Social media platforms have increased the use of GIFs in recent times. You’ll find these graphic interchange format images everywhere; on pages, groups, stories, posts, comments, DMs, etc.
Here’s an open secret: you don’t always have to search for GIFs online; you can create your own.
When it comes to creating GIFs, YouTube, the most popular video platform on the web, is the best for getting clips. If you want to create your own unique GIFs, check out the 15+ best online platforms to convert YouTube videos to GIFs.
Best YouTube Video To GIF Converters Online
1. GIFRun
GIFRun lets you convert YouTube videos to high-definition GIF images. It’s a free online converter you can use on desktop and mobile devices without trouble.
The website was launched in 2013 as a simple GIF maker. With time, the developers added more features, including the YouTube conversion feature.
Aside from YouTube, you can convert videos from Facebook, Vimeo, Twitter, and a few other social websites to GIFs.
It’s easy to use, and aside from GIFs, you can also convert videos to WebP format. In addition, you can add text and filters when creating GIFs.
GIFRun boasts users from over 160 countries worldwide. Despite being a free website, it doesn’t feature any ads.
When you use GIFRun, you get the chance to mint Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) with a MetaMask wallet. This service is made available via the Ethereum blockchain.
2. Veed
Veed is an online video editor, and among its catalog of tools is a YouTube to GIF converter. You can create GIFs from YouTube videos with a few clicks using the video links.
However, Veed doesn’t feature an exclusive editor for creating GIFs. The editor you’ll use is the general video editor. Nevertheless, you’ll find it easy to use.
The editor lets you crop and trim videos while creating. You can add text, and most importantly, there are options to select specific canvas sizes for different social media platforms.
Veed lets you add multiple text layers, which is why it’s an ideal converter for creating memes.
After creating your GIFs, Veed lets you share them on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram with a single click. You can also download them to your device.
3. GIF Maker
With GIF Maker, you can do two things: convert videos to GIFs or convert multiple images to GIFs.
After loading the YouTube video via the URL, you only need to select a start time and duration to create your GIF. The website features a slider bar, which makes it intuitive.
You can select any start time, depending on the length of the original video, but the maximum duration is 15 seconds.
Hence, GIF Maker won’t work for you if you need to make GIFs that are longer than 15 seconds.
Once you click the “Create GIF” button, it takes a few seconds for the GIF to convert, depending on the video length. Afterward, you can share your GIFs on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit.
In addition to the GIF converter, GIF Maker has other tools, such as a GIF compressor, a GIF resizer, and a GIF cropping tool.
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4. Imgflip
Imgflip, according to the description on the website, is an animated GIF maker. You can upload videos from your device or create them using a YouTube link or links from other websites.
The online converter lets you create GIFs of up to 20 seconds in length. In addition, you can create GIFs of different resolutions, including 100px, 260px, 360px, and 480px.
The built-in editor also lets you customize the GIF size, FPS, speed, and play count.
It’s an exhaustive editor with other options like reverse GIF, forverse, flip, and dithering. You can save your edit settings as a template and apply them to subsequent GIFs you create.
You can use Imgflip for free, but there’s a pro version. The pro version lets you create 80-second long GIFs, remove watermarks, and other advanced features. It costs $8.95 per month, and you can save 17 percent when you pay annually.
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5. Flixier
Flixier is a hub for multiple video editing tools. All of them, including the YouTube GIF maker, integrate to form a single video editor.
Due to its intuitive interface, Flixier is one of the best YouTube to GIF converters. Like the other websites, you primarily need the YouTube video URL to create GIFs.
With the Flixier editor, you can cut, trim, rotate, flip, and resize YouTube videos when creating GIFs. You can also add text, color filters, enhancements, and insert shapes and logos.
Notably, Flixier lets you import multiple YouTube videos and combine them to create a single GIF. It’s a constructive feature you won’t find in many online YouTube to GIF converters.
However, while Flixier’s editor is easy to use, it’s not the best for mobile browsers. It works better on desktop browsers.
6. Kapwing
Kapwing features a free GIF maker as part of its many creator tools. The GIF maker is, however, integrated into the video studio.
You can load your YouTube video by selecting the Add Media option from the studio environment. Aside from YouTube, you can enter URLs from other sites and cloud platforms, including Google Drive and Google Photos.
You get many editing options with the video studio. Trim, crop, filter, adjust, speed, zoom, corners, outline, and rotate are only a few. In addition, there are effects and transitions to use.
