MotionShineShort answer: open the free GIF to MP4 converter in Safari, Chrome or any browser, drop your GIF on the page, and click Download the MP4. The tool's page says it runs in your browser, so the GIF is never uploaded, and that it keeps the timing of every frame. You do not need to install anything.
Facts about the tool come from its own page on this site. Apple facts come from Apple Support pages, checked on 24 October 2026.
Steps: GIF to MP4 on a Mac
- Open the converter. Go to GIF to MP4.
- Drop in the GIF. You can also click to choose a file or paste one. Several GIFs at once work too.
- Check the preview. The video plays in the page, and it loops there so you can check it.
- Change a setting if you need to. See the table below.
- Download. Click Download the MP4, or Download all as ZIP if you added many. Each file keeps the GIF's name with .mp4 at the end.
The settings that matter
| Setting | Choices on the tool | When to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Play it | Once, or 2, 3, 5 or 10 times | An MP4 has no loop setting inside the file. Repeat it here if the clip goes into a slide or an edit |
| Size | Same as the GIF, twice as big, 720 px wide, 1080 px wide | Twice as big keeps pixel art sharp. 720 or 1080 when a site wants a bigger video |
| Frame rate | The GIF's own frame times, or a steady 30 or 60 | Keep the GIF's own timing unless an app asks for a steady rate |
| Quality | Standard, or High | High for sharper edges, Standard for a smaller file |
| Behind see-through parts | White or Black | MP4 cannot hold transparency, so pick the colour that fits your page |
Why the MP4 is smaller
The tool's page explains it. A GIF stores each frame as its own picture. A video codec stores a full picture now and then, and in between it keeps only the parts that moved. That is why an MP4 is often much smaller than the GIF it came from. The page says "often", so the saving depends on your clip. The page shows the size before and after, so you can see the real number for your file.
What you lose and keep
| Animated GIF | MP4 (H.264) | |
|---|---|---|
| Colours | Up to 256 per frame | Full colour |
| Transparency | Yes | No |
| Looping | Built into the file | Set by the player or the page |
| Sound | None | Possible, but this tool makes a silent video |
This table is from the tool's own guide. If the GIF has see-through parts, the MP4 will fill them with white or black.
Can QuickTime Player or Preview do it?
I looked at Apple's Support pages for both apps. Apple's Preview guide lists topics called "View an animated GIF's frames" and "Convert image file types", but the pages I read did not describe turning a GIF into a video. For QuickTime Player, Apple's page for exporting movies did not name MP4 or GIF in the text I could read. So I could not confirm an Apple-only route from these pages. Not found, so I do not claim one.
If you have a Mac screen recording and want a GIF instead, that is the other direction. See convert a QuickTime recording to GIF.
Make it loop
An MP4 plays once unless the player repeats it. Two ways to fix that:
- Use Play it in the converter to repeat the clip up to 10 times inside one file.
- Use the free loop video tool to repeat any video from 2 to 500 times. See how to loop a video on Mac.
Make a GIF from a screen recording first
If you start from a Mac screen recording, record it, then use MOV to GIF or video to GIF. If you want the video, you may not need a GIF at all: an MP4 is what most sites prefer. MOV vs MP4 for screen recordings and how to convert QuickTime to MP4 cover that.
For recording the clip itself, MotionShine, by the maker of this site, is a free Mac screen recorder with auto zoom on clicks and a smooth cursor. It exports video, not GIFs, so it is not the tool for making a GIF. Free exports go up to 720p at 30 fps with no watermark.
FAQ
Is converting a GIF to MP4 free?
The GIF to MP4 tool on this site is free. Its page says there is no sign-up and no upload.
Will the MP4 loop like the GIF?
Not by itself. The tool's page says an MP4 has no loop setting inside the file, so it plays once and stops unless the player repeats it. Choose a higher Play it count or use the loop video tool.
Does the MP4 keep the GIF's speed?
The default frame rate option uses the GIF's own frame times. The tool's page says the timing of every frame is kept. You can also choose a steady 30 or 60 frames a second.
Will the MP4 have sound?
No. A GIF has no sound, and the tool makes a silent video.
Why is the background white or black?
MP4 cannot hold see-through pixels. The tool lets you choose white or black behind any transparent parts.
Can I convert many GIFs at once?
Yes. Drop several and download them together as a ZIP.
