GIF to PNG — Convert GIF Images to PNG in Your Browser
Convert GIF images to PNG. Better colors, smaller files for stills, runs entirely in your browser. No uploads, no accounts, no limits.
Drop your GIF image here
or click to browse (max 50MB)
GIF is a 1987 format that has aged better than it deserved to. Its 256-color palette was a hardware limit when 8-bit video adapters were the norm, and its 1-bit transparency was a workaround for storing cutout graphics without an alpha channel. Both limits show up in modern use: gradients and photos show visible banding in GIF, and anti-aliased text and soft shadows get a hard edge because the transparency is binary. Converting from GIF to PNG fixes both problems in one move — PNG supports full 24-bit color and a real 8-bit alpha channel — and the file usually shrinks at the same time because PNG’s deflate compression beats GIF’s LZW on most real content.
The non-obvious thing about the conversion is when not to do it. GIF’s biggest remaining strength is animation, and PNG is a still-image format with no motion support at all. If the GIF is animated — a reaction meme, a screen recording, a UI demo, a tutorial snippet — converting to PNG drops every frame except the first. The conversion is right when the source is a static graphic (a logo, a chart, an icon, a screenshot) that is wasting bytes on the GIF container. The animation status shows at the top of each card in the drop zone; that is the only piece of metadata worth checking before clicking convert.
For a final hand-off: if the goal is to embed the image in a modern document or web page, WebP is usually a smaller file than PNG with no quality loss on photos. PNG wins for graphics with sharp edges (logos, text, charts) because it is lossless. If the audience includes older browsers or print pipelines, PNG is the safer pick — it has been universally supported since the late 1990s and will outlive every newer format for the next decade.
How to use
Drop one or many GIF files
Drag .gif files into the drop zone. Animated GIFs are accepted; only the first frame is exported as PNG. The frame counter at the top of each card shows which frame will be saved.
Wait for the conversion
The converter decodes the GIF (including transparency and interlacing), then writes a 24-bit or 32-bit PNG with the same dimensions. Flat-color GIFs shrink dramatically; photographic GIFs shrink less.
Download the PNGs
Each conversion is near-instant. Downloads are individual by default; switch to zip mode for batches above a dozen files to keep your Downloads folder tidy.
Frequently asked
Why does the output PNG look better than the GIF?
GIF is limited to 256 colors per frame and uses a fixed palette. PNG supports full 24-bit color and an 8-bit alpha channel. Photos and gradients that show banding in GIF render smoothly in PNG.
Will the animation be preserved?
No — PNG is a still-image format. Animated GIFs export as the first frame only. If you need to keep motion, stay in GIF or convert to WebP/MP4 for modern targets.
Does the transparent background stay transparent?
Yes — GIF's 1-bit transparency (one color marked transparent) becomes PNG's 8-bit alpha channel. Smooth-edged cutouts gain a real alpha gradient in the PNG output, which is often an improvement.
How much smaller is the PNG than the GIF?
It depends on the content. Flat-color UI screenshots shrink by 60 to 80 percent. Photographic content shrinks by 10 to 30 percent because PNG's deflate compression is less efficient than GIF's palette trick on photos.
Can it convert interlaced GIFs?
Yes. Interlaced GIFs (where the image loads progressively) are decoded fully before the PNG is written. The output is a standard non-interlaced PNG, which is the format every viewer expects.
Limitations
- First frame onlyAnimated GIFs export as a static PNG of the first frame. There is no APNG output. For motion, keep the GIF or use WebP/MP4 instead — PNG cannot store animation at all.
- Larger than WebP for photosPNG is lossless and uses deflate compression, which is less efficient than WebP's lossy mode on photographs. If the destination supports WebP, WebP is a smaller file with no visible quality loss.
- No palette optimizationIndexed GIFs (8-bit or smaller palettes) are decoded to full RGB before re-encoding as 24-bit or 32-bit PNG. The output PNG may be larger than a hypothetical palette-preserving path.
Platform notes
- macOS
- Preview opens both static and animated GIFs natively on macOS. The PNG output opens in every Mac viewer without any codec installed and is the safer choice for design tool imports.
- Windows
- Photos and the legacy Windows Photo Viewer both open GIFs but render animation in the Photos app only. PNG output is universal across every Windows image viewer and email client.
- Linux
- Most Linux image viewers (Eye of GNOME, Gwenview, feh) decode GIFs. Firefox and Chromium animate them inline. The PNG output is the right pick for thumbnails and design tool imports.
- iOS
- iOS Photos imports GIFs as still images by default and shows them as Live Photos only in specific contexts. The PNG output is a still image that iOS handles predictably in every app.
- Android
- Most Android gallery apps show GIFs as still images. Pixel's Photos app and Samsung Gallery animate them inline on newer builds. PNG output sidesteps the variable behavior entirely.