The .gif filename extension refers to the GIF graphical file format created by CompuServe in 1987. The format is from the class of raster graphics which uses a dot matrix type data structure of orthogonally placed pixels, each with their own color information. The file format has a rich history of usage in storing sprite data for video games especially those released in the early 90's. The GIF format has also been used in low-resolution animation clips distributed over the internet, and in design of sharp-edged art that utilize a palette of a few colors up to a max of 256 colors. The GIF file format has its advantage in its compression technique, which limits file size but does not compromise image quality. The file format natively opens on many of the popular web browsers.
WebP is a popular image format that has been developed by Google in 2010. The WebP technology deploys features of both the lossy and the lossless compression techniques that are totally in contrast to each other. The lossy compression technique is an irreversible data compression whereas lossless compression technique involves reversible data compression. However, the lossy compression technique is very useful in significantly reducing the file size for easy transfer and handling as well as to save on storage space. Compared to other image formats like JPEG and PNG, the WebP image formats retain the high quality despite allowing for nearly 34% more compression. This technology is useful as a large number of images can be viewed one after the other across the world at very high speed. There is a standalone library called libwebp in the GIT Repository that can be used as a reference for implementation of the WebP specifications. This library provides the necessary commands for encoding and decoding.
FreeFileConvert uses tuned encoding for GIF to WEBP conversions, preserving clarity while trimming file size. Finished audio streams instantly across phones, tablets, desktops, and modern browsers without extra tweaks.
Upload GIF files from desktop, tablet, or cloud storage, queue multiple jobs, and let the converter finish autonomously. Return whenever convenient to download synchronized WEBP results on any device you rely on.
Process up to 5 files sized 1000 MB per batch without splitting queues manually. Mixed-format uploads convert together, producing consistent WEBP audio with dependable progress tracking.
The GIF format is formally specified in the GIF89a Specification released in 1989 and maintained by the World Wide Web consortium. The format uses the Lempel-Ziv-Welch data compression algorithm to create a single lossless file of multiple images known as frames. The GIF file format has a structure of blocks composed of control, graphics rendering, and special purpose blocks. The blocks begin with the header block, followed by the logical screen descriptor block, the graphic control block with the actual image and or text, and finally the gif trailer marking the end of the file.
The algorithm for lossy compression technique in WebP images is based on the structure found in the VP8 video format which uses the intra-frame coding mechanism. The RIFF (Resource Interchange File Format) is used as the container format for these files. The lossless compression of WebP comprises of advanced compression techniques like using dedicated codes to entropy channels of different colors. This technique exploits the 2D or the 2 Dimensional localities for referencing distances in a backward order and maintains a color cache that has all the colors that have been used recently. It comprises of complementary basic techniques like Color Indexing Transformation, Huffman coding and Dictionary coding. There is almost a 19% to 64% reduction in image size depending on the source image format and whether the image is being converted to a lossy or a lossless format in WebP.
Upload your image file in the GIF format from your device, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Select WEBP as the output format and click Convert. Adjust optional settings if needed.
Download the converted image file. Each file stays available for up to 5 downloads.