Updated · how we check
Convert GIF to PNG free, without uploading
GIF to PNG grew our 1281×1600 px test portrait from 1,017 KB to 1.04 MB (+4%). Animated files keep their first frame. Drop the GIF (.gif) on the tool below and download the PNG; nothing is uploaded.
GIF to PNG
PNG · no file-size limit · original pixel size
No file-size limit is set: PixelFit saves at high quality and changes only the format and any pixel size you set.
Fit, background and padding white background
Saving presets is part of Pro.
The result appears here: the exact byte count, pixel size and quality, the size before and after, a preview and a download button.
The batch kit (one ZIP for up to 500 photos, several photos merged into one PDF) is part of Pro.
What changes from GIF to PNG
2 of these 5 points lose or alter something on the way from GIF to PNG; the rest carry over.
- Kept: Transparency survives: PNG keeps the alpha channel of the GIF.
- Lost or changed: GIF can be animated; PixelFit writes a still PNG of the first frame only.
- Kept: Both formats are lossless here: every pixel of the GIF is stored exactly in the PNG.
- Kept: GIF already limits the image to 256 colours; PNG keeps those colours but cannot restore the ones GIF dropped.
- Lost or changed: Metadata is not carried over: the GIF's comment and application blocks are dropped by the canvas.
Measured file size: GIF vs PNG
sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7, 31 October 2026, long edge 1600 px; PNG saved as lossless, zlib level 6, RGBA, GIF as 256-colour palette, dithered, single frame. The PNG column is the GIF file decoded and saved again, as PixelFit does.
| Sample | GIF | PNG | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| portrait photo (1281×1600 px) | 1,017 KB (1,041,890 bytes) | 1.04 MB (1,085,850 bytes) | +4% |
| landscape photo (1600×1200 px) | 1.4 MB (1,464,919 bytes) | 1.56 MB (1,638,121 bytes) | +12% |
| scanned typed letter (1273×1600 px) | 1.44 MB (1,511,943 bytes) | 1.74 MB (1,822,990 bytes) | +21% |
| flat chart with a transparent background (1600×1000 px) | 25.2 KB (25,848 bytes) | 36.4 KB (37,257 bytes) | +44% |
What the numbers mean for GIF to PNG
Our portrait photo at 1281×1600 px: GIF 1,017 KB → PNG 1.04 MB (+4%, about the same size).
Our landscape photo at 1600×1200 px: GIF 1.4 MB → PNG 1.56 MB (+12%, 1.1 times larger).
Our scanned typed letter at 1273×1600 px: GIF 1.44 MB → PNG 1.74 MB (+21%, 1.2 times larger).
Our flat chart with a transparent background at 1600×1000 px: GIF 25.2 KB → PNG 36.4 KB (+44%, 1.4 times larger).
Per pixel, the portrait took 4.07 bits as GIF and 4.24 bits as PNG, a difference of 42.9 KB on 2,049,600 pixels.
Per pixel, the chart took 0.13 bits as GIF and 0.19 bits as PNG, a difference of 11.1 KB on 1,600,000 pixels.
PNG came out larger than GIF on all 4 samples, by +4% to +44%.
How to convert GIF to PNG
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Add the GIF file
Drop the .gif file on the tool at the top of this page, tap to choose it, or paste it.
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Keep PNG selected
PNG is pre-selected and saved in full colour. Type a maximum size in KB only if the destination sets one; PixelFit then tries fewer colours (a palette PNG) and, if that is not enough, fewer pixels. Our GIF test portrait came out at 1.04 MB as PNG with no limit set.
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Download the PNG
Save the file ending in .png; its size in KB shows before you save.
