GIF is limited to 256 colors, and synonymous with short moving images. GIF opens in most environments, but another format such as JPG may suit some uses better.
JPG is the most widely used lossy format for photos. When you convert GIF to JPG, the file gets smaller and a solid background replaces transparency. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is GIF, then converts it to JPG right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
GIF vs JPG: what's the difference?
| Item | GIF | JPG |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | Lossy |
| Transparent background | Yes | No |
| Animation | Yes | No |
| Introduced | 1987 | 1992 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | nearly everywhere | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 2.5× | baseline (1×) |
What is GIF?
GIF is one of the oldest web image formats, created in 1987, and can use only up to 256 colors per image. The compression itself is lossless, but reducing the colors to 256 makes photos look visibly coarse.
What is JPG?
JPG (JPEG) is a lossy format standardized in 1992. It drops information the human eye is less sensitive to, making photos very small. It is the format cameras and smartphones save by default, so it is the one you meet most often.
What changes when you convert GIF to JPG
Transparent areas are filled with the background color you choose
JPG can't represent transparency. Transparent and semi-transparent areas are composited onto the background color in the options (white by default), so pick a matching color first if the image will be used on a dark screen.
Lossy compression is applied
GIF loses no quality, but JPG drops information the eye barely notices to shrink the file. Even next to the GIF original, the default quality of 90 is hard to tell apart, and the slider lets you tune size against quality.
Moving images keep only their first frame
JPG can't hold animation. If your GIF file is animated, only the first frame is converted.
You can adjust quality, size and background color
When converting GIF to JPG, you can use the quality slider (default 90), exact width-and-height sizing with margin fill, and percentage resizing. GIF is lossless, so lowering quality to around 80 usually still looks natural. Lower it when size matters, and raise it to 95 or more for archiving.
How the file size changes
JPG is far smaller than GIF (roughly 1/3 the size). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
When to convert
- You need to shrink a GIF file for an email attachment or an upload size limit
- You're submitting to a place that doesn't need transparency (print, certificates, a product's main image) with a white background
- You're preparing an image for typical JPG uses (sharing photos, blog and online-shop product photos)
GIF → JPG: practical tips
An animated GIF converts only its first frame. A still-image GIF can be made smaller as JPG, but sharp shapes and text can blur.