How to Turn a Redgifs Video Into a GIF

To go from Redgifs to GIF, download the clip as an MP4 first, then convert that file to an animated GIF yourself with ffmpeg or a video editor. Despite the name, Redgifs clips are MP4 videos, and our tool saves MP4 only. It does not export GIF files.

This page explains why MP4 is usually the better file to keep, and how to make a GIF when you really need one.

Why Redgifs clips are not GIF files

The GIF format is old. It stores animation as a series of images with a limited set of colours and no audio. Redgifs, like most sites with “gif” in the name, serves short looping MP4 videos instead, because they load faster and look better.

So there is no original GIF to download. Any GIF made from a Redgifs clip is a conversion from the video.

MP4 or GIF: which to keep

	MP4	Animated GIF
Sound	Yes, when the video has it	Never
File size	Small	Much larger for the same clip
Picture	Sharp, full colour	Limited colours, often grainy
Smoothness	Full frame rate	Usually reduced to keep size down
Plays on	Phones, computers, TVs	Almost anywhere, including places that only accept images

For watching and keeping, MP4 wins on every row but the last. A GIF only makes sense when the place you want to use it accepts images and not video.

If a silent, looping clip is all you want, most phone and desktop players can loop an MP4, so you may not need a GIF at all.

Step 1: Download the MP4

1. Copy the video’s link on Redgifs. If you are not sure where to find it, see how to copy a Redgifs link.
2. Paste it into the Redgifs downloader and press “Get video”.
3. Press “Download HD”. A better source makes a better GIF, so HD is the right pick here. The difference is explained in Redgifs HD vs SD.

The file saves to your Downloads folder. Converting is easiest on a computer, so the Windows guide and Mac guide are the ones to follow if you need help with this step.

Step 2: Convert Redgifs to GIF with ffmpeg

ffmpeg is a free command-line tool for Windows, Mac and Linux. Once it is installed, open a terminal in the folder that holds your video and run:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "fps=12,scale=480:-1" output.gif

Replace input.mp4 with the name of your downloaded file. What the parts mean:

• -i input.mp4 is the video to read.
• fps=12 sets the GIF to 12 frames per second. Fewer frames means a smaller file and choppier motion.
• scale=480:-1 resizes the picture to 480 pixels wide. The -1 tells ffmpeg to work out the height so the shape stays the same.
• output.gif is the file to create.

Convert only part of the clip

A GIF of a whole video is often too large. To take a short section, add a start time and a length before the input:

ffmpeg -ss 2 -t 4 -i input.mp4 -vf "fps=12,scale=480:-1" output.gif

-ss 2 starts two seconds in, and -t 4 keeps four seconds from that point.

Or use a video editor

If you prefer not to use a terminal, many video editors and image editors can do the same job.

1. Open the downloaded MP4 in the editor.
2. Trim it to the few seconds you want.
3. Choose Export or Save As, and pick GIF or animated GIF as the format.
4. Set the width and frame rate if the editor offers those options, then export.

The settings have the same effect as in ffmpeg: smaller width and lower frame rate give a smaller file.

How to keep the GIF small

GIF files grow quickly. A few seconds of video can turn into a GIF many times larger than the MP4 it came from. Three settings control the size:

• Length. This has the biggest effect. Keep only the seconds you need.
• Frame rate. Try 10 to 15 frames per second. Go lower if the file is still too big.
• Width. Try 480 pixels, or 320 for a very small file. Halving the width cuts the size by much more than half.

Change one setting at a time and check the result, so you can see what each change costs in quality.

Things to know before you convert

• The sound is lost. GIF cannot carry audio. Keep the MP4 if the sound matters. See downloading Redgifs with sound.
• Quality drops. A GIF holds only 256 colours, so it looks rougher than the video.
• Keep the original. You can always make another GIF from the MP4, but not the other way round.
• Respect the creator. The video belongs to the person who made it. Converting it for your own use is different from reposting it. Do not re-upload or share someone else’s clip without permission. What you do with a downloaded file is your responsibility. This site hosts no videos; creators can read the DMCA page.