How to convert Icon (ICO) to GIF (still)
- 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 Icon (ICO) to GIF (still)
NexMedia converts Icon (ICO) to GIF (still) 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 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.
Convert ICO to GIF online free, no account required — GIF is a single-frame GIF image limited to 256 colours.
Change ICO to GIF without losing quality — convert ICO to GIF free in your browser.
Why won't my image editor open the ICO file properly? A favicon file bundles the same icon at several sizes in one container, so most viewers show only the largest layer or open it distorted.
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.
Why save an image as a still GIF? For very old systems and tiny embedded displays that only draw GIFs; everywhere else PNG is the better choice.
What changes when you convert ICO to GIF
- The ICO picture is re-encoded as GIF at the default quality settings, so it looks close to the original but is not bit-identical.
Settings you can change
Before you convert ICO to GIF, 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 GIF file is kept for 2 hours, then deleted.
ICO to GIF: questions and answers
Does converting ICO to GIF reduce quality?
The ICO picture is re-encoded as GIF at the default quality settings, so it looks close to the original but is not bit-identical.
What is the difference between ICO and GIF?
ICO is the icon format of Windows and website favicons. GIF is a single-frame GIF image limited to 256 colours.
Can I change the settings when converting ICO to GIF?
Before you convert ICO to GIF, 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 ICO to GIF?
No. You can convert ICO to GIF without an account; signing in raises the file-size and daily limits.
How long is my converted GIF file kept?
The GIF file you convert from ICO is kept for 2 hours, then deleted automatically.
Is the GIF an exact copy of my ICO?
The ICO picture is re-encoded as GIF at the default quality settings, so it looks close to the original but is not bit-identical.
Will converting ICO to GIF change my original file?
No. The conversion reads your ICO and writes a new GIF file, leaving your original ICO file untouched.