GIF to WebM
For a page where you control what plays it
…
- 1
Why not MP4
Nothing is wrong with MP4. WebM is smaller again for the same picture, and every current browser plays it, so on a page you serve yourself it costs you nothing. Emailed to a colleague, it is the file their preview window shrugs at.
- 2
What it is good for
A background loop, a hero animation, a product demo that autoplays. Anywhere the file is served by a page you wrote, where a GIF would have been the lazy answer and a heavy one.
- 3
What it costs you
Time. Every frame is decoded and encoded again, and the more efficient encoder is the slower one. A short animation is seconds; a long one is worth starting and leaving.
FAQ
- How do I convert a GIF to WebM?
- Drop the file on this page and press the button. It runs in your browser, so there is no upload, no account and no daily limit.
- Should I use WebM or MP4?
- WebM if you control the page it plays on, MP4 if you are handing the file to somebody. WebM is smaller for the same picture; MP4 is the one that opens everywhere without a thought.
- Which browsers play a WebM?
- Every current one. It is the compatibility outside a browser that is thinner: some editors, some phone galleries and some chat previews would rather have the MP4.
- Does transparency survive?
- No. The transparent parts come out white here, the same as the MP4 page. If a transparent animation is the whole point, keep the GIF.
- Why is this slower than the MP4?
- The encoder works harder for the smaller file. That is the entire trade, and it is the reason the result is worth waiting for on a page that will serve it a thousand times.
- Is the file uploaded?
- No. The frames are decoded and the video written in the page. No request carries the file anywhere, which the network panel will show you while it runs.