GIF and PNG side by side
GIF (1987) next to PNG (1996); browser figures checked 31 October 2026.
| Property | GIF | PNG |
|---|---|---|
| File extensions | .gif | .png |
| MIME type | image/gif | image/png |
| Compression | lossless | lossless |
| Transparency | yes | yes |
| Animation | yes | yes |
| Largest size | 65,535 px per side | 2,147,483,647 px per side |
| Colour depth | up to 8 bits per pixel (a palette of 256 colours) | 1 to 16 bits per channel |
| Metadata | comment and application blocks | text chunks, eXIf and ICC data |
| First published | 1987 | 1996 |
| Opens in | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser) | Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser); about 97.49% of browsers in use |
| Good for | short animations and tiny icons with few colours | screenshots, logos, signatures on white and images with transparency |
| Weak for | photos, because 256 colours cause banding and dithering noise | large photos, which come out several times bigger than a JPEG |
| Specification | Graphics Interchange Format, Version 89a (CompuServe) | Portable Network Graphics (PNG) Specification, Third Edition (W3C) |
When not to change GIF to PNG
- If you need the animation, keep the GIF: PixelFit writes a single still PNG frame.
- If the destination already accepts GIF, upload the original: every change of format re-encodes the pixels.
Browser support for GIF and PNG (October 2026)
Reading GIF (.gif): Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari (every current browser).
Writing PNG from that GIF: Chrome 50+, Edge 79+, Firefox 18+, Safari 11+ (MDN compatibility data for canvas.toBlob, checked 31 October 2026).
Upload forms that ask for PNG
10 of the 61 application portals we checked accept PNG photos, 1 of them with a limit of 50 KB or less. A few of them, for this GIF file (verify with the official notice before you upload):
- Indonesia e-VOA: PNG photo, up to 200 KB (also takes JPG).
- Canada G5 sponsorship: PNG photo, up to 4 MB, 420 × 540 px (also takes JPG, PDF).
- Canada PR portal: PNG photo, up to 4 MB, 715–2000 × 1000–2800 px (also takes JPG).
- Singapore ICA: PNG photo, up to 8 MB, 400 × 514 px (also takes JPG, HEIC).
Where GIF files come from
GIF is best known for short animations. PNG is a still format here, so the page is useful when you need one frame of a GIF, or a GIF scan or diagram in a format the destination accepts.
Sources
- Graphics Interchange Format, Version 89a (CompuServe), W3C, checked 31 October 2026: w3.org/Graphics/GIF/spec-gif89a.txt
- Portable Network Graphics (PNG) Specification, Third Edition (W3C), W3C, checked 31 October 2026: w3.org/TR/png-3/
- MDN Web Docs, Image file type and format guide (which browsers decode GIF), checked 31 October 2026: developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Media/Guides/Formats…
- MDN browser-compat-data, HTMLCanvasElement.toBlob (which browsers write PNG), CC0, checked 31 October 2026: github.com/mdn/browser-compat-data/blob/main/api/HTMLCanv…
- Test photo “President Barack Obama.jpg” by Pete Souza (Official White House photo), public domain, measured by PixelFit with sharp 0.35.5 / libvips 8.18.7 on 31 October 2026: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:President_Barack_Obama.jpg
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert GIF to PNG for free?
Yes. The GIF to PNG change runs free on your device, with no sign-up and no upload, one file or up to 25 at a time; Pro raises the batch to 500 with one ZIP download.
How do I convert GIF to PNG?
Drop the GIF on the tool above, keep PNG selected, and download the .png file. Add a KB limit if the destination has one.
Does converting GIF to PNG reduce quality?
Both formats are lossless here: every pixel of the GIF is stored exactly in the PNG. In our test a 1281×1600 px portrait went from 1,017 KB as GIF to 1.04 MB as PNG (+4%).
Why convert GIF to PNG?
PNG suits screenshots, logos, signatures on white and images with transparency; GIF is a poor fit for photos, because 256 colours cause banding and dithering noise.
Will an animated GIF stay animated?
No. PixelFit writes a still PNG of the first frame; animated output is not offered.
Related
More GIF format changes
- GIF to JPG same GIF input
- GIF to PDF same GIF input
Other files to PNG
- ICO to PNG also ends as PNG
- AVIF to PNG also ends as PNG
- BMP to PNG also ends as PNG
- SVG to PNG also ends as PNG
- HEIC to PNG also ends as PNG