How to Change GIF to WebP on Mac
GIF can animate and has simple on/off transparency, but each frame is limited to 256 colours, which makes photos look grainy and banded.. Add your GIF file to the box below and it turns into a WebP instantly, on your own Mac, without anything being uploaded.
Drop GIF files here or browse
Accepts HEIC, WebP, PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF and SVG · multiple files · nothing is uploaded
Converted on your device. Your photos never leave your browser.
The steps: Change GIF to WebP on Mac
- 1
Open this page in Safari, Chrome or Firefox on your Mac.
- 2
Drag the file out of Finder onto the box above, or click the box to choose it.
- 3
Your WebP is ready the moment the file is added. Lower the Quality if you'd like a lighter file.
- 4
Click Download. You'll find the file in your Downloads folder (in Finder or on the Dock).
What happens to your image going from GIF to WebP
- WebP is a lossy format. The Quality slider begins at 90%, which is indistinguishable from the original for almost any photo; slide it down for a smaller file and the preview shows the new size before you save.
- Make sure the place you're uploading to takes WebP – most sites and browsers do, though some older apps and forms don't.
- For an animated GIF, only the first frame is converted, so you get a still image.
GIF vs WebP in brief
- GIF can animate and has simple on/off transparency, but each frame is limited to 256 colours, which makes photos look grainy and banded.
- WebP is an image format Google designed to make websites load faster. It handles lossy and lossless compression, transparency and animation, and typically comes out 25–35% smaller than a matching JPG, although some editors, older programs and upload forms still won't take it.
Mac tips
- macOS has its own shortcut as well: select images in Finder, right-click › Quick Actions › Convert Image (macOS 12 or newer) to get JPEG, PNG or HEIF. It can't output WebP and doesn't preview the quality.
- It runs the same on Apple silicon and Intel Macs, with nothing to get from the App Store.
GIF vs WebP
| GIF | WebP | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless, capped at 256 colours | Lossy or lossless |
| Transparency | On or off only (no soft edges) | Yes |
| Animation | Yes | Yes |
| Ideal for | Short loops and simple graphics | Quick-loading pictures on web pages |
| Works on | Everywhere | Every modern browser; uneven in older desktop software |
Questions & answers
Does changing GIF to WebP lower the quality?
At the 90% default you won't be able to tell. WebP is lossy, so very low settings can bring blur or blocky edges.
Can I do a whole batch of GIF files?
Yes. Add as many as you want; each is converted separately, and Download all bundles them into a single ZIP.
Do my photos get sent anywhere?
No. Your browser does the conversion with your device's own processor, so your photos stay with you. Once the page has loaded you could even switch off your internet connection.
Where do I find the converted file on my Mac?
Click Download. You'll find the file in your Downloads folder (in Finder or on the Dock).
Need more options? Open the full Image Converter tool →