MP4 offers 60-80% smaller file sizes than GIF while maintaining better quality. It supports 24-bit true color (vs GIF's 256 colors) and uses efficient H.264 video compression. MP4 is ideal for large animations, photographic content, or when file size is critical. However, MP4 requires video player support and may not auto-play on all platforms like GIF does. Convert to MP4 when: file size >5MB, content is photographic, platform supports video, or you need best quality/size ratio.

WebP provides 26-35% smaller files than GIF with better quality, supports full 24-bit color, and offers true alpha transparency (vs GIF's binary transparency). WebP also supports both lossy and lossless compression modes. However, WebP has limited compatibility - not supported in older browsers (IE, old Safari) or many platforms (Discord, Slack, email clients). Best for modern websites where you control the environment or can provide GIF fallback.

Choose MP4 for: maximum compression (60-80% smaller), long videos (>10 seconds), photographic content, platforms that support video. Choose WebP for: modern websites with fallback support, when you need transparency, better quality than GIF but smaller than keeping as GIF. Keep as GIF for: universal compatibility, platform requirements (Discord, Slack, email), short loops (2-5 seconds), when auto-play inline is critical.

No, our converter preserves looping behavior using the -loop -1 flag in MP4 encoding. The MP4 will loop infinitely just like the original GIF. However, some video players may need manual loop settings enabled. Modern browsers and most platforms that support MP4 playback will respect the loop flag and play your converted animation continuously.

Yes, but with tradeoffs. Converting MP4 to GIF reduces the color space from millions of colors to 256 colors per frame, significantly increasing file size (2-4x larger), and may introduce color banding. This is useful when you need GIF format for platform compatibility (Discord, email, etc.). For best results: keep original video quality, use palettegen for color optimization, consider reducing frame rate (30fps to 20fps), and resize dimensions if the file gets too large.

MP4: CRF=20-23 for near-lossless quality (lower numbers = higher quality), CRF=28-32 for good compression with acceptable quality. WebP: quality=85-95 for photos and complex animations, quality=75-85 for simpler graphics. GIF optimization: use palettegen + paletteuse, quality=90 for minimal loss. Higher quality = larger files but better appearance. Start with defaults and adjust based on visual preview.

Transparency handling varies by format. GIF: Binary transparency only (fully transparent or fully opaque). WebP: Full alpha channel support like PNG (any opacity level). MP4 (H.264): No transparency support - transparent areas become black or white. MP4 (HEVC): Supports alpha channel but limited player support. If you need transparency, use WebP for modern web or keep as GIF for compatibility.

Absolutely. All conversion happens locally in your browser using WebAssembly - your files never leave your device. We don't upload, store, or access your GIF files on any server. The entire process runs on your computer, and all data is permanently deleted from browser memory when you close the page. This is true privacy-first processing with zero data retention or cloud storage.

Currently, our tool processes one GIF at a time to ensure maximum quality and performance. For batch conversion, you can repeat the process for each file. We recommend converting one file first to test quality settings, then applying the same settings to additional files. Each conversion typically takes 2-10 seconds depending on file size and target format.