GIF guides

Short, practical explanations of how GIFs work and how to get them smaller, sharper and timed right. Written by the people who build the tools, with real numbers from real tests.

How to Reduce GIF File Size: 9 Methods That Actually Work Every lever that makes a GIF smaller, ranked by how much each one saves. 9 min read GIF Size Limits for Discord, Slack, X, WhatsApp and Email The upload caps that matter, and how to fit a GIF under each one. 7 min read GIF vs WebP vs MP4 vs APNG: Which Format Should You Use? File size, quality, transparency and support compared side by side. 8 min read How GIF Compression Works: Palettes, Dithering and LZW Explained What is inside a GIF file and why some compress better than others. 10 min read How to Make a GIF From Images (Step by Step) Choosing frames, timing and size for a GIF that loops cleanly. 7 min read GIF Frame Delay Explained: Fix GIFs That Play Too Fast or Too Slow Why browsers slow down 0.01s frames and how to set timing that holds up. 6 min read How to Resize a GIF Without Losing Quality Scaling filters, pixel art, aspect ratios and the order of operations. 7 min read

Where to start

If a GIF is too big, start with How to Reduce GIF File Size: 9 Methods That Actually Work, then check the caps in GIF Size Limits for Discord, Slack, X, WhatsApp and Email.

If a GIF plays wrong, read GIF Frame Delay Explained: Fix GIFs That Play Too Fast or Too Slow. If you're deciding whether to use a GIF at all, GIF vs WebP vs MP4 vs APNG: Which Format Should You Use? compares the options.

Every guide links to the free tool that does the job, so you can go from reading to fixing in one click. Browse them all on the tools page.