Compress Animated GIFs
Shrink GIFs by reducing their color palette and, if you like, dropping every other frame. The animation keeps playing after compression.
- On-device
- No sign-up
- Batch
- Free, no watermark
Drop images on the plate
or paste with Ctrl/⌘ V
Processed on this device
How it works
- 01Drop, choose or paste the GIF files you want to shrink.
- 02Pick a color count and decide whether to drop every other frame.
- 03Select Process and compare the new size with the original.
- 04Download each GIF or select Download all for a ZIP.
Why use this tool
Animation stays intact
Every GIF comes back animated. Frames are re-encoded with a smaller palette, not flattened into a still image.
Palette from 256 to 32
Choose 256, 128, 64 or 32 colors. Simple animations and reaction GIFs often look fine at 64.
Optional frame dropping
Drop every other frame to halve the frame count when a file is still too heavy after reducing colors.
Supported formats
Use cases
Chat and forum limits
Many chat apps and forums cap GIF uploads. Lower the palette or drop frames until a reaction GIF fits under the limit.
GIFs in email newsletters
Animated banners in emails load slowly on mobile data. A smaller palette cuts the weight while keeping the loop.
Docs and README demos
Screen-recorded GIFs showing a feature can run to several megabytes. Reduce colors so the demo loads quickly in documentation or a code repository.
Technical details
GIF is limited to a palette of at most 256 colors per frame, and a long animation pays that cost for every frame it contains. Pixellin compresses GIFs in two ways: reducing the palette to 256, 128, 64 or 32 colors, and optionally dropping every other frame. Fewer colors shrink each frame; fewer frames shrink the whole file. Animation is preserved either way, so the output is still a looping animated GIF.
Dropping frames makes motion slightly choppier, which is usually acceptable for screen recordings and reaction clips but noticeable on smooth, video-like loops. Very low palettes can add visible dithering or banding in gradients. For short animations on your own website, a modern format may be much smaller; see GIF vs WebP for the trade-offs. Keep GIF when the destination, such as an email client or chat app, expects it.
Your files stay with you
This tool runs entirely inside your browser using Web Workers and WebAssembly. Your images are never uploaded, never stored on a server and never used to train AI. Close the tab and they’re gone. Learn more
Frequently asked questions
How can I make a GIF smaller without losing the animation?
Reduce the color palette first, for example from 256 to 128 or 64 colors. That alone often cuts the size noticeably. If the file is still too large, turn on frame dropping. In both cases the GIF keeps animating.
What does dropping every other frame do?
It removes half the frames from the animation, which can cut the file size substantially. Motion becomes a little less smooth. It works well for screen recordings and simple reaction GIFs, and less well for fluid, video-like clips.
Which color count should I pick?
Use 256 for photographic GIFs with skin tones or gradients. Try 128 or 64 for cartoons, screen recordings and text animations. 32 colors suits very simple graphics like loading spinners or flat icons. Compare the new size and preview before downloading.
Can I compress several GIFs at once?
Yes. Add up to 200 files, each up to 50 MB, and the same palette and frame settings apply to all of them. Download them individually or as a single ZIP with Download all.
Are my GIFs uploaded anywhere?
No. Decoding and re-encoding happen inside your browser, so a private screen recording or personal clip never leaves your device. The files exist only in the tab’s memory until you remove them or close it.
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