Quantize a GIF
Snap every frame to a fixed-size color palette using median-cut quantization. Runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your device.
Drop a file here, or click to browse
Files never leave your device
Output
The result appears here as you type.
How to use Quantize a GIF
- 1. Load the GIF to quantize. Drop in an animated GIF. The tool analyzes the colors actually used across its frames, which is the input the median-cut algorithm needs to build a representative palette.
- 2. Set the Palette size. Enter how many colors the output may use. Median-cut splits the color space where the pixels cluster, so 64 often looks close to the original, 32 shows gentle flattening, and 8 or fewer produces a deliberate poster-style look.
- 3. Download the quantized GIF. Inspect the preview for banding in gradients and skin tones, nudge the palette size if needed, and save the result. Smaller palettes also compress better, so the file typically shrinks too.
When to use Quantize a GIF
Quantize a GIF remaps every frame onto a fixed-size palette chosen by median-cut, the classic algorithm for picking the most representative colors. Use it when you need explicit control over a GIF's color budget, whether that is for file size, a constrained display target, or a stylized reduced-color look.
- Preparing art for palette-limited hardware. Retro consoles, e-ink dashboards and LED matrix displays accept only a handful of colors. Quantizing to the device's palette size in advance shows you exactly what will survive the transfer.
- Controlling color budget precisely. Generic optimizers pick color counts for you. When a spec says 'at most 32 colors', quantization with an explicit palette size guarantees compliance rather than approximating it.
- Unifying colors across frames. A GIF assembled from screenshots taken at different times drifts slightly in color from frame to frame. Quantizing snaps all frames onto one shared palette so the animation stops shimmering.
- Studying an image's dominant colors. Quantize a photographic GIF down to 8 colors and the output is effectively a swatch study, handy for pulling a color scheme out of reference footage for a design project.
Examples
32-color quantize
Input
photo.gif
Output
photo.gif with each frame mapped to 32 quantized colors
About the Quantize a GIF tool
Quantize a GIF runs as plain JavaScript in your browser tab, with no server behind it. Snap every frame to a fixed-size color palette using median-cut quantization. Whatever you put in stays on your device from start to finish.
The tool is part of EditSafely's GIF Tools section, 110 single-purpose utilities built around the same idea: open the page, get the result, keep your data to yourself.
You can shape the output with the Palette size setting, and the result refreshes the moment you change it. The finished file is put together in browser memory and saved with the Download button, so it never touches a server on the way to your disk. A worked example further down the page shows exactly what the tool produces for a real input.
That local-first design has practical benefits beyond privacy. The tool keeps working on a flaky connection once the page has loaded, results are instant because nothing round-trips to a server, and it is safe to use with confidential material.
Frequently asked questions
Is Quantize a GIF free to use?
Yes, it is completely free. All 2,658 tools on EditSafely work without an account, a subscription or usage limits.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
Everything happens locally. Your browser downloads the tool's code once, then does all the processing itself; nothing you enter is transmitted, stored or logged. You can even go offline after the page loads and it will still work.
Which files does Quantize a GIF accept?
It accepts GIF animations. There is no file size cap imposed by a server; very large files are limited only by your device's memory.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?
No. The tool works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. There is no account to create, no extension to add and no software to install.
How do I save the output?
Click the Download button once the result is ready. The file is built in your browser's memory and handed straight to your downloads folder, without passing through a server.
Related tools
All GIF Tools →Reduce GIF Colors
Repaint every frame of an animated GIF with a smaller color palette for a stylized or smaller file.
Create Dithered GIF
Apply Floyd–Steinberg dithering to every frame for a retro, textured look on a small palette.
Change GIF Quality
Trade file size for fidelity by controlling how many colors each frame is allowed to keep.