Convert GIF to animated WebP — and keep the animation
Many GIF to WebP converters quietly hand you a still picture of the first frame. This one keeps the animation. The GIF to WebP converter writes a genuine animated WebP: every frame, the original frame timing, transparency and looping, packed into the WebP animation format that Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari 14 or later all play.
WebP uses modern compression with full colour and 8-bit alpha, so animations escape GIF’s 256-colour limit, and photographic or gradient-heavy GIFs usually get much smaller. You can also save a still of the first frame, or every frame as a separate WebP. Conversion happens in your browser; the GIF is never uploaded.
How to convert GIF to WebP
- Drop your .gif files on the upload area, or click to choose them.
- Under Output, keep Animated WebP, or choose Still image (first frame) or Every frame as a separate WebP.
- Set the WebP quality. 75–90% suits most animations; lower it for smaller files.
- Leave Keep transparent areas ticked, or untick it to place the animation on a solid colour.
- Compare the size on each card with your GIF, then download the WebP or press Download all as ZIP.
GIF to WebP Converter features
Real animated WebP
Every frame is encoded and assembled into a WebP animation with its original duration and loop setting.
Changed areas only
Each new frame stores only the rectangle that changed, and identical frames are merged into one longer frame, which keeps files compact.
Transparency kept
Transparent GIF pixels stay transparent in the WebP.
Plays exactly like the GIF
Disposal methods, partial frames and interlacing are handled, so the WebP shows the same pictures at the same moments.
Stills as well
Need a poster image or individual frames? Switch the output to a still or to separate frames.
Private
Decoding and encoding run on your device, with no upload.
Will the WebP be smaller than the GIF?
Often, but not always. Google’s WebP documentation reports animated GIFs converted to lossy WebP coming out 64% smaller, and to lossless WebP 19% smaller. Real results depend on the content:
- Photographic, gradient or video-like GIFs — big savings, because WebP isn’t tied to 256 colours and dithering noise.
- Flat cartoons, pixel art and simple screen recordings — GIF is already efficient here, and a lossy WebP can be similar in size or even larger. Try a lower quality, or 100% for lossless, and compare the sizes on the card.
- Tiny GIFs of a few kilobytes — the WebP container overhead can outweigh any saving, so keep the GIF.
Need it smaller still? Shrink the animation’s dimensions, or make a shorter clip from video with Video to GIF and convert that.
Where animated WebP works
Creating WebP needs a browser that can encode it. Chrome, Edge and Firefox on computers and Android can; Safari displays WebP but can’t write it, and on iPhone and iPad every browser uses Safari’s engine.
| Where | Animated WebP |
|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge, Opera (desktop and Android) | Plays |
| Firefox 65 and later | Plays |
| Safari 14 and later (macOS Big Sur, iOS 14) | Plays |
| WordPress 5.8 and later | Uploads accepted |
| Email clients | Patchy — keep GIF for newsletters |
Timing, looping and transparency
GIF frame delays are measured in hundredths of a second and WebP stores milliseconds, so the timing carries over exactly. Very short delays of 0 or 0.01 s are written as 0.1 s, matching how browsers really play such GIFs. A GIF that loops forever produces a WebP that loops forever; a GIF without a loop setting plays once, as it would in a browser.
Transparency is kept by default. If the animation will always sit on a known background, unticking “Keep transparent areas” and choosing that colour can make the file a little smaller. To pull single frames out as lossless images instead, use GIF to PNG.
GIF to WebP Converter FAQ
Does this GIF to WebP converter keep the animation?
Yes. With “Animated WebP” selected you get a real animated WebP with every frame and the original timing. You can also choose a still of the first frame or separate WebPs for every frame.
Is animated WebP better than GIF?
For websites, usually: it supports millions of colours and smooth transparency and is often much smaller. GIF still has the widest support in email and older apps.
Why is my WebP larger than the GIF?
Simple flat-colour GIFs already compress very well. Lower the WebP quality, try 100% for lossless, or keep the GIF if it is the smaller file.
Can I convert GIF to WebP on an iPhone?
On iPhone and iPad every browser uses Apple’s WebKit engine, which can play WebP but not create it. Use a computer, or an Android phone with Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
Does the WebP keep the GIF’s transparent background?
Yes, transparent pixels stay transparent. Untick “Keep transparent areas” to fill them with a solid colour instead.
Is my GIF uploaded anywhere?
No. The GIF is decoded and the WebP is built inside your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.