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GIF Optimizer Optimize animated GIF file size by reducing colors and dimensions.

GIF Optimizer illustration
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GIF Optimizer

Optimize animated GIF file size by reducing colors and dimensions.

1

Upload GIF

Drop or select a GIF to optimize.

2

Adjust Settings

Set max colors and scale percentage for optimal balance.

3

Download

Compare file sizes and download the optimized GIF.

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What Is GIF Optimizer?

A GIF optimizer that reduces file size by limiting the color palette and optionally scaling dimensions. Reduce colors from 256 down to 8 for dramatic size savings, and scale down for additional compression. The tool shows before-and-after file sizes with percentage reduction. Uses color quantization and LZW re-encoding to minimize output size while maintaining acceptable visual quality.

Why Use GIF Optimizer?

  • Adjustable color reduction from 8 to 256 colors
  • Optional dimension scaling for additional savings
  • Before/after file size comparison with percentage
  • Preview optimized result before downloading

Common Use Cases

Web Performance

Shrink GIFs for faster web page loading.

Email

Compress GIFs to fit email attachment limits.

Chat

Reduce GIF size for messaging platform limits.

Storage

Minimize GIF collection storage requirements.

Technical Guide

Optimization works in two stages: dimension scaling and color reduction. If scale is below 100%, each frame is redrawn at reduced dimensions using canvas interpolation. Color reduction quantizes the palette to fewer entries (e.g., 64 colors instead of 256). Fewer colors mean shorter LZW codes and better compression ratios. The output is re-encoded with the reduced palette. Typical savings range from 30-70% depending on settings.

Tips & Best Practices

  • 1
    Start with 128 colors — often indistinguishable from 256
  • 2
    Scaling to 75% plus 64 colors can reduce size by 60%+
  • 3
    Simple animations with flat colors compress much better
  • 4
    Preview carefully at low color counts to check quality

Related Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Typical savings?
30-70% reduction depending on color and scale settings.
Q Animation preserved?
Yes — all frames and timing remain intact.
Q Quality loss?
Reducing colors below 64 may show visible banding.
Q Best settings?
128 colors at 75% scale is a good starting point.
Q Lossless?
Color quantization is lossy. For lossless, keep 256 colors.

About This Tool

GIF Optimizer is a free online tool by FreeToolkit.ai. All processing happens directly in your browser — your data never leaves your device. No registration or installation required.