With Kapwing, you can create GIFs from multiple videos. Notably, there’s no limit on duration when creating GIFs; you can export the entire YouTube clip as a GIF if you want.
You can create GIFs in SD, HD, or Full HD quality. However, full HD is only available with the pro plan, which costs $24 per month or $192 per year.
Your GIFs will come with watermarks if you don’t have an account. When you log in, you can create three watermark-free GIFs, and it’s unlimited with the pro plan.
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7. Media.io
Media.io lets you create GIFs of videos from four primary sources: your device, Dropbox, Google Drive, and, most importantly, YouTube.
It’s free to use, and you can create GIFs from YouTube videos in just three steps.
You first load the video using the URL. Next, you trim the video to your preferred time and length. Finally, you download the converted GIF.
However, you can perform more customization in-between. You can add text or image watermarks and set output size and FPS, to name a few.
Although Media.io is a free platform, it doesn’t include brand watermarks in the GIFs you create.
The YouTube to GIF converter isn’t the only tool Media.io features. Other tools include a video compressor, video recorder, webcam recorder, video merger, and slideshow maker.
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8. FreeGIFMaker
FreeGIFMaker is one of the simplest GIF makers you’ll find online. It’s free but without ads or other distracting page elements.
To use the website, simply paste and load the video URL, start time (minute and second), and duration. After that, preview the GIF and download it. It takes only four steps to convert a YouTube video to a GIF.
FreeGIFMaker further features a reversed GIF maker. It supports YouTube videos and works just like the primary GIF maker. The only difference is that the clip is in reverse order.
A notable downside of using FreeGIFMaker is that you can only create 10-second long GIFs.
Nevertheless, FreeGIFMaker also has other impressive features. For example, you can add effects to your GIFs after creating them. However, you’ll have to upload the GIF after downloading it to your device.
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9. MakeaGIF
Here’s a free YouTube to GIF converter, and it also supports Facebook, Webcam, and a few others. You only need to enter the URL, edit, and download.
You can easily adjust the start time, GIF length, and GIF speed with the slider bar while editing. In addition, you can add captions, stickers, and audio.
MakeaGIF lets you create a GIF of up to 10 seconds without an account. To create GIFs longer than 10 seconds, you must log in.
Furthermore, with MakeaGIF, you can only create low and medium-quality GIFs with the free version.
The website offers a premium version that lets you create HD GIFs. In addition, you can create GIFs free of watermarks, and you can add your own watermarks.
The premium version costs around $11.35 per month as pricing changes over time. You can try the premium version for three days before paying.
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10. Gifs.com
Gifs.com is self-acclaimed as “the fastest way to make and edit GIFs and short videos.” In particular, it’s an ideal YouTube video to GIF converter online if you’re a brand.
It’s also ideal if you need a GIF converter with many effects. You can add stickers and captions, pad, crop, and convert video clips to black and white while editing.
While most other YouTube to GIF converters requires you to choose the start time, Gifs.com differs.
The website features an algorithm that automatically detects the best parts of a YouTube video for making GIFs. You can still select it manually.
Another advantage of using Gifs.com is the embedded player. After creating your GIF, you can generate a link to embed it on your website. That’s why it’s ideal for brands.
More than one million people use GIFs.com. In addition, the website supports Vine, Instagram, and other websites aside from YouTube.
11. File Converter Online
File Converter Online was launched in 2013. Since then, the platform has recorded more than 93 million file conversions. The YouTube video to GIF converter is one of the best converter tools the website features.
It’s free to use, and you can create GIFs up to 20 seconds long. The platform has an edge in comparison to some previously mentioned platforms that support just 10-second long GIFs.
Furthermore, you can create GIFs in 240px, 360px, 480px, and 720px resolutions with File Converter Online. In addition, you can set the speed anywhere between 0.25x and 2x.
The tool doesn’t take time to convert after you click the “Create GIF from video” button. The GIFs you create will stay on File Converter Online servers for only three hours.
If you want them retained for longer, you have to pay. The prices range from about $5 for three days to about $8 for fourteen days.
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12. BuildGIF
BuildGIF is a simple GIF converter tool. The platform only supports YouTube and Vimeo.
After loading your YouTube URL, you only need to set the start time, stop time, and video length. For the latter, the limit is 20 seconds.
You can also create GIFs automatically with BuildGIF using the Detect feature. Instead of manually setting the start-stop time and video length, simply tick the box for “Detect Scenes” and click the corresponding button.
The tool will automatically scan and detect the best scenes in the video that’ll make good GIFs. It’s up to you to select which you like.
BuildGIF features both free and paid plans. With the BuildGIF free Basic plan, you can only create 20 GIFs each day, and each one will have the BuildGIF brand watermark.
To create unlimited GIFs, remove the brand watermark, and access higher GIF lengths, among other features, you have to subscribe to the Standard or Ultra paid plan. The plans cost $9.99 and $99.99 per month, respectively.
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13. Imgur
The Imgur platform is all about GIFs and memes. It’s a social platform where users can share GIFs, like, comment, and share them. As a result, it features a built-in GIF maker.
You can create GIFs from hundreds of video sites with this built-in GIF maker, and one of the sites is YouTube. You can create and share GIFs even without creating an account.
It’s easy to use as you only need to move the slide bar to select the start time and GIF length. You can create GIFs from 5 to 60 seconds in length with Imgur. However, longer GIFs will take more time to convert.
After creating your GIF, you can directly share it on social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. You can also send an e-mail and copy the GIF link.
The platform has no option to download the GIF to your device.
14. GIPHY
If you regularly use GIFs, you should be familiar with GIPHY. The platform records over 700 million users and over 10 billion daily searches, making it one of the most popular GIF platforms on the internet.
With GIPHY, you can create GIFs, stickers, and virtual backdrops. You can create GIFs from YouTube and other video platforms like Vimeo. Notably, you can create GIFs from other GIPHY GIFs.
The GIPHY GIF maker lets you create GIFs up to 15 seconds in length. In addition, you can decorate videos using captions, stickers, filters, and drawings.
Because of the platform’s popularity, you’ll find many premade captions, stickers, and other items to use. It also features sample text decorations.
However, to create GIFs using the GIPHY GIF maker, you must have a GIPHY account. Also, you must cite the source (YouTube URL).
After you create your GIFs, you can share them, embed them on websites, or add them to collections.
15. Visme
Here we have another GIF converter and a video studio all in one. It’s ideal to use if you need lots of editing options.
You need to log in to create GIFs with Visme. The platform features many GIF templates created by other Visme users for you to use. Alternatively, you can create your own GIF from a blank template.
You can load your YouTube video from the Media section in the video environment. In addition to YouTube, Visme lets you import videos from Vimeo, Vidyard, Loom, and Wistia.
You can set the start time, stop time, animate, add effects, trim, arrange, and more from the settings.
In particular, Visme lets you add elements like graphics, texts, diagrams, photo grids, lines, shapes, icons, characters, maps, tables, and dynamic fields, to name a few.
Unlike many other GIF video studios mentioned earlier, Visme lets you download your created GIF to your device. You can also directly share the link with others.
16. Picasion
Picasion doesn’t have the best user interface in terms of graphics, but it’s a workable YouTube to GIF converter online.
The website is free and easy to use. The only thing to do is enter and load your YouTube URL, set the start time and GIF length, and click on ‘Create animation.”
Picasion lets you create GIFs up to one to five seconds in length. Hence, if you want to make much longer GIFs, Picasion isn’t for you. In addition, you can’t preview your GIF before converting it; hence, your set start time must be accurate.
The website takes a while to convert videos, but once it’s complete, it downloads them automatically to your device.
Aside from the YouTube to GIF converter tool, Picasion also features other GIF tools, including a Webcam to GIF converter, a GIF resizer, and a GIF Splitter.
17. Keevi Studio
Keevi Studio is a popular website for social media creators. You can convert YouTube to GIFs with the online video studio, but it works differently from most other platforms.
Keevi features a YouTube downloader separate from the video studio.
To convert YouTube videos to GIFs, the studio first redirects you to the downloader to download the video. After that, you can then import the video.
Keevi Studio lets you add text, stickers, and subtitles when editing videos. You can also combine multiple videos to create a single GIF.
You don’t have to pay to use this website. However, there’s a pro plan for $14 per month and a business plan for $21 per month.
With these paid plans, you can create GIFs at higher resolutions and retain them for longer on Keevi’s servers, among other advanced options.
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Bottom Line
With any of these converters, you can create amazing GIFs to share with others.
Notably, they are all easy to use and, most importantly, you don’t have to pay, though some have paid plans for more advanced features.
Tom loves to write on technology, e-commerce & internet marketing.
Tom has been a full-time internet marketer for two decades now, earning millions of dollars while living life on his own terms. Along the way, he’s also coached thousands of other people to success.