Convert GIF to MP4 on Mac
Turn GIFs into MP4 or WebM video, usually 80–95% smaller with full colour.
GIF to MP4 on a Mac
Screenshots from the app, using sample files.
How to use GIF to MP4
- 1
Drop your GIFs
Add one or more animated GIFs.
- 2
Choose the format
MP4 (H.264) plays almost everywhere; WebM (VP9) is a good choice for websites.
- 3
Set quality and repeats
Pick High, Medium or Low quality, and repeat the animation inside the video if a single loop is very short.
- 4
Click Convert
Each GIF becomes a video, with any transparency placed on white and the size adjusted slightly if video needs it.
- 5
Use the video
Videos are saved in a dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools. Open them with the Preview (eye) button or Show in Finder.
What GIF to MP4 does
Video compression is built for motion, so a GIF converted to MP4 or WebM is usually a fraction of the size and looks better, with full colour instead of 256. Choose the quality and repeat the animation up to 10 times inside the video.
Uses FFmpeg, which OneMacTools installs for you with one click through Homebrew.
Great for
- Post an animation where GIFs are too big
- Speed up a website
- Share an animation on social media
Options explained
- Save as
- MP4 (H.264) or WebM (VP9). MP4 works in nearly every app, browser and social network; WebM is open and well suited to web pages.
- Quality
- High, Medium or Low; the default is Medium. High keeps more detail in a bigger file, Low makes the smallest file.
- Repeat the animation
- Once, 2, 3, 5 or 10 times. Videos don't loop by themselves in most players, so repeating a short GIF makes a longer clip.
Best practices
- On a website, use a muted, looping, autoplaying video element in place of a GIF; the page loads much faster.
- Use Repeat for very short GIFs you're posting where videos don't auto-loop, so the clip doesn't end in a blink.
- Medium quality is plenty for screen recordings and simple animations. Use High for detailed or photographic GIFs.
- If you need an animation that loops on its own everywhere, such as in email, keep the GIF and shrink it with Compress & Resize GIF instead.
Works with
- In
- Animated GIFs.
- Out
- An MP4 or WebM video with the same name as the GIF.
- Needs FFmpeg, which OneMacTools can install for you through Homebrew with one click.
- Video has no transparency, so transparent areas become white. Odd widths or heights are trimmed by a pixel, as video needs even sizes.
- The video has no sound track.
Questions about GIF to MP4
How do I convert a GIF to MP4 on a Mac?
Drop the GIF onto GIF to MP4, leave Save as on MP4 (H.264) and click Convert. The video is saved as a new file next to your other results.
Why is the MP4 so much smaller than the GIF?
GIF stores every frame with at most 256 colours and simple compression. Video compression is built for motion, so the same animation is usually a fraction of the size, with full colour.
Does the MP4 loop like a GIF?
Not by itself. Set your player or web page to loop, or use Repeat the animation to play it several times inside the video.
Should I choose MP4 or WebM?
MP4 (H.264) for the widest support, including messaging and social apps. WebM (VP9) is a good choice for websites, where modern browsers play it well.
What happens to a transparent GIF?
Video can't store transparency, so transparent areas are filled with white.
Does GIF to MP4 upload my files?
No. GIF to MP4 runs entirely on your Mac, so your files never leave it and it works offline.
Will GIF to MP4 change my original files?
No. Results are saved as new files in a dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools, and your originals are left exactly as they were unless you turn on an option that says otherwise.
What does GIF to MP4 need?
macOS 26 or later and FFmpeg, which OneMacTools can install for you through Homebrew with one click.
Do this next
Make videos much smaller while keeping them sharp.
Trim VideoKeep just the part you need.
Compress & Resize GIFMake GIFs smaller by reducing colours, dropping frames or scaling down, keeping the timing and loop.
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Compress ImagesShrink photos for email and the web, with a live before-and-after preview.
Convert to WebPMake small, web-ready WebP images, lossy or lossless, with transparency kept.
Resize ImagesResize by longest edge, exact pixels, percentage, or print size in cm, mm or inches at the DPI you need.
Crop ImagesCrop to an aspect ratio or an exact area, or trim plain borders automatically — one photo or a whole folder.
Rotate & Flip ImagesTurn or mirror photos in one go.
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