Contrary to their size, these GIFs can be useful in many ways. Here’s a detailed analysis of why you should consider GIFs in your video projects and a list of the best YouTube to GIF Converters.
What are GIFs?
Contrary to what most people believe, GIFs are not a video format but an image format. It would be better to call them a short compilation of images or frames rather than a video. Due to being this compact, these GIFs only take a few kilobytes of disk space. Moreover, these GIFs can play continuously on a loop without needing to press play every time.
Well, that’s good information about GIFs, but how can you turn this simple image format into a valuable resource for your YouTube videos? Let’s find out.
Why should you use GIFs in your video projects?
If your job involves anything related to making video projects or editing them, you should consider using GIFs in them. These GIFs can enhance the entertainment value of your videos and increase their user retention. Other than this obvious benefit, here are some other advantages of using GIFs:
Better Convey Your Messages
Barely speaking, information in your videos can make them tough to watch for a long time. Also, the user may feel overwhelmed with information and might only retain some parts after a few days. GIFs, especially those with text, can enhance your videos’ information retention potential and make the users grab more from them. As these GIFs often have a humorous tone, they can easily let you convey your message in a fun way.
Small File Size
Rather than using conventional chunks of video footage in your video projects, using GIFs can immensely speed up the entire editing process. Moreover, as these GIFs are usually small, they won’t be harsh on your hardware. You can save quite a bit on your disk space and put less strain on your graphics processor while editing the video.
Increase your video’s watch time
Humor is subjective, but one thing that all of us can agree on; a funny GIF in a video makes you chuckle and enjoy the video better. But let’s not limit ourselves to just the funny GIFs. GIFs with information and clever animation can make the video much more watchable. GIFs are shown to have a positive outcome when it comes to video watch time.
Why use a YouTube to GIF converter?
YouTube is amongst the biggest video libraries on the internet, and although there are many GIF stores, YouTube can beat all of them due to the vast number of videos on the platform. However, YouTube doesn’t feature many GIFs, and you will need to first convert a video or a part of a YouTube video into GIF before using it for your project. That’s where YouTube to GIF converters come into play, as these help you to convert any part of a YouTube video into downloadable GIFs. Apart from the bare minimum of converting YouTube videos into GIFs, these YouTube-to-GIF converters can do much more. The editing tools on these converters add much more value to them, and we have compiled the best converters you can find on the internet. Here is a complete list of the best YouTube to GIF converters with their detailed analysis:
Veed.io
What comes to your mind when you think of full-fledged video editing software? We think of them as big, bulky, and slow software that needs a lot of your system resources. But what if they could use one right inside your internet browser? Sounds impossible, but Veed.io does this and offers features similar to a lite video editor without needing to download anything on your device. As for the GIF conversion part, you can upload your videos to the platform and convert any part of it into a GIF. You can use various tools to upload a video on the platform, including Google Drive, Dropbox, your personal device, and much more. The fun part starts when you finally upload the video and get going. Veed.io has numerous editing tools using which you can add text or resize the video according to your needs. You can also increase or decrease the video volume or detach the audio completely. There are options to change the video speed and even clean the audio if the original has noise in it. Later, when you are done with the conversion, you can download the GIF to your device using the download option on the platform. Pros:
No need to download the software It works effortlessly for bigger files too It has some of the best editing features on a YouTube to GIF converter
Cons:
You first need to have a downloaded version of the YouTube video before you can convert it into a GIF.
Wondershare’s UniConverter
Wondershare’s suite of editing tools has quickly made its name among the top video editors on the market, and there are numerous reasons for it. First up, while video editors from Adobe and Filmora try to compile each editing tool into one, Wondershare has different tools for different purposes, making it easier and less cumbersome to use these tools. Wondershare’s UniConverter far outweighs any other YouTube to GIF converters on this list. The reason is that the UniConverter works with GIF conversion and many more formats. For starters, you can interconvert MP4, HEVC, AVI, GIF, and many more formats without losing the quality of the original footage. Moreover, you can add numerous effects to the GIF and make it customize it completely according to your needs. Another perk of using a Wondershare tool is its fantastic compatibility with other tools from the company. This means that you can edit, cut, clip, speed, reverse, and add special effects to your GIFs if you have other Wondershare tools on your device without having any compatibility issues. Pros:
An amazing number of editing tools, especially when combined with other Wondershare products Almost all video formats are covered under one platform Great for GIF conversion and a lot more
Cons:
You need to download and set up the software before using it, which makes the process slightly longer You need a downloaded version of the YouTube video before proceeding
Flixier’s YouTube GIF maker
If you want a quicker solution for converting YouTube videos into GIFs, Flixier’s YouTube GIF maker is an amazing tool to begin with. It overcomes both of the above-mentioned caveats and is by far the quickest way to convert YouTube videos into GIFs. Like Veed.io’s concept, the YouTube GIF maker also comes with a multifunctional website that lets you do the entire conversion within your browser. Another major perk of using the platform is its privacy-centric approach, which doesn’t make it mandatory to sign up and create an account before the conversion. However, the biggest feature that makes the YouTube GIF maker stand out is the ability to edit YouTube videos with just their links. You don’t need to manually upload the video before the conversion. Moreover, the GIF maker has features to tweak the GIF resolution, add text, motion effects, audio, transitions, and more. Pros:
Perfect for a quick YouTube to GIF conversion The feature to edit YouTube videos from their links is one of a kind It contains a wide variety of editing tools
Cons:
You need a premium subscription to edit videos longer than 30 minutes in length
Imgflip’s Animated GIF Maker
