WebP is a web format that is smaller than JPG and supports transparency and animation. Current browsers open WebP, but support in programs and services is uneven.
GIF is limited to 256 colors, and synonymous with short moving images. When you convert WebP to GIF, you can open it in more places and the file grows. See the comparison below for what changes.
This converter reads the file itself to confirm it is WebP, then converts it to GIF right in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
WebP vs GIF: what's the difference?
| Item | WebP | GIF |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossy or lossless | Lossless |
| Transparent background | Yes | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | Yes |
| Introduced | 2010 | 1987 |
| Support in programs and upload forms | moderate | nearly everywhere |
| Shown directly in browsers | Yes | Yes |
| Photo file size (JPG = 1) | about 0.7× | about 2.5× |
What is WebP?
WebP is a web image format Google released in 2010. At the same quality it can be roughly 25-35% smaller than JPG, and it handles lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation in a single format.
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 changes when you convert WebP to GIF
Semi-transparency is simplified to transparent or opaque
GIF doesn't support partial transparency. Soft fading edges and shadows can look jagged, like stair steps.
Quality doesn't improve, but it doesn't get worse either
Information lost when WebP was saved can't be recovered. GIF is lossless, so it keeps the image exactly as it is now and later edits and saves add no further degradation. File size will grow, though.
GIF has no quality setting
GIF is lossless, so the quality slider doesn't apply. Instead, when converting from WebP you can manage file size by resizing (exact width and height, or a percentage).
How the file size changes
For the same photo, GIF is much larger than WebP (roughly 4× or so). This is for photos; for simple images such as logos and screenshots, PNG can actually come out smaller.
GIF opens in more places
Support for WebP in programs, document tools and upload forms is moderate, while GIF is nearly everywhere. If you need to upload somewhere WebP wouldn't open, try again after converting.
When to convert
- You need to upload to a program, messenger or upload form that can't open WebP
- You must upload a still image to an old board or system that only accepts GIF
- You're preparing an image for typical GIF uses (simple logos and pixel art, uploading still images to legacy systems that only accept gif)
WebP → GIF: practical tips
An animated WebP converts only its first frame to GIF. Use this when you need to upload a still WebP image to a place that only accepts GIF.