Chrome test on a Mac. Large files use a lot of memory, so expect it to be slower on a phone.
No. You compress one GIF at a time. Your settings stay in place when you pick the next file.
Yes. This GIF compressor is free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you compress. Nothing is saved to an account because there are no accounts.