PNG to GIF Converter
PNG to GIF conversion turns a PNG picture into a GIF file, with at most 256 colours. Use this free tool to convert one image at a time, with no signup needed. Upload a PNG, check the preview, and download the GIF. It works well for flat artwork, logos and icons.
- Free web tool limit: up to 5 MB per image and 30 images per day per visitor without an account.
- Each picture can have up to 16 MP (4096 x 4096).
- The pixel size of your picture does not change, and there is no quality setting for GIF output.
Drop an image here
PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP or TIFF, up to 5 MB
A GIF has at most 256 colours. Transparency is on or off, with no partly see-through pixels, so edges can look rough. An animated GIF or WebP keeps its animation.
Complete the human check to enable the button.
Result
Your GIF will appear here.
The free web tool takes images up to 5 MB, 30 per day. Signed in, the limit is 10 MB.
Retention: web-tool results are deleted after 10 minutes and no history is kept. API results are kept 1 day on the free plan and 7 days on Starter and Pro (30 days on Business and Scale).
No account needed
30 images per day for free, no watermark.
Original size by default
The image is re-encoded at its full pixel size unless you choose Make smaller. Camera and location tags are not copied into the result.
Deleted automatically
Web tool results are removed after 10 minutes.
Privacy: what you submit is used only to make this file. The working copy is deleted when the job ends, the result after 10 minutes. See the privacy policy.
Do this from your code
The same conversion as an API request: send the image bytes, then poll the job. It needs an API key; a free account can create one.
curl -X POST "https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=image_convert&format=gif" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $AIIPWORLD_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: image/png" \
--data-binary @input.png
# returns {"job_id": "...", "status": "queued", "credits_reserved": 1}; then poll:
curl https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/jobs/JOB_ID -H "Authorization: Bearer $AIIPWORLD_API_KEY"Batches
The web tool handles 1 image at a time. The API takes one request per image, so you can script as many as your plan allows.
Retention
Web-tool results are kept 10 minutes; free API results 1 day; Starter and Pro results 7 days; Business and Scale 30 days. The web tool allows 10 conversions per minute and 50 per day per visitor.
In one sentence
A free online tool that saves a PNG as a GIF of at most 256 colours at the same pixel size; one PNG gives one still GIF, and the tool cannot join several PNG files into an animation.
Key facts
- Input: PNG, JPG, WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP or TIFF, up to 5 MB in the free tool and 10 MB when signed in, and up to 16 MP (4096 x 4096); the type is read from the file content, and HEIC, SVG, PDF and camera RAW files are not accepted.
- Output: a GIF reduced to at most 256 colours with dithering; transparency is on or off only, so soft edges and shadows can look rough; with Keep transparency off, transparent areas take a background colour (white by default). There is no quality or size setting for GIF output.
- In our test a generated 800 x 600 px transparent PNG sticker of 42 KB became a 36 KB GIF with its transparency kept (58 KB with a white fill); the test picture was generated by our scripts and results vary with the picture.
- Free without an account: up to 10 conversions per minute and 50 per day per visitor, no watermark. Signed in, each render costs 1 credit (100 free credits every month).
- Files are deleted automatically: 10 minutes after conversion without an account, 1 day with a free account.
- Developers can run the same job with POST https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=image_convert (the image as the request body, settings in the query string) and an API key (see the API docs page).
How it works
- Upload one PNG file. The browser checks the type, size and pixel count before upload.
- Check the preview and the image size shown on the page.
- Choose whether to keep transparency, or pick a background colour if you turn it off.
- Click "Convert to GIF" and wait for the result.
- Download the GIF. Download links are short-lived, so save the file soon.
Example output
Original PNG, 800 x 600 px, 42 KB, transparent background
Converted GIF, 800 x 600 px, 36 KB, transparency kept
How to convert PNG to GIF
Open the tool, upload your PNG, and click "Convert to GIF". The tool does one picture at a time, so repeat the steps for each file. Check the result panel to see the new file size and pixel size.
Before you start, decide whether your PNG has transparent areas. Keeping transparency is on by default, and you can turn it off to fill those areas with a background colour.
What PNG to GIF conversion does
The tool decodes your PNG and saves it again as a GIF. A GIF stores at most 256 colours, so the tool uses dithering to approximate the colours of your picture. The work is done on our server, using ordinary image processing.
Your picture keeps its width and height. The conversion changes how the pixels are stored, not how many there are.
One still picture, not an animation
A normal PNG gives one still GIF. The tool cannot join several PNG files into one animation, because it converts one image per run. If you need an animation made from several pictures, this page cannot do that.
An animated GIF or animated WebP as input keeps its frames, frame delays and loop count. An animated PNG (APNG) is read from its first frame only.
