GIF to MOV converter
Convert GIF to MOV in seconds, free and unlimited. No upload, no sign-up, no watermark: your video never leaves your device.
Last updated
Quick answer: To convert GIF to MOV, add the GIF file to the iHateFiles GIF to MOV 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. A real video codec instead of 256 colours, usually around a tenth of the size and with far smoother motion.
Should you convert GIF to MOV?
Almost always worth it: the MOV is usually a tenth of the size of the GIF and plays more smoothly. Keep the GIF only where a video will not play, such as email.
From 256 colours to real video
A GIF stores every frame as a separate picture in 256 colours. MOV stores H.264 video with AAC sound, which only records what changes between frames, so the file is usually a tenth of the size and plays more smoothly. There was never any sound in the GIF, so the MOV is silent.
GIF and MOV side by side
| GIF | MOV | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the file | a sequence of 256-colour frames and no sound at all | H.264 video with AAC sound |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Carries sound | No | Yes |
| Plays on | everywhere an image plays: browsers, chat apps, email and documents | every Apple device, Windows 10 and later, and most editors |
| Here | Read and write | Read and write |
What usually goes wrong
About the GIF. Halving the width of a GIF cuts the file size by roughly three quarters. Dropping the frame rate helps almost as much. Trimming the length helps least.
About the MOV. A MOV recorded on an iPhone is usually H.264 or HEVC and plays anywhere. A MOV exported from an editor may be ProRes, ten times larger, and rejected by the same places.
How to convert GIF to MOV
- Add your GIF file. It is read from your disk and stays there.
- Check the settings. The output format is already set to MOV.
- Press convert and the MOV file is saved back to your device.
MOV converter: everything that converts to MOV
Questions
How do I convert GIF to MOV?
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 MOV 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 MOV lose quality?
MOV is a lossy format, so some detail is discarded. The quality control on this page decides how much. The default is set high enough that most people cannot see the difference.
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.