About Video to GIF
Video to GIF converts a clip from any video into an animated GIF using a two-pass palette extraction — the same approach FFmpeg uses to produce sharp, low-banding GIFs. You pick the frame rate, output height and a time range; everything runs in your browser via ffmpeg.wasm. Perfect for showing UI flows in docs, reaction shots in chat, or product demos on landing pages. Speed depends on your device's CPU; nothing leaves the browser.
- No uploads
- Browser-only
- Works offline
- 100% free
How it works
- 1
Drop a video
MP4, MOV, WebM. A preview lets you scrub to the part you want to capture.
- 2
Pick the clip and settings
Set start time, duration, output height (the width auto-scales) and FPS — 10–15 fps usually looks smooth without ballooning the file size.
- 3
Generate the GIF
ffmpeg.wasm runs two passes — palette generation, then quantised encoding — and the GIF downloads when finished.
Related tools
Browse allCut a clip from any video in your browser. Fast stream-copy by default, frame-accurate re-encode if you need it.
Compress MP4/MOV/WebM videos with H.264 in your browser via ffmpeg.wasm. Configurable quality + resolution. Nothing uploaded.
Pull the audio track out of any video as MP3, WAV, AAC, or OGG. Configurable bitrate. ffmpeg.wasm in your browser.
Convert between PNG, JPG, and WebP in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Every tool on SnapToolz runs entirely inside your browser using JavaScript and WebAssembly. Your file is read locally, processed in memory, and the result is offered as a download. Nothing is sent to a server — there isn't one to send to.
Why two passes? Can't FFmpeg do it in one?
GIFs are limited to 256 colours per frame. A naive single-pass conversion picks a generic palette and produces obvious banding. Two-pass first analyses the clip to build a clip-specific palette, then quantises every frame to that palette — the result is dramatically sharper, especially on UI screen captures and gradient-heavy footage.
How long can the GIF be?
Practical limit is around 10–15 seconds at 480p and 12 fps. GIF file size grows fast — a 30-second clip can easily hit 30+ MB. For longer or larger outputs consider exporting as MP4 or WebM and embedding as a looping muted video instead.
Why is my GIF so large?
GIF is an old format with no inter-frame compression. Three levers shrink it: lower the height (the dominant cost — halving height cuts file size by 4×), lower the FPS, or shorten the clip. The status bar shows current size as the encode runs.
Does it work offline?
Yes. SnapToolz is a Progressive Web App. After your first visit, the app is cached on your device and every tool keeps working without an internet connection.
Is SnapToolz free?
Yes — every tool is 100% free with no sign-up, no watermark, no hidden tier. The whole platform is open source and we have no plan to gate features.