The Animated GIF Maker is a platform that comes straight to the point and asks you for one of two things; you can either upload a video file or insert a YouTube video link. Next, the website takes you to the edit page, where you can select the start and end points of your GIF. Moreover, you can add text, crop, and even rotate the video as per your requirements. You can increase or decrease the frame rate if you want your GIF to look a little smoother while playing or leave it at the default setting of 20 FPS. Additionally, you can preview the outcome GIF and even share or save it as a template if you plan to edit the GIF multiple times with different formats. The Animated GIF Maker is truly the handiest tool to create and share GIFs; however, it lacks many editing tools you might find in the UniConverter or YouTube GIF maker. Pros:
On-the-go conversion of YouTube videos to GIF Rudimentary but handy editing options No cap on the video size No need to create an account
Cons:
It has limited editing tools, unlike its competitors It has a basic user interface
Free GIF Maker
Although most GIFs need some form of editing before they can be used in a video project. However, suppose your only goal is to convert a YouTube video into a GIF without the hassle of editing or changing the source material. In that case, the Free GIF Maker might be the perfect tool for you. The platform is as simple as it gets, with just a textbox that asks you to enter a YouTube URL. Next up, the website loads your video and shows its preview. You can see the video yourself and decide the start and end timestamps of your GIF. The process after this is fairly simple, and you need to enter the start time for your GIF. After which, you can enter the duration of your GIF and click on the preview to generate a preview of your converted GIF. The website only allows a maximum duration of 10 seconds, so be careful when choosing the timestamps. Pros:
Perfect if you only want to convert a YouTube video into a GIF without editing it. It doesn’t require you to create a user account
Cons:
It has virtually no editing tools You cannot upload a video, and it only accepts video links The user interface is basic
Make a GIF
At this point, we have seen many YouTube to GIF converters that offer phenomenal feature sets, but they have only allowed us to use either video links or upload our videos. While these two options satisfy the needs of most users, what if you wanted a platform that lets you convert videos into GIFs from Facebook and your Webcam too? Make a GIF lets you do that with numerous editing options and the feature to add videos from Facebook, your webcam footage, and your device storage. Moreover, it also comes with features to make your GIF rank better by adding tags and titles to them. The best part about Make a GIF is its unique yet handy editing tools that enhance the entire GIF conversion process. You can increase or decrease the GIF speed and length according to your requirements. Later, you can publish your GIF using the website and even download it to your device. Pros:
It is excellent if you want videos from multiple platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Webcam, and more It has amazing editing options It even lets you publish your GIFs
Cons:
You need to create an account and fill in your details if you want a GIF more than 10 seconds in length
Motionbox’s YouTube to GIF converter
Although GIFs mostly range from one to ten seconds, it takes quite a lot of creativity to produce high-quality and entertaining GIFs. If you are someone that needs rich editing software to match your creative needs, the YouTube to GIF converter from Motionbox might be your next favorite. This tool brings full-fledged editing software with rare rarest features packed inside a browser-based utility. The utility first asks you to register by creating an account on the website. Only then can you upload your YouTube video through the device storage or URL at your convenience. The editing tools on this utility are its backbone. It has some of the best features, like automatic captions, cool and innovative fonts, animations, GIF images, and much more. Additionally, sometimes you want to use a popular GIF template but don’t want to go through the hassle of cutting it down from a YouTube video. Motionbox features an enormous library of pre-existing GIF templates you can use for your projects. Pros:
Features the best editing tools on a GIF converter Endless creative possibilities with numerous advanced features Extensive media library to support your GIF conversion process
Cons:
As the website tries packing many different elements in a browser-based utility, you might experience a lagging experience, especially when on a low-end device
Keevi
Keevi is another browser-based video-to-GIF converter that converts your YouTube videos into GIFs. As soon as you enter the website, you are asked to either upload a video from your device storage or choose a YouTube video. Interestingly, the website doesn’t load the video when you enter the video URL but rather downloads it on your device. You will later need to upload this downloaded video to the website if you want to convert it into a GIF. You can also screen record a video and make a GIF using Keevi. Later, when you upload the video, you get some basic yet handy editing tools, such as the feature to add a heading, sub-heading, and body text to your GIF. You can also add popular stickers and emojis from their library. Moreover, you can either choose their automated subtitle option or enter the subtitles manually as per your choice. After you are done, you can export the GIF in your preferred resolution and quality. Pros:
The editing tools are few but extremely handy The user interface is simplified for easy usage There is no cap on the video length
Cons:
The website doesn’t accept YouTube video URLs The website sometimes lags due to internal errors
GifRun
GifRun is a simple YouTube-to-GIF converter that only converts YouTube videos into GIFs. You don’t get an option to upload an existing video from your device storage. However, the features of this converter outweigh some of the top runners in the segment. For starters, you get the option to create GIFs of up to 15 seconds if that’s something you need. Moreover, the editing tools are basic yet useful for simple GIF editing. The best part is that you can download some popular GIFs from their library and use them without worrying about copyright infringement. Pros:
It needs no signup or account creation You can create GIFs up to 15 seconds in length You can download popular GIFs
Cons:
No feature to upload your videos Editing tools are basic
Final Thoughts
GIFs can immensely enhance your video projects’ viewing experience, and YouTube is a great place to look for such GIFs. The different YouTube to GIF converters offers various functions ranging from GIF conversions to full-fledged editing tools. Summing it up, if you are looking for a quick conversion, tools like Flixier’s YouTube to GIF converter, Free GIF Maker, and GifRun are great choices. Also, Motionbox’s converter is perfect if you want an amazing suite of editing tools by your side. Now you may read about the best open-source video editors.