Transparency in the GIF
A PNG can have soft, partly see-through pixels. A GIF pixel is either fully transparent or fully opaque, so soft edges and soft shadows can look rough after conversion.
In our test, a generated 800 x 600 px sticker with a soft blurred shadow kept its transparent background when Keep transparency was on. With Keep transparency off and a white background, the file was larger and the corners turned white. Results vary with the picture, so try both settings and compare.
256 colours and dithering
A GIF can hold at most 256 colours. Each pixel is an index into that palette. Full colour pictures with smooth gradients may need dithering, which can look grainy or show bands.
Flat colours and simple shapes usually convert with little loss. Photographs and soft gradients are the harder case.
File size: GIF or PNG
A GIF is not always smaller or larger than the PNG it came from. The result depends on the picture. In our tests, a generated 1200 x 900 px illustration with a 42 KB PNG became a 38 KB GIF. A 3000 x 2250 px scene with a 184 KB PNG became a 113 KB GIF.
These measurements were made on pictures we drew ourselves, not on real photographs. Photographs usually look more grainy and can give larger GIF files.
Which PNG files suit GIF
GIF suits flat artwork, logos, icons, simple diagrams, and any program or site that asks for GIF. Pictures with few colours and hard edges usually convert well.
Photographs and soft gradients can band or look grainy. If you need soft edges or full colour, a PNG or WebP output may suit you better. You can convert to those formats with the convert tool.
Which files the converter accepts, and limits
The tool accepts PNG, JPG (also .jpeg and .jfif), WebP, AVIF, GIF, BMP and TIFF. It does not accept SVG, PDF, HEIC/HEIF, BigTIFF or camera RAW files. The file type is read from the file content, not the file name.
Free use allows up to 5 MB per image, and up to 16 MP (4096 x 4096) per picture. Signed-in users can upload up to 10 MB per image. The result can be up to 20 MB; a larger result fails with an "output too large" message.
PNG to GIF from code
You can send a request to our API with the raw image bytes as the body. Send POST to https://api.aiipworld.com/v1/image-jobs?op=image_convert and set format=gif in the query string. The body is not JSON or multipart. Set Content-Type to image/png, image/jpeg, image/webp, image/gif, image/avif, image/bmp or image/tiff.
Authenticate with Authorization: Bearer <API key> or x-api-key. The response is 202 with a job_id. Poll GET /v1/jobs/:id until the job succeeds, fails or times out, then download the file from download_url, which is short-lived. The parameters keep_transparency, background and animate are optional. The convert operation does not accept width or height; to make a PNG smaller first, use the Resize PNG page or the resize operation.
This page shows a ready cURL, Node and Python example built from the settings you choose. Possible errors are 400 invalid_params, 400 or 422 unsupported_image, 413 file_too_large, 402 insufficient_credits and 429 rate limited. Full docs are at /docs/#image-convert.
Privacy: what happens to your file
Your uploaded image is used only to make the result. It is deleted as soon as the job ends, whether it succeeds or fails. The result is kept for 10 minutes in the free web tool, and no history is kept.
You must have the right to use what you upload, as set out in our Acceptable Use Policy. Camera and location tags (EXIF/GPS) are not copied into the result.
Questions
Can I convert PNG to GIF for free?
Yes, the free web tool converts PNG to GIF without an account, within the daily limit of 30 images per visitor.
Can I make an animated GIF from several PNG files?
No. This page does not turn pngs to gif animations, because it converts one image per run, so each PNG becomes one still GIF. To get a moving GIF you need a source that is already animated, such as an animated GIF or WebP.
What happens to a transparent PNG?
With Keep transparency on, the transparent areas stay transparent in the GIF. A GIF pixel is fully transparent or fully opaque, so soft edges can look rough.
Why does my GIF look grainy?
GIF stores at most 256 colours, and the tool uses dithering to approximate the rest. Photographs and soft gradients are most likely to look grainy, and results vary with the picture.
Is the GIF smaller than the PNG?
It depends on the picture. In our generated tests a 1200 x 900 px PNG of 42 KB became a 38 KB GIF, but other pictures can give a larger file.
Does the picture change size?
No, the convert tool keeps the pixel width and height. GIF output has no Size menu.
How many colours does a GIF have?
A GIF holds at most 256 colours, stored as a palette that each pixel points to.
Can I convert an animated PNG?
The tool reads an animated PNG (APNG) from its first frame only, so the GIF is a still image.
Is PNG to GIF lossless?
No, GIF output reduces the picture to at most 256 colours, so colour detail can change. The tool has no lossless option for GIF output.
Can I convert PNG to GIF in my own code?
Yes, send the raw image bytes with op=image_convert and format=gif to our API. The page shows a ready cURL, Node and Python example.
Need this in your app or in bulk?
This tool runs on the same platform as the API, so the same image is one HTTP request from your code. A free account includes 100 credits a month.