PNG to GIF Converter

About PNG to GIF

Writes a PNG as a genuine single-frame GIF89a, the 1987 format limited to 256 colors and one-bit transparency. The GIF is built in your browser, including a 256-color palette chosen for your picture. People reach for it when a forum, older chat client or legacy content system insists on the .gif extension, even for a still picture.

How to use it

1. Drag a PNG into the dropzone or click it to pick a file.
2. Glance at the preview to make sure the right image is loaded.
3. Hit Convert to GIF; nothing else needs setting because there is no quality slider.
4. Use Download GIF once the Output panel shows the result.

When to use it

• Satisfying an upload field that lists gif among its accepted types.
• Prepping a still frame that an older tool will later turn into an animation.
• Testing how a graphic looks when a system expects GIF rather than PNG.

Questions about PNG to GIF

Will my PNG become animated?

No. A PNG is a single still image, and this tool writes one frame. Building an animation needs several images stitched together in a dedicated animation program.

Why does GIF only use 256 colors?

GIF stores a palette of at most 256 colors per frame. Images that already use 256 or fewer colors, such as flat logos and pixel art, convert without any change. Richer images are reduced with a median-cut palette, so gradients can band.

Is the download really a GIF file?

Yes. Browser canvases cannot encode GIF and hand back PNG data instead, so this tool writes the file itself: a GIF89a header, a global color table and LZW-compressed pixels, which strict GIF readers accept.

What about semi-transparent edges?

GIF allows a pixel to be fully transparent or fully opaque, with nothing in between. Pixels below half opacity become transparent through one reserved palette entry, and the rest become opaque, so soft edges turn hard.

Related tools

• GIF to PNGConvert GIF images to PNG format
• PNG to JPGEasily convert PNG images to JPG with this easy-to-use converter.
• PNG to BMPEasily convert PNG images to BMP with this easy-to-use converter.
• PNG to ICOEasily convert PNG images to ICO with this easy-to-use converter.
• PNG to WEBPEasily convert PNG images to WEBP with this easy-to-use converter.
• JPG to PNGEasily convert JPG images to PNG with this easy-to-use converter.