5 Ways to Turn a Video Into a GIF

There are a ton of benefits that come with learning how to turn a video into a GIF; the most noteworthy being the reduction in file size when compared to a video format.

While some devices and operating systems come with software that can automatically convert a video to a GIF, there are a few online tools you might consider using. Keep reading to learn about five tools that can get the job done right.

Things to Know When You Save a Video as a GIF

Turning a video into a GIF involves using the Lempel-Ziv-Welch lossless data compression. This does have a color limitation, which can result in lower-quality output. However, it’s well worth the size reduction, as it permits faster loading times and better playback, making the format the optimal choice for sharing content.

Some of the most popular online tools for turning videos into GIFs include Imgur, Giphy, Makeagif, Convertio, and Ezgif. A few of these also include other useful features for working with videos, pictures, and other media formats. Learning how to turn a video into a GIF with these tools is straightforward.

Imgur is a popular online image and video hosting website, boasting over 250 million users every month. When it comes to converting videos to GIFs, while efficient, it’s slightly limited. Keep in mind that it only converts from video URLs, meaning you can’t upload videos directly to the site for conversion.

Using the tool is simple, though:

1. Open Imgur in a browser.
2. At the top of the page, click on the downward-facing arrow and click Video to GIF.
3. Paste your URL in the text field and click Submit.

Imgur offers a quick way to convert and save your video as a GIF for content you find online.

Giphy is a media-hosting platform best known for its vast collection of GIFs that are useable across a wide variety of platforms. You’ve most likely seen or used Giphy on Slack, WhatsApp, and even on your operating system’s built-in keyboard.

To use Giphy’s conversion tool, visit the website in a browser. Then, click on Create at the top right of the page. Here, you can create a GIF by uploading a video to the site or entering a URL in the text field under Any URL.

Giphy supports the following formats for video uploads:

Makeagif is a platform that mostly focuses on converting content from multiple sources into GIFs. The site makes the process straightforward.

First, open the website in a browser. Then, you can either tap on the hamburger icon in the top right corner or CREATE A GIF at the top center of the screen. Next, you can select from one of the following options:

• Pictures to GIF
• YouTube to GIF
• Facebook to GIF
• Video to GIF
• Webcam to GIF

In this case, to convert a video tap, on Video to GIF. Here, you can either upload a video from your device or copy and paste a video URL in the text field. Makeagif supports the following video formats:

If you’re interested in how to make a video into a GIF, especially if it’s on your system and needs to be uploaded, Makeagif is a great choice.

Convertio is a site dedicated to converting a wide variety of file formats, including audio, video, images, documents, and fonts, among others. According to Convertio, it supports more than 25,600 conversions between more than 300 different file formats.

Using the tool for turning videos into GIFs is straightforward. Here’s how to use Convertio:

1. Open the Convertio site in a browser.
2. Click Choose Files.
3. Select the video you’d like to upload.
4. Click the … icon on the right and select GIF.
5. Click Convert and wait a moment.
6. Click Download.

Convertio is another excellent choice for converting your video to an animated GIF.

Ezgif is an online editing tool built around creating and modifying GIFs. You can use it to resize, cut, split, optimize, and even crop GIFs. It also has a video-to-GIF tool that functions quite well.

You can upload files from your device or paste URLs in its text field. For video uploads, Ezgif supports the following formats:

• MP4
• WebM
• AVI
• MPEG
• FLV
• MOV
• 3GP

Here’s how to convert a video to a GIF using Ezgif:

1. Open Ezgif in a browser.
2. Click Video to GIF.
3. Select Choose File and click Upload video!.
4. Review the parameters provided by Ezgif and then click Make a GIF!.

While easy to use, Ezgif is one of the more comprehensive tools for file conversion that works with a wide variety of file types.

Now You Know How to Turn a Video Into a GIF

Learning how to turn a video into a GIF with these tools is straightforward. While you can find software and built-in methods for various operating systems, these might be the best options for turning your video to an animated GIF.

If you’re on mobile, and none of these sites are working correctly for you, you can turn to apps that you can install on your phone. Some of these even use AI to change and edit your videos while converting them to GIFs.