An animated logo for a place that wants GIF
Flat colours come through the 256-colour limit almost untouched.
APNG to GIF Converter
Turn an animated PNG into a GIF that works in apps that don't know APNG. The frame timing is kept, and you see the file size before you convert.
- Pixel art or a logo animation
- Animated sticker for a GIF-only app
- Screenshot animation
APNG, GIF and the colours you lose
An APNG is an animated PNG. It looks like a normal .png file, so plenty of apps show only its first frame, or refuse it. That's the usual reason to convert: you made one, or someone sent you one, and the place you want to use it only understands GIF.
The trade is colour. APNG is lossless with millions of colours and proper soft transparency. GIF has at most 256 colours per frame and its transparency is all or nothing. So smooth gradients can show bands and soft shadows turn hard. Flat graphics, logos and pixel art come through nearly untouched.
Size usually goes up as well, though not always by much, because APNG is already heavy. On a test clip the same four seconds were about 1 MB as APNG and 658 KB as GIF, so for photographic motion the GIF was actually smaller. For flat graphics it can go the other way.
- 1
Add the APNG
Drop the .png file in. If it's animated it opens as an animation; an ordinary still PNG is treated as a picture instead.
- 2
Trim and size it
Cut to the part you want and choose a width. The length is read from the frame timings.
- 3
Check the estimate
It shows what the GIF will weigh. If it's too big, lower the width before the quality.
- 4
Create and download
The GIF keeps the loop and the frame timing. Looping can be changed on the Format tab.
Settings that work for common jobs
Treat these as a first try, not a rule. The size estimate tells you quickly whether to nudge them up or down.
| If you're making | Try | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel art or a logo animation | Original width · 20fps · Best quality | Flat colours survive the 256-colour limit. |
| Animated sticker for a GIF-only app | 256px · 15fps | Small, and see-through areas stay see-through. |
| Screenshot animation | 720px · 10fps · Best | Text stays readable and the file stays small. |
| Over a size limit | Use Fit to size to pick settings | It tries combinations and picks the best that fit. |
Where this comes in handy
A pixel-art sprite
Keep the width a multiple of the original and the pixels stay crisp.
An APNG that shows only its first frame in some apps
Many apps treat it as an ordinary PNG. A GIF plays.
Common mistakes, and what to do instead
- Expecting soft shadows to surviveGIF transparency is on or off. Soft edges turn hard, so match the background colour.
- Shrinking a gradient-heavy clip a lotFewer pixels and 256 colours together make bands. Keep the width up and the quality on Best.
- Throwing away the APNGIt's the lossless master. Keep it and make GIFs from it.
Common problems and quick fixes
My PNG opens as a still picture
It isn't an animated PNG. Only an APNG, which has several frames inside, becomes an animation.
The edges look jagged on a coloured page
GIF transparency is on or off, with no soft edge. Use WebP or APNG where the place allows, or match the page colour.
Gradients show bands
That's the 256-colour limit. Keep quality on Best and avoid shrinking it a lot.
It's slower or faster than the original
Check the frame rate setting. GIFs are capped at 20 frames per second here; a faster APNG is sampled down.
What it looks like
These are real screenshots from this site, taken with a demo clip. Your own file will give different sizes, but the controls are exactly these.
Which format to choose
Going from APNG to GIF trades colour depth for compatibility, and other targets keep more of it.
| Format | For this clip | Typical size | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| GIFSuggested | Works everywhere an APNG doesn't, with 256 colours and on/off transparency. | Largest | 256 colours, up to 720px and 20fps |
| WebP | Keeps soft transparency and is much smaller, if the place accepts it. | About 5× smaller | Full colour, animated, loops |
| MP4 | The smallest, with no transparency. | About 15× smaller | Up to 1080px and 30fps, no loop flag |
| APNG | What you started with. Re-export only to trim or resize. | Larger than GIF | Lossless, full colour, loops |
APNG to GIF questions
Can’t find yours? The converter explains problems in plain language as they come up.
How do I convert an APNG to a GIF?
Drop the animated PNG in, trim and size it, check the estimate and press Create GIF.
How can I tell if a PNG is animated?
It's an APNG if it moves when you open it in a browser. In this tool an animated PNG opens as an animation, and a still one is treated as a picture.
Will it keep transparency?
Yes, as on/off transparency. Soft edges become hard, because a GIF pixel is either fully see-through or fully solid.
Will the GIF be smaller than the APNG?
Often, for photo-like motion, since APNG is lossless and heavy. For flat graphics it can be about the same or larger.
Is there a frame limit?
The GIF can run up to 60 seconds, and the frame rate is capped at 20 per second for GIF.
Other conversions
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