# Compress & Resize GIF — Compress and resize GIFs on Mac

Make GIFs smaller by reducing colours, dropping frames or scaling down, keeping the timing and loop. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: Images. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Reduce the colours first for the biggest saving, then drop every 2nd or 3rd frame or scale the GIF down. Dropped frames hand their time to the frame before them, so the animation plays for the same length. Before and after sizes are shown when it's done.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/compress-resize-gif · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Drop your GIFs.** Add one animated GIF or a batch.
2. **Reduce the colours.** This usually gives the biggest saving. 64 colours is the default and suits most screen recordings and graphics.
3. **Drop frames or scale down if needed.** Keep every 2nd or 3rd frame, and choose a smaller size or width.
4. **Click Compress.** The smaller copy keeps the original's timing and loop setting. The app shows the total size before and after.
5. **Check the result.** Copies named with “smaller” are saved in a dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools. Watch one with the Preview (eye) button to make sure it still looks right.

## Options
- **Colours:** Keep, 128, 64, 32 or 16; the default is 64. Fewer colours mean a smaller file, with slight dithering to smooth gradients. Photos may need 128; flat graphics are often fine at 32 or 16.
- **Frames:** Keep all, Every 2nd or Every 3rd. Dropped frames hand their time to the frame before them, so the animation plays for the same length, just less smoothly.
- **Size:** Keep, 75%, 50%, 33%, Width 640 px, Width 480 px, Width 320 px or Custom width. The fixed widths only ever shrink a GIF; one that's already narrower is left at its size.
- **Width (px):** Only shown when Size is Custom width. Type the width you want, such as 400; the height follows.

## Tips
- Start with colours, then size, then frames. Reducing colours rarely shows on screen recordings, while dropping frames makes motion choppier.
- Halving the width roughly quarters the number of pixels, which is the most reliable way to make a big GIF small.
- Don't drop frames from short, fast animations; it's most useful for long, slow screen recordings.
- If the result isn't much smaller, the GIF is probably already optimised. Convert it to MP4 with GIF to MP4 for a far bigger saving where video is allowed.

## Questions
**How do I make a GIF smaller on a Mac?**
Drop it onto Compress & Resize GIF, reduce the colours to 64 or 32, choose a smaller width if needed, and click Compress. The app shows the size before and after.

**How do I get a GIF under a chat app's size limit?**
Reduce the colours first, then scale it down to 480 or 320 px wide. If it's still too big, keep every 2nd frame.

**Will dropping frames make the GIF play faster?**
No. Each dropped frame's time is added to the frame before it, so the animation lasts just as long; it's only a little less smooth.

**Does compressing keep the loop?**
Yes. The new GIF keeps the original's timing and loop setting.

**How do I resize a GIF without losing the animation?**
Choose a percentage, a fixed width or Custom width under Size. Every frame is scaled the same way and the animation is kept.

**Why did my GIF barely get smaller?**
It may already use few colours or be well optimised. Try fewer colours or a smaller size, or convert it to video with GIF to MP4, which is usually much smaller.