Compress a GIF

Make a GIF dramatically smaller without wrecking how it looks. pixelpix runs the same engines the pros use — gifsicle for fast, GIF-native optimisation and gifski for maximum quality — compiled to WebAssembly so everything happens on your own device.

Turn the lossy, colour and resize dials and watch the live size estimate; every result is saved as a version card you can compare, download or feed into another tool.

Why GIFs get so big — and how compression fixes it

GIFs store up to 256 colours and compress each frame largely on its own, so a screen recording or a gradient-heavy clip can easily hit tens of megabytes. Compression tackles that on three fronts: reducing the colour palette (fewer colours means smaller frames), optimising how frames are stored, and optionally trimming the frame rate. pixelpix lets you turn each of these dials and shows a live size estimate, so you can trade a little quality for a lot of savings — or not.

gifsicle vs gifski

Two engines sit behind the tool. gifsicle is fast and produces small files, ideal for most GIFs. gifski uses per-frame palettes for the best possible quality on photographic or gradient content, at the cost of a larger file. The "smaller file" and "richer colour" choices in the panel pick between them, so you are never guessing which engine suits your clip.

How it works

  1. Drop a GIF onto the page (or pick a sample).
  2. Adjust the compression dials — the footer estimates the new size live.
  3. Hit apply, compare versions, and download the one you like.

Like every pixelpix tool, this runs 100% in your browser: your file is never uploaded to a server, never leaves your device, and works even offline once the page has loaded.

Frequently asked questions

Will compressing a GIF reduce its quality?
It can, but you control how much. Reducing the colour palette or frame rate saves the most space and is invisible on many GIFs; the live preview and size estimate let you find the point where the file is small but still looks good.
Is there a file size limit?
No hard limit is imposed by the tool — it runs on your own device, so the practical ceiling is your browser and machine. Very large GIFs use a faster optimisation level automatically so they still process quickly.
Are my GIFs uploaded anywhere?
No. Compression happens entirely in your browser using WebAssembly. Your GIF never leaves your device, and the tool works offline once the page has loaded.

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