GIF vs PNG — when to use which
GIF format limitations
GIF was created in 1987 with a 256 color limit. For that time it was acceptable, but today it leads to visible artifacts on photos and gradients.
When GIF is still relevant
Short animations, memes, chat reactions — GIF remains popular due to simplicity and wide support. For static images, use PNG.
Extracting animation preview
Need a static frame for thumbnail or document? Convert GIF to PNG — get a quality image of the first frame.
Editing GIF images
PNG is easier to edit in Photoshop and other editors. Convert GIF to PNG, edit, then return to the required format.
GIF alternatives for animation
WebP and APNG support animation with better quality and smaller size. For video-like content, use MP4 — 10 times smaller than GIF.