Will the image look worse?

On a photograph, probably — GIF can only hold 256 colours, so gradients and skin tones band visibly. On flat graphics, logos and line art, the difference is usually invisible.

Can I make an animated GIF from several PNGs?

Not on this page — this converts each PNG to its own still GIF. Building an animation from a sequence of frames is a different job.

What happens to soft transparent edges?

They become hard. GIF transparency is either fully on or fully off, so a soft shadow or an anti-aliased edge will show a fringe.

Free converter

PNGGIF

PNG to GIF Converter

GIF is the format some older systems, forums and email clients still insist on. PhotoTray converts PNG to GIF locally, handling the colour reduction that the format requires, on as many files as you need at once.

Download for Windows

Windows 10/11 (x64) · Free · No account

Drop in your files — GIFs land in the folder you pick, with the PNGs left as they are.

Why convert

Why convert PNG to GIF

Almost always compatibility with something old. GIF is a worse format than PNG in every technical respect for still images — fewer colours, cruder transparency — so this conversion is about meeting a requirement rather than improving anything. Some legacy forums, ticketing systems and email templates simply will not take a PNG.

A legacy system or forum that only accepts GIF uploads.
An email template built for GIF assets.
Matching the format of an existing set of images.
Preparing a still frame to sit alongside animated GIFs.

How it works

Convert PNG to GIF in a few clicks

1
Drop your PNGs in
One or a folder full.
2
Choose GIF
PhotoTray reduces the image to GIF's 256-colour palette, choosing the palette that best fits the image.
3
Get the GIFs back
Where you chose, PNGs untouched.

The details

PNG to GIF, at a glance

Engine: sharp (libvips)
Output: GIF, 256 colours maximum
Transparency: Reduced to on/off — GIF has no partial transparency
Where it runs: Your own PC — nothing is uploaded
Limits: None — no file count, no file-size cap, no watermark
Platform: Windows 10/11 (x64)

Questions