How to convert GIF (still) to Icon (ICO)
- 1
Upload your file
Drag and drop a file or click to select one. Keep this page open while the file uploads and converts.
- 2
Convert GIF (still) to Icon (ICO)
NexMedia converts GIF (still) to Icon (ICO) on its own servers. Processing time depends on the file size and how busy the queue is.
- 3
Download the converted file
When the conversion finishes, the download appears on this page. Your converted file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
About GIF
A still GIF is a GIF image with a single frame: up to 256 colours from a palette, with optional transparency for one colour.
Simple graphics, small icons and images for very old software.
The 256-colour palette makes photos look banded or dithered.
Convert GIF to ICO online free, no account required — ICO is the icon format of Windows and website favicons.
Change GIF to ICO without losing quality — convert GIF to ICO free in your browser.
Why won’t my GIF image animate? Some GIF files contain a single still frame rather than an animation, and no player will move them — turning the still into JPG or PNG keeps it crisp without the 256-colour limit.
About Icon (ICO)
ICO is the Windows icon format. One .ico file can hold several images of the same icon at different sizes.
Website favicons and the icons of Windows programs and shortcuts.
Each image in an ICO file can be at most 256 × 256 pixels, so the format is not suited to photos.
Why convert an image to ICO? A website favicon needs it — browsers ask for favicon.ico, and one ICO file carries every size from 16 to 256 pixels.
What changes when you convert GIF to ICO
- The GIF picture is re-encoded as ICO at the default quality settings, so it looks close to the original but is not bit-identical.
Settings you can change
Before you convert GIF to ICO, you can adjust: Width, Height, Scale fit, Crop position, Never enlarge, Quality, Lossless, Progressive, Remove metadata, Auto-orient from EXIF, Rotate, and Background.
Limits
Each plan sets a maximum file size and a number of conversions per day, and video and audio files also have a maximum length. Guests can convert files up to 100 megabytes and 5 per day; a free account raises this to 500 megabytes and 25 per day; paid plans go up to 100 gigabytes.
Your converted ICO file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
GIF to ICO: questions and answers
Does converting GIF to ICO reduce quality?
The GIF picture is re-encoded as ICO at the default quality settings, so it looks close to the original but is not bit-identical.
What is the difference between GIF and ICO?
GIF is a single-frame GIF image limited to 256 colours. ICO is the icon format of Windows and website favicons.
Can I change the settings when converting GIF to ICO?
Before you convert GIF to ICO, you can adjust: Width, Height, Scale fit, Crop position, Never enlarge, Quality, Lossless, Progressive, Remove metadata, Auto-orient from EXIF, Rotate, and Background.
Do I need an account to convert GIF to ICO?
No. You can convert GIF to ICO without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted ICO file kept?
The ICO file you convert from GIF is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Is the ICO an exact copy of my GIF?
The GIF picture is re-encoded as ICO at the default quality settings, so it looks close to the original but is not bit-identical.
Will converting GIF to ICO change my original file?
No. The conversion reads your GIF and writes a new ICO file, leaving your original GIF file untouched.