Convert PNG to GIF
Convert PNG to GIF free in your browser: upload a .png file above and download it as .gif in seconds. No signup, no watermarks. Not meaningfully. Both formats can store images without visible degradation, so a straight conversion keeps your photo looking the same.
Upload a .png file and download it as .gif in seconds. PNG is lossless format with transparency support, while GIF is animation format with limited colors — below you can see exactly what changes in the conversion and whether switching makes sense for your image.
Drop files here or click to browse
Supports JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, HEIC up to 10MB
You can also paste images from clipboard
Files are uploaded temporarily through Sirv processing to generate the converted download.
Should You Convert PNG to GIF?
Conversion changes how your image is stored, not what it shows. Switching from PNG to GIF trades one set of strengths for another, so it helps to know which side of that trade you are on.
Good reasons to switch
- ✓Animation support
- ✓Universal support
- ✓Simple transparency
- ✓You need the file in a program or platform that only accepts .gif
Better off staying with PNG
- ✗Lossless quality — conversion does not remove this trade-off
- ✗Transparency support — conversion does not remove this trade-off
- ✗Universal support — conversion does not remove this trade-off
- ✗Nothing about your current workflow requires .gif
What Changes When You Convert
Quality
Both formats support lossy compression, so quality depends on the settings used. A high-quality GIF export is visually indistinguishable from the PNG original for almost all content.
Transparency
Transparency is preserved when converting between these two formats.
Animation
The output is a still image. To animate it you would need dedicated frames or an animated source.
File size
File size depends on content: GIF files are large for full-color photos because of the 256-color limit, while PNG files are compact for flat graphics and screenshots, large for photographs.
PNG vs GIF: Format Comparison
| Feature | PNG | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless only | Lossless, 256-color palette |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | No | Yes |
| Typical size | compact for flat graphics and screenshots, large for photographs | large for full-color photos because of the 256-color limit |
| Best for | Logos, Icons, Screenshots, Graphics with text | Simple animations, Reaction images, Legacy content |
| Browser support | 100% | 100% |
| Extension / MIME | .png · image/png | .gif · image/gif |
How the Converter Works
- Upload — drop your .png file into the tool above. It is processed temporarily and never shared.
- Convert — the file is re-encoded as .gif with sensible default quality settings.
- Download — grab the finished .gif file. Nothing is stored after processing.