How to Convert GIF to PNG on Mac
GIF supports animation and simple on/off transparency but only 256 colours per frame, so photos saved as GIF look banded and grainy.. Drop your GIF file into the converter below and it becomes a PNG straight away, right on your Mac – nothing is uploaded.
Drop GIF files here or browse
Accepts HEIC, WebP, PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF and SVG · multiple files · nothing is uploaded
Converted on your device. Your photos never leave your browser.
Step by step: Convert GIF to PNG on Mac
- 1
Open this page in Safari, Chrome or Firefox on your Mac.
- 2
Drag the file from Finder onto the box above, or click the box to choose it.
- 3
The PNG is made as soon as the file is added.
- 4
Click Download. The file is saved to your Downloads folder (Finder › Downloads, or the dock).
What changes when you convert GIF to PNG
- Only the first frame of an animated GIF is converted – the result is a still image.
About GIF and PNG
- GIF supports animation and simple on/off transparency but only 256 colours per frame, so photos saved as GIF look banded and grainy.
- PNG is a lossless format: it keeps every pixel exactly and supports full transparency. That makes it ideal for screenshots, logos and graphics, but photos saved as PNG are often several times bigger than the same photo as a JPG.
Tips for Mac
- macOS has a built-in option too: select images in Finder, right-click › Quick Actions › Convert Image (macOS 12 or later) converts to JPEG, PNG or HEIF. It can't make WebP, and it has no quality preview.
- Works on Apple silicon and Intel Macs alike – nothing to download from the App Store.
GIF vs PNG
| GIF | PNG | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless, but limited to 256 colours | Lossless |
| Transparency | On/off only (no soft edges) | Yes, full alpha channel |
| Animation | Yes | No (APNG is rarely supported by editors) |
| Best for | Short animations and simple graphics | Screenshots, logos, graphics with text or transparency |
| Support | Universal | Universal |
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose quality converting GIF to PNG?
No further quality is lost – PNG is lossless. The PNG looks exactly like the GIF you put in.
Can I convert several GIF files at once?
Yes. Add as many as you like; each converts on its own, and Download all saves them in one ZIP.
Are my photos uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs in your browser using your device's own processor, so your photos never leave your device. You can even disconnect from the internet once the page has loaded.
Where does the converted file go on my Mac?
Click Download. The file is saved to your Downloads folder (Finder › Downloads, or the dock).
Need more options? Open the full Image Converter tool →