The GIF format allows you to store and publish simple animations on the Internet in a compact form. GIFs are published on Instagram and other social networks, exchanged in chats, and used to illustrate instructions for programs and services. This article explains how to make a GIF from a video yourself using popular desktop and browser tools. You will also find a list of alternative services and answers to frequently asked questions about how to convert to GIF and make animated images from scratch.
Let’s start with desktop solutions, because they are usually more convenient, support batch processing, and work faster than online services.
Movavica Converter
A desktop program that allows you to convert almost any image or video into a high-quality GIF with just a few clicks of the mouse. This convenient and undemanding GIF converter works in seconds, and the compression rate and a number of other parameters can be adjusted manually by the user. Batch processing of files and presets are supported. You can download the necessary subtitles from your computer or online services directly from the program and insert them into the video. You can also convert files without loss of quality to many other popular formats, such as MP4, GIF, AVI, MOV, RAW, WMV, DVD, VOB, MKV, MP3, and many others, for all popular devices from Apple (iPhone, iPad), Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei, Sony, and dozens of others.
This PC application can be downloaded for free, but after the trial period expires, full use will cost at least $19.99 for a non-commercial license. There is no mention of file size limits or other restrictions on the official website, but the developers promise a set of options for creating moving images from videos. For example, with a couple of clicks, you can make a looping live photo or a funny animated heart for an interactive Valentine’s Day card.
A compact converter with limited support for converting video with sound into “silent” animation. It has two key advantages: simplicity and free of charge. The “live” GIF created in the program can be used at your discretion — there will be no watermarks or other marks on it. It is not possible to create a “live” frame from nothing in this program; a source file is required, which can be a video in almost any popular format: AVI, MPEG, MP4, WMV, MKV, MOV, VOB, RMVB.
Video Converter Ultimate
Video Converter Ultimate is a video to GIF converter for those who need to create animated images from high-resolution sources with maximum compression and no loss of quality, for example, for screensavers on iPhone, Android, or computers. Of course, GIFs from 8K/5K/4K/2K UHD and 1080p HD will not differ much from those made from more compressed videos. But the point is that when the source material is uncompressed, there is no point in doing double the work. Therefore, this tool has its audience. Fans especially like the integrated option to download videos from the Internet (from YouTube and other platforms) just paste the link and set the conversion settings, and the tool does the rest.
