GIF to ICO converter
Convert GIF to ICO in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your image never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert GIF to ICO, add the GIF file to the iHateFiles GIF to ICO converter and press Convert. The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded, and it is free with no sign-up, watermark or size limit. Turns artwork into a Windows icon or a favicon, written at every size a browser asks for.
Should you convert GIF to ICO?
A safe conversion: GIF and ICO are both lossless, so this is a change of container rather than a change to the picture.
Nothing is discarded
GIF and ICO are both lossless, so every pixel survives the move intact. Convert back and forth as often as you like; the image does not degrade.
ICO holds one frame
An animated GIF becomes a single still ICO: the first frame, with the rest discarded. If you wanted the movement, convert to a format that keeps it instead.
GIF and ICO side by side
| GIF | ICO | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Written here | Yes | Yes |
What usually goes wrong
About the GIF. A ten-second GIF is often larger than the MP4 it came from and looks considerably worse. The 256 colour limit, not the length, is what does the damage.
About the ICO. Renaming a PNG to favicon.ico works in most browsers and then fails in the one that matters. A real ICO bundle avoids the argument entirely.
How to convert GIF to ICO
- Add your GIF file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to ICO.
- Press convert and the ICO file is saved back to your device.
Questions
How do I convert GIF to ICO?
Open this page, add your GIF file, and press convert. The file is decoded and re-encoded by your own browser and saved back to your device. Nothing is uploaded.
Is this GIF to ICO converter free?
Yes, completely. There is no account, no sign-in, no watermark and no daily limit, because there is no server doing the work. Your own device does it.
Are my files uploaded anywhere?
No. There is no upload endpoint. The conversion runs inside this browser tab, so your file never leaves your device. You can open your browser's network panel and watch: nothing carrying your file is sent.
Is there a file size limit?
No fixed limit. Because the work happens on your machine there is no server quota. The only ceiling is your own device's memory, which for video means very large files may be slow.
Will converting to ICO lose quality?
ICO is lossless, so this step throws nothing away. If the original was already a lossy format, the damage it did cannot be undone, but nothing further is lost.
Can I convert several GIF files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like and they are converted one after another, then offered as a single ZIP.