How do I split a GIF into individual frames?

Drop your GIF onto Convert Media's GIF Frame Split tool. The tool will load FFmpeg in your browser, then extract every frame as a separate PNG or JPG image. Once extraction is complete, you can preview each frame in the grid and download them individually or all at once. The entire process happens locally on your device.

What image format should I use for extracted frames — PNG or JPG?

PNG is recommended for most use cases. GIF images are already limited to 256 colors, so PNG's lossless compression preserves every pixel exactly as it appears in the GIF. PNG also supports transparency, which GIF uses for certain effects. Choose JPG only if you need smaller file sizes and do not require transparency or pixel-perfect accuracy.

How many frames can a GIF have?

The GIF format has no technical limit on frame count, but practical GIFs typically have anywhere from 5 to a few hundred frames. Short reaction GIFs usually have 10–30 frames. Longer animated GIFs can have 100–500 frames. Convert Media supports extraction of up to 9,999 frames per GIF, which covers virtually any real-world GIF file you will encounter.

Does Convert Media upload my GIF to a server?

No. Convert Media processes your GIF entirely within your browser using WebAssembly. The file never leaves your device. FFmpeg runs locally in your browser's memory. This means there is no upload time, no server queue, no privacy risk, and no file size restriction imposed by upload limits.

Can I extract a single frame instead of all frames?

Convert Media currently extracts all frames at once and presents them in a grid. You can then click the download icon on any individual frame to save just that one image without downloading the others. This gives you full flexibility to take only the frames you need.

GIF Frame Extractor

Split animated GIFs into individual frames. Download as PNG or JPG — processed entirely in your browser.

Upload Video

Drop a video file here, or click to browse

Supports MP4, WebM, AVI, MOV, MKV and more

Max file size: 2GB (recommended: under 200MB)

The Complete Guide to GIF Frame Extraction

Everything you need to know about splitting a GIF into its individual frames as PNG or JPG images.

What Is GIF Frame Extraction?

A GIF file is a sequence of individual images stitched together to create the illusion of animation. Frame extraction is the process of splitting that sequence back into its constituent images — one still PNG or JPG per frame. This lets you inspect every moment of the animation, reuse individual frames in other projects, or edit specific frames before reassembling the GIF.

Convert Media handles frame extraction entirely in your browser using FFmpeg WebAssembly. The GIF never leaves your device. No upload is required, and extraction is fast because FFmpeg decodes the GIF locally on your machine. A 30-frame GIF typically extracts in under 5 seconds on modern hardware.

PNG vs JPG: Which Format for Extracted Frames?

Convert Media lets you choose the output format for extracted frames. Here is how they compare:

Feature	PNG	JPG
Compression	Lossless	Lossy
Transparency	Supported	Not supported
File size	Larger	Smaller
Color accuracy	Pixel-perfect	Minor artifacts possible
Best for	Re-editing, compositing	Sharing, web thumbnails

For most use cases, PNG is the better choice. GIFs already have a limited 256-color palette, so there is no quality benefit to JPG's additional lossy compression. Choose JPG only if you need smaller files and do not require transparency.

Common Use Cases for GIF Frame Extraction

GIF Editing

Extract all frames, edit specific ones in an image editor like Photoshop or GIMP, then reassemble into a new GIF. This is the standard workflow for fixing or enhancing individual moments within an animation.

Still Image Capture

Extract the single perfect frame from an animated GIF to use as a static image. Ideal when you want a clean still from a GIF for a blog post, presentation slide, or social media image.

Sprite Sheet Creation

Game developers and web developers extract frames from animation GIFs to create sprite sheets for use in CSS animations or game engines. Individual PNG frames are the standard input for most sprite-packing tools.

Frame Analysis

Inspect each frame of an animation to understand its structure, timing, and composition. Useful for debugging animation glitches, studying looping techniques, or reverse-engineering a GIF for educational purposes.

How Browser-Based Frame Extraction Works

Convert Media uses FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly to extract frames directly in your browser. When you drop a GIF onto the tool, it writes the file to FFmpeg's virtual in-memory filesystem, runs the extraction command, then reads the resulting image files back out — all without any server communication.

The FFmpeg command used for PNG extraction is ffmpeg -i input.gif frame_%04d.png. This instructs FFmpeg to decode every frame from the GIF container and write them as sequentially numbered files. The zero-padded four-digit naming (frame_0001, frame_0002, etc.) ensures frames sort correctly in any file browser or tool that processes them alphabetically.

Tips for Working with Extracted Frames

Large GIFs Take Longer

A 100-frame GIF at 640px will extract faster than a 30-frame GIF at 1080px because image dimensions have more impact on processing time than frame count. For very large GIFs, allow 10–30 seconds for extraction. The progress bar updates as frames complete.

Downloading All Frames

The "Download All" button triggers sequential downloads with a small delay between each. Most browsers will group these into a single download batch or show a confirmation for multiple downloads. Accept or allow downloads when prompted. For very large frame counts (100+), consider downloading frames individually or using a dedicated desktop tool.

Frame URLs Are Temporary

Extracted frame images are held in memory as object URLs. They disappear when you reset the tool or close the tab. Download the frames you want before resetting if you plan to use them elsewhere.

Related GIF Tools

Looking for other ways to work with GIFs? Try these tools:

GIF Frame Editor

Edit individual frames in a GIF

GIF Merge

Combine multiple GIFs into one

Video to GIF

Convert video clips to animated GIFs

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Convert